The age-herald., 1900-05-20
Prospects of Democratic Suc-
 cess This Fall
OUTLOOK MOST FAVORABLE
John P. Miller, We'll Known Wash ington Correspondent and Stu dent of National Politics,
 Writes The Age-HeraId.

MT. John P. Miller, one of the best post ed of the Washington correspondents, who has been a student of national politics for many years has sent the following letter to the editor of The Age-Herald in re- sponse to letter in which he was asked, "What do you think of the prospects of the democrats this fall?"
 Washington, May 19.-In reply to the question, What do you think of the pros poets of the democrats this fall?" I ans wer that there has never been a time when conditions have seemed to me more promising of democratic success The more carefully the situation is analysed with reference to the conditions in '96 and the developments since that time the more clearly does it appear that the outlook is peculiarly favorable The situation is not one that the democrats have planned for themselves and they have had very little part in its development. The principal thing to be guarded against, in my judg- ment, is an attempt to improve it by some act which might interrupt the natural progress of events. The things which I TeSdru as parllCularly 1aVOraDle to uenlo- cratic success are all the natural results of a policy adopted by the republicans, which could not possibly be productive of a general good. The continuance of that policy, uninterrupted, will make the evil of it still more apparent to the people than it now is. The democrats have but to stand firmly to their principles, which are the antithesis of republican policy, not shifting nor trying to accommodate them selves to some half-developed seeming ad- vantage, and many will give to them that confidence which they have found to be misplaced in the republicans The fact must not be lost sight of that whatever improvement there has been in the stua- tion from the democratic point of view has not been due to any change in the attitude of the democrats and it may be logically argued from this that no change of attitude Is needed to have this improve ment continue nor for the party to avail itself of the advantages offered
 Democratic Strength
 It is fair to assume that MT. Bryan, be- ing nominated at Kansas City, as he surely will be, will lose very little, if any, of the support he had in '96. Every effort that wisdom, skill, money or coercion was cap able of was put forth in that campaign by the opposition. It required courage and firmness of purpose to resist the pressNre.a of every conceivable sort, to draw or drive the voters from the support of the dem- ocratic ticket There cannot be anything worse than that was, and the men who stood firm then may be regarded as vet erans who may be relied on in the battle to follow this fall.
 Though defeated, the size of the vote re- eeived by MT. Bryan in 1896 was phenom- enal. Had his position been changed since or had the party lost faith in it's principles, it might be anticipated that many might desert who then supported him; but with the same leader and the same principles the same support may be relied on in the main. But all this support was not enough in 1896. and will not be in 1900. Some short sighted politicians may figure on how, by slight change of principle. a small part of this following might be traded off for another element of greater numerical and financial strength. They may carefully figure out how many would be lost and how many more gained ana advocated just that much of a shift in position as would produce the best result in the aggregate This is hardly worth considering as a mere mathematical problem, leaving out of account the loss of character which it would involve.
 From Whence Must Come Recruits
 The question, therefore, is where are the democrats to look for recruits? The analy- sis of the situation necessary to answer this question results most encouragingly.
 The men who deserted the democratic party in 1896 have been disappointed in the administration which they were, in part, responsible for and most of them have got over the unreasoning terror which was ex- cited in them by the Chicago platform and the wild cries of the money lenders Most of those who have not recovered from the shock of seeing democratic principles clear ly and frankly expressed are men who be- long in the republican party because their personal interests or their faith places them there. It is fair to assume from abundant evidences about us, that the democrats who come back into the party because they believe it represents the best interests of the people will be more than enough to offset assertions on the part of men who supported Bryan in 1896, provided there is no change of principles at the Kansas City convention. small gain may be antici- pated because of the disadvantages which a president running for reelection suffers through the disappointments he has been compelled to inflict in the distribution of personal favors. If there were nothing more tangible than this it might give req son for hope.
 But above and beyond the ordinary rise and fall of the political tide, there is that which gives substantial reason for faith in democratic success this fall Prosperity and the reflected glory of the Spanish war