St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1900-10-20
BRYAN GAINING FRIENDS.
Recent Converts to the Democratic
Cause-Mennbers of CIeveIand's
Cabinet.

Cause-Members OF Sleye1anu's
Cabinet
"Oyer-confiaence, according to wise
political leaders, is the danger that
democracy has to fear in the coming
campaign. The most conservative
men in the party have allalong antici-=
pated a hard. uphill fight in a large
number of the eastern states. It was
feared that. in that region converts
would be, hard to get, 1t was early in
The campaign conceded that the lead
YRS of what has been termed the gold
democracy" would with one accord
support Mckinley. However, during
the last few days the political situa-
lion in the east has assumed an entire
ly new aspect. David Bennett Hills
5ictum, Il am democrat seems to
have been the slogan adopted by near
y all of the leaders of the Palmer
Buckner movement of 1896. Being.
democrats. and being men with live
Iconsciences and a keen sense of honor
and patriotism, they could not do
otherwise than rally to the support of
those fundamental principles of de-
mocracy upon which are grounded not
only the democratic party, but the
fabric of our government as well.
Whatever the fancied dangers of free
silver might be, they fade into insig-
niieanee when compared to the unut-
terable loss of free government. I'm
perialism and militarism have been
termed "bogies," shadow issues, phan-
tastes of light-headed politicians, but
within the last few days it has be-
come evident that they are regarded
of. such vital Importance that the men
who have been lauded by the repub-
lican press as the soundest and ablest
leaders of democracy are willing upon
those two issues alone TO cast theirfor-
tunes and unite their efforts with the
forces supporting the nominee of the
democratic party.
While the Landslide in the east was
expected, it was not expected SO soon.
aud only the most sanguine enter,
| tanned hopes that the landslide would
ever assume the proportions@-o an
avalanche. but nevertheless the move
ment has been started in the east that
bids fair to sweep away the dearest
hopes of republican leaders.
| Richard Olney, in an open letter, has
| publicly announced his intention OF
supporting, the candidacy Of Mr.. Bry-
an. Who is Mr.. Olney? Every school
| boy could answer the question; he was
Mr.. Cleveland's secretary of state. He
was moreover a man concerning whose
| abilities, discernment, sound common
sense and patriotism the republican
press in 1896 wrote volumes. He was
| pointed to with pride as a leader who
| srepudiated Bryanism.' II will be in.
| teresting to notice the changed atti-
tude. that the republican press will
assume. Mr.. Olney viii undoubtedly
be termed a cheap, politician, a rat.
| tle-brained fanatic. Some may even
go so far as to term him traitor, but
| let them say what they will, the ans
nouncement of Mr.. Olney, together
| with the declara tion of William L. Will
son that he, too, means to support the
democratic ticket, will have a tremen-
dous effect not only upon the campaign
in the east, but upon the campaign in
| the whole United States. It is confident
| Iy expected that the next few weeks
will see the whole. gold democracy" :"
headed by Mr.. Cleveland, in line for
| Bryan.
The coming out of Mr.. Olney is one
| of the most recent links in the long
chain of prominent men who have re-
nounced Mckinley and the interests
however, the link which unites the hith-
erto diyerging branches of democracy.
/ Among other recent converts may be
named Thomas Wentworth Higginson,
/ Bourke Cochran, Webster Davis, Sen
ator Wellington, Patrick Egan, Henry
/ u. johnson. John j.. Valentine, Pat
rick Collins, the friend and adviser of
Tilden and Cleveland.
Chairman Jones, speaking of Mr..
Olney's declaration, said: ''Mr. Olney
$ a conservative, able and courageous
man. He was conspicuous figure in
the Cleveland cabinet, and made a
greater impression on the country
4 otnGl liidil III LIZ ~ IN1.
ognized everywhere as a man of great
ability and attainment; his declara-
tion in favor of Mr.. Bryan and the rea-
sons he gives for his position in the
campaign will have a marked effect
throughout the country.
Il was also very much gratifed to
see the stand taken by Mr.. Wilson, who
was also member Of Mr.. Cleveland S
cabinet, and who has been a prom
/ inent figure in politics for years. He
enjoys an enviable reputation for abil-
ity and scholarship"
On the same DAY on which Messrs,
Olney and Wilson issued their letters
to the public, Charles Richardson, one
of the leading independent republicans
of Philadelphia, and Col. Sam M. Bur-
dette, Of Charleston, West Virginia
who has been an active figure in the
politics of his state for many years, a
man who was bitterly opposed to Mr.
/ Bryan in 1896, announced that they
would support the democratic candi.
dates.
Bryan's Fairness.
Mr.. Bryan's campaign utteranees
b -.