Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1900-06-13
(New York Journal.l

the journal the following ANALYSIS OF
the attitude assumed by William ].
Bryan on the money question in the
present campaign. Mr.. Metcalfe is a
very Intimate persoal friend of Mr..
Bryan, and speaks with authority. He
presents to the democrats of the east
lucid and forcible argument, showing
that, aside from personal convictions,
MT. Bryan is forced to insist upon the
| recognition of bimetallism as a living
ad dominant issue by the very highest
considerations of political principle and
party policy. To abandon free silver
now, Mr.. Metcalfe says, would be a
silly and suicidal act upon the part of
a leader who has risen from obscurity
to the very highest position in his
party purely through the popular con-
hdence in him as man absolutely sim
j cere in his beliefs and animated by
the single purpose of securing the
greatest good for the American people.
(By Richard L .Metcalfe, Editor of the
Omaha World-Herald.)
1t is difficult to understand why the
eastern democrats who urge Mr.. Bryan
to abandon the cause of bimetallism
cannot obtain food for reflection in the
fact that every statement to the effect
that Mr.. Bryan has abandoned the
cause is given special prominence in
the republican organs. Sifted down,
these appeals to Mr.. Bryan" rest upon
the plea of practical politics." On this
line the wisdom Of this advice may be
successfully challenged.
The strength of public man is not
a thing which he may retain or dispose
of according to his own pleasure. Its
retention depends upon merit. Those
who plead with Mr.. Bryan seem to
imagine that his strength is due to his
personality. In truth, people have been
attracted to him by his eloquence and
his genial disposition, but they have
remained true to him because they be-
lieve in his sincerity, because they have
learned that his attitude toward public
questions Is governed by his conscience
and his ideas of what will best accom-
plish the greatest good to the greatest
number. If these gentlemen could con-
vince Mr.. Bryan that he is wrong, then
candid acknowledgment of his error
would be in line with practical pol
| itics''
WOULD NOT BE PRACTICAL.
But these gentlemen do not hope to
convince Mr.. Bryan that he is in error:
rather do they say, 'We know you be-
lieve in bimetallism at the ratio of
sixteen to one just as you did four
years ago. We do not ask you to
abandon your belief. We ask you sim
ply to avoid the question, and thus in
sure your election" Would it be prac-
tical politics for this man who has
risen to eminence and power because Of
his candor and honesty in dealing with
the public-would it be practical pol
itics for this man to abandon the char
acteristics that have given him his
strength.
| Keeping close to this question of
practical politics." it may be intelli-
gently maintained that the omission of
bimetallism from Bryan's platform
would not give to him one vote which
he would otherwise receive. Men who
are willing to surrender every great
principle rather than yield the single
gold standard policy would not vote for
Bryan unless they believed that Bry-
ans views. as well as his platform had
undergone marked change. Where is
the man who believes that as President
Mr.. Bryan would not exert every hon.
orable effort to establish practical BIZ
metallism, even though the platform
makers had omitted that feature? Is 1t
not clear that unless these gentlemen
can convert Mr.. Bryan to their view
OF the money question it will not be
practical politics for Mr.. Bryan to yield
to their pleas? In other words. will in
telligent men insist that in this en-
lightened day 1t would be practical
politics" for the man who has obtained
public confidence by honesty and can
dor to seek public Office by hypocrisy
and deceit?
CONSISTENT MAN WANTED.
Keeping close to this question of
| practical politics" is it not true that
| many people have already turned, 9TH
ers are now turning, and others will
yet turn, in deep disgust from a white
house occupant who has changed and
shifted positions with every passing
| breeze? Weary and disgusted with
| weakness and hypocrisy. will they not
be drawn instinctively to a man in
whom there Is no weakness and no hy-
pocrisy? AT a time when, above all
other times, the American people will
year for Consistency and stability in a
presidential candidate. Is 1t practical
! politics" for tie democracy to seek to
bestow upon its candidate the very
habits that have destroyed public con-
fidence in the republican candidate?
Let these men who plead with Bryan
ask themselves how this man has won
his present place in public estimation
| against their power and influence They
VIII find the answer to be that the
people trust him because they know