The Delawarean. [volume] (Dover, Del.) 1859-1927, 1900-04-18
BRYAN BY ACCLAMATION-.
WHAT WILL PLATFORM RE.

%No" HV SeShS III III vain. ln'
reception of his candidacy by tn,
counlary has only made 1T more certain
that Mckinley and Mr. Bryan will botl
} be renominated-practically by accla,
nation.
The West and the South are more
united for Mr.. Bryan than they were
four years ago. The only chance OF
opposition was in the East. Massa-
cnuseU;s, Rhode Island and Pennsyl-
vania have already instructed for him
Vermont, Dewey's home, will do the
same. There is nowhere a sign of on
position strong enough to make itself
heard or felt in the onvention-except
perhaps in Tammany Hall, and the op-
position of the bosses of that organi-
zetion has always been source of
strength rather than of weakness to a
Presidential candidate.
MIR. Bryan will be nominated with a
shout. But after the nomination.
what?
Nine-tenths of the Democrats will of
course vote unquestioningly for Mr..
Bryan, just as nine-tenths of the Re
publicans will vote for Mr.. Mckinley
without regard to the platforms ON
which they stand These Just about
balance each other. But what will be
the action of the tenth tenth and of
the considerable body of independent
voters whose ballots have heretofore
so often decided the election? Will not
the efforts of the candidates and fhe
campaigners ON both sides be directed
chiefly to securing the support of these
undetermined but determining factors
This being beyond question the fact
and the truth, how shall the Democrats
most sensibly and hopefully seek to
turn the balance in their favor? Must
it not be by retaining the voters
whose detection spelled defeat in 1896
and by securing the support of the Re
publicans and the Independents who
are strongly opposed to Mr.. Mckinley
and his policy both at home and abroad
to his alliance with Plutocracy and
Privilege here, to his amazing stultif-
cation on Porto Rico, to his unauthor-
lied and endless war of criminal ag-
gression in the Philippines, to his un-
american lack of sympathy with the
two republics fighting for their lives in
South Africa?
This is so obviously the common
sense of politics that the only matter
left for discussion is how best to shift
the balance of power.
1t will hardly be denied that the chief
cause of the defeat of the Democratic
party in 1896 and in every year since
then was the issue of free silver coin
age alt 16 to 1. This was believed by
a very large body of honest, conserva-
tive, property-owning. wage earning
and wage-saving voters to hold a men
ace to the national honor and to the
prosperity.
Without arguing further a question
that has been decided adversely to the
claimants with increasing emphasis
in seven successive elections, it is
enough to say now that the position
has been wholly changed and reversed
since 1896. Not only has the demand
for more money been met by an ad-
dition of $500, 900, 900 to our CURRENCY.
not only has widespread prosperity
taken the place of campaign calamity,
but the money question has been set
tied by law which in its fundamental
principle (the gold Standard cannot.
owing to the Republican control of the
Senate, be changed during the next
term by any possible re-
suit of the election.
Such being the situation. does it not
logically followed that principle and
policy, sense and sagacity. unite in re-
quiring of the Kansas City Convention
a modified, moderate. living platform
There is no sacrifice of principle or
even of consistency in turning from
dead issues Ito living ones-in subordi-
mating the lesser to the greater uues-
lions
With Mckinley as the Republican
and perpetuation of the
present regime as the alternative. there
will be no choice butt TO support Bryan
FOR those who believe as the World does
that the only issue in the campaign
worth considering is the publication
Of Democratic institutions and the pre-
of the Republic-the drop
ping of anti-American Asiatic ad-
ventures. the maintenance of the Con-
stitution in all its parts and in all
places where national sovereignty ex-
ends and return to the principles i
If the Declaration of Independence.
Upon this real issue Mr.. Bryan adj q
nirably represents the feelings of those
who wish restoration of the real re-
public in place of the sham republic
hat Mr. Mckinley and his party are
setting up The open secret of Mr..
3ryan's marvellous strength is found
n the popular faith in him as the hon