The Portland daily press., 1900-08-27

BRYANIsM.
The great issue of this campaign is not
imperialism, it is not free siIverisn. it is
not the trusts. All these things may
have something to do with 1t, but none
of them constitutes the vital Issue. That
is Organism. Organism cannot be briefly
| defined, because is embraces a great deal.
Perhaps the Chicago platform of 1896,
which stands today just where it stood
then as the creed OF the Democratic party,
affords lis brief and Ineligible DELI
milton of Organism as it is possible to
frame. 1t is useless to inquire whether
Organism is the product of wrong hearts
or wrong heads. It makes no
difference In its effects whether
a poisonous nostrum has been
concocted by Ignorance or by .iniquity.
1t kills just as effectually in one case
as in the other. 10 say that MIR. Bryan
is a good man and a sincere man is a
mere begging of the question. 1t is not
what he is, but what his doctrines are
that it is most essential for the people
to lind out. The Chicago platform set
them forth in detail The one that it
lays most stress on is that the govern
ment stamp makes money, for that is
the underlying principle Of the silver
theory. Essentially the theory is the same
as the greenback theory, the difference
being that it is applied to silver Instead
of paper. The greenbackers contended
that 1t would be perfectly fair and hon
est for the government to pay off its
Il Dc 81.
merciaIs value. Bryan contends that
it Will be perfectly fair and honest for
the government to pay off its demands
N silver Of far less commercial value
than the gold that would be needed to
settle them. The doctrine is the same
in both cases, only 1t Is carried further
in one than in the other. One Ingredient
of Organism is therefore financial dishon-
esty. Wr. Bryan may not see it. He may
have deluded himself by some process of
reasoning, just as the greenback leaders
did, that there Is no dishonesty in his
financial programme, but it is there all
the same.
Another ingredient of Organism is
class prejudice. The Chicago platform
is full of it, and Mr.. Bryan s speeches
are full Of it. Indeed we are inclined
to think that he depends upon this pre-
judice more than upon anything else for
success. The asperslons upon the courts
in the Chicago platform were a
thinly yelled appeal 20 the Iawless ele-
ments OF the COMMUNICATIVE socialistic
and anarchistic elements-to look to
Mr.. Bryan as their champion, and Bry-
ans speeches during this campaign have
frequently echoed this appeal under va
rious DISCUSSES.
But it is claimed that Organism has
now been leavened by anti-imperl-
alism. Bryan this year, they say, stands
for the rights of man, alongside of which
all other Issues and questions are of
little consequence. What Bryan person.
ally may stand for is of very little con-
sequence. unless it can be shown that the
party whose candidate he is and whose
Oehests he must obey, stands for the
same thing That it comedies with his
views as regards free silver has been re-
peatedly proved by its legislative efforts.
That it sympathizes with lawlessness
when it masquerades under certain dis
SoA0Oo c4AA - QlE6Ct0u dSalQSG certain /
interests, has also been proved by It's leg
islatlve efforts. But that it has any real
sympathy with inferior races or that it
is much concerned for the rights OF any
man but the white man, has not only not |
been proved, but has time and again been
disprOved. The Southern section OF this |
parry, with the approval and sympathy'of |
the Northern wing, have taken away the
ballot from 800, 900 men simply and |
solely because they belonged to an infe-
rior race. Does anybody believe it will |
be more considerate Of the rights OF
brown men than OF black men, Through
out it's whole caresr the Democratic par
ty has been the enemy of human equali-
ty, and never more than today. Mr..
Bryan may seek to inject into the Demo-
cratic creed the doctrine of equal rights
for all men, but his party will spew it
out of its mouth While the Southern
wing of the Democracy is dominant HUI
man equality will never be accepted by
that party. 1t may allow Mr. Bryan to
pirate about it for vote catching at the
North-though there are signs that it is
growing FESTIVE at that-but it will
quickly requdiate it after election. 1t is
easy to see from the Southern newspa-
pers that the Democrats OF that section