The sun., 1900-10-09

| tne aHalrs or the Philippine people prop5
erly. / do not myself believe he can.
Mr.. Bryan's plea for the salvation of
this country by the destruction of what he
terms imperialism" as exemplified in
the administration of our affairs in the
Philippines, loses its force when it Is res
membered what he pledges himself to
carry out at home, in matters which go~t6
the personal and property interests of
every citizen of the republic, no matter
how small such interests may be. II
| would be the height of folly in this cam5
paign to forget the very important effect
which Mr.. Bryan's election would have
upon the business interests of the coun7
try. In the minds of those who carry on
the affairs which make up our business
world he is associated with uncertainty
and doubt. 1t will not do to say that
these interests are selfish and ought to res
ceive a lesson, for the creates sufferers
will be those who are most dependent
upon the largest daily activity in busi-
ness. No one would suffer SO much as the
laborer, for he must have steady work,
day in and day out. He has no reserve
capital from which to draw, and the cur
taiment of business operations means
the curtailment of employment of labor,
with attendant distress and idleness.
Dangerous to Labor Interests.
l look upon Mr.. Bryan as the most
dangerous man to the labor interests to-
day in public life. In the first instance
| he is a demagogue, possessed of certain
quality of oratory which appeals always
to prejudice. In the second, he is well
| grounded in no branch of political econ
omy and unsound in all. He would be
| more unpopular with laboring men, il
| elected, than, 1t is claimed, he is popular
with them now, because his success would
| paralyze business for long time at least,
during which time the laborer of neces7
sity would be without employment.
Then, too, the laborer would soon dis
cover how utterly futile Mr.. Bryan's eff
forts would be to make better his condi5
tion by making war upon his employers!
The laborer certainly cannot be benefited
by policy which is directed wholly to!
ward the unsettling of values, the reduce
ton of the purchasing power of his wage
and the enactment into law of views
which, tested by experience and history,
are wholly unsound.
| believe President Mckinley ought to-
be reelected as largely. as possible by
Democratic votes. Under the present
domination of Mr.. Bryan a conservative
Democrat can find no place of influence
in the party. Those who now return to-
it after rejecting Organism four years
ago will find themselves without voice in
the administration. Theey go back to ac7
cept Mr.. Bryan's views. He does not
accept theirs. They indorse him-he does
not indorse them; and, once elected, they
are not in position, after changing fronts
to protest against his radicalism. By vot-
ing for him they do, in fact, indorse him.
despite mental reservation that they do
not approve of his public utterances and
Populistic views. They disarm them
selves of a right to criticise and draw
down upon their heads more blame for
Mr.. Bryan's unsound views as a disturb
ing factor than does Mr.. Bryan himself!
For by their act in voting for Mr.. Bryan
they have made it possible for him to do
the harm which they must know would
follow the carrying out of the principles
for which he stands.
Bryan's Party Popu1istic.
The Democratic party cannot be both
Democratic and Populistic. Under Mr..
Bryan it is Populistic. 1t is SO out of
power. 1t would be more so in power.
The best example of what he would do
with the party if in power is shown in
his own State, where even the kind of
Democrats they have in Nebraska are
only allotted one or two minor offices,
while the Populists are given all of inn
portance.
When Mr.. Bryan is eliminated Demo-
Gratis can readily assume position of re-
spect and influence in the Democratic
party, and until he is they ought to fight
against him. They can aid the party best
by rescuing it from Populism by defeat
ing Populistic candidates at the polls, not
by electing their candidates with the vain
hope that they can either reform them,
render them harmless, or prove them to
be pretentious boasters, publicly standing
for things which they never intended to
carry out.
As far as l am concerned l am going
to maintain my Democracy by voting and
speaking against Mr.. Bryan and those
who have debauched the party and placed
it In the attitude of a defender of all the
isms that disturb the country. / do not
believe in Organism in the West or Gro
kerism in the East. If a continuation of
Organism and Crokerism constitute De-
mocracy, sound political wisdom and hon
est administrative ability, l do not wish
to be of it. But do not believe it does,
and, therefore, have faith in there being
enough Democrats who are Democrats
from principle to defeat Mr.. Bryan so
as to make impossible the
things we have witnessed during the past
years in alleged Democratic conventions.
l really would like to know what a
Democrat thinks of reforms
wrought in domestic and foreign affairs
through the combined wisdom and eXpe-
rience of William j. Bryan and Richard
Croker. JAMES H. ECKELS,
Comptroller of the Currency under Cleve-
land.