Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1900-08-23
ROURKE COCHRAN ABSENT.
Business engagements Kept Him
Away From the Convention.

Business Engagements Kept Him
Away From the Convention.
Following is the letter sent by W..
Bourke Cochran to Edwin Burritt Smith
in response to an invitation to attend and
address the congress.
New York, Aug. IA, 190O.-My Dear
Sir: I regret very much that owing to
business engagements here I will be I'M
able to attend the liberal convention at
Indianapolis on the 18th. The attitude
of anti-imperialists to imperialism cam
not be open to doubt, and therefore 1 as
sumo the object Of the convention is not
to express opposition but to devise a
method of making that opposition effec-
tive The issue Of imperialism has been
squarely raised between the two parties;
it must be plain that the only way in
which citizen can exercise any direct
influence upon the result is by voting for
the Republican candidate who supports
it or the Democratic candidate who OPP
poses it.
Nothing can be accomplished by nomi-
mating third candidate that cannot be
accomplished equally by abstention from
the polls, except that the citizen who re-
mains at home on election day passes IN
noticed, while he who votes third ticket
attracts attention. The difference between
a silent and a vociferous refusal to ex-
ercise the suffrage is not worth discus
sion, since abstention from civic duty is
never commendabe When the republic
is in danger the only place for the patriot
is in the ranks of it's active defenders.
Absence from the field of contest or
shooting in the air can never be justified
.sIt cannot be denied that while anti-im-
perialists unanimously approve Mr.. Bry-
ans position on Imperialism, many of
them hesitate to vote for his election to
the presidency because they regard his
views upon other questions with distrust
and apprehension. We cannot hope to
deal intelligently with the issues of this
campaign until we liberate ourselves
from the domination of the questions, dis
cussions and passions of the last cam
paign. Within four years political con-
ditions have changed decisivey, and, as
conditions change, issues change with
them. The question which. the people
must decide now is radically different
from that submitted to them in 1896.
Then the election of Mr.. Bryan would
have placed the Democratic party in COM.
plete control of the legislative as we'll
as of the executive branch of the gov
ernment with full power to enact all
its beliefs into law. while now his cleo
ton will result not in placing the control
of the government in the hands Of the
Democratic party, but in dividing it's con-
troll between the two parties. Whatever
may be the result Of this election, the
senate will remain Republican for two
years certainly, and probably for four.
even If the people raised Mr.. Bryan to
the presidency in November, the Demo-
cratic party cannot possibly achieve any
power of legislation during the existence
of the next congress, and without legis-
lative sanction no change in the standard
of value, no reorganization Of the SUI
preme court, no modification whatever of
our financial, industrial or political sys.
TENS could be accomplished.
There is one issue which the popular
verdict will settle irrevocably. and that
is the issue Of imperialism. II the Re-
publican party be successful, its control
of the judicial, as well as of the execu-
tive and legislative departments of the
government, will be absolute. and Its dis
position to exercise all Its power for the
enforcement of an imperialistic policy
cannot be doubted. At the end Of four