The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-06-20
The BRYAN Platform.

City. iHc pidtiOiAH duoPecu az SaN"N
Falls was shaped by the same hand.
While 1t contains few extra features
for Populist consumption only. its main
lines were undoubtedly approved by Mr.
Bryan IL they did not originate with
him. And now more at length he has
issued his instructions 10 the delegates
through the medium OF an article in
the latest issue OF the North American
Review. What he says there, over his
own signature. about the issues before
the country is not likely to be disre-
garded by a convention which is al
ready pledged TO nominate him by ae-
clamation.
We find IN this article an amplifica-
ton Of the issues to which Mr.. Bryan
IN all his speeches has committed his
cause. Their sequence and treatment
indicate their relative Importance to his
mind. His advocacy OF silver Is per-
functory. He comes up to the scratch.
We give him full credit for carrying
his old man Of the sea without a GRIM
ace. But he has ceased now to couple
the gold standard with falling prices
and universal ruin. He argues rather
against the banking feature of the Re-
publican financial bill, makes the fool
ish charge that privileges which are
open to all upon the same terms con-
stitute a paper money trust" and
shows the logical and necessary ten
dency Of his own opinions in the sop
that he throws TO Populists by remark
ing that government notes should take
the place of bank paper.
His campaign against imperialism"
suffers greatly by the progress of
events. He happens to be bound by
his own acts. He supported and worked
for the ratification of the treaty with
Spain that brought to us the Philip
pines. Never since then has there been
a moment when we could have done
other than we have done. AS n matter
of plain fact, the difference between
Mr.. Bryan's position and that of his
opponents SINNERS down to just this:
that he would declare what this gov
eminent shall do In a remote future con-
tingency. unlikely TO be reached during
the life of any man who casts a ballot
this year. The Republicans believe In
legislating wisely for the present II,
in the course of events. the time shall
come when the Filipinos have demon
strated their fitness for independence,
no party and no man in the United
States has any doubt what our answer
viii be. Discussion OF this mere aca-
demic theory today is folly that may
easily descend TO a crime.
The last and greatest Of the reliances
OF Mr.. Bryan is the trust issue. But
events have played sad havoc with Il
since he wrote the words that are now
in print. He committed himself long
ago and In public 20 the theory that
the constitution should be so amended
trusts. Republicans proposed such an
amendment, and the solid Democratic
vote was cast against IT, Again. in his
article. he saws:
The Democratic party Is better able ~
undertake This work now than Il WIS n
few years ago. because all the trust m X
mates have left the party. The Ropublt-
can PARTY IS less able than ever before 20
,nake a successful war against trusts. be-
cause tt numbers among its membership
all the trust masnates Il ever had. ana
in addition 20 thsm & has all the Demo
crn'ic party formerly had
Put not your trust IN Democrats. for
they put Democrats in trusts Poor Mr.
Bryan The New York delegation 20
Kansas CITY will have at its head con
splcuous representatives Of the New
York Ice Trust, the latest, meaneet.
crueles;, vilest o: them all A trust
that controls a necessary % life. with
out which the poor endure terrible SUI
terlng, trust formed and engineered
hy Tammany. trus; made perfect by
deal with the city government Demo
Gratis. a trust out 81 which they have
made millions. trust whose stock
they paid for with promissory notes re-
deemed by the gigantic proits OF their
iniQuitous combination, We had not
heard. indeed. that the Rockefellers Or
the Havemeyers q any OF the old trust
maguates had forsworn Democracy.
But here is a whole brood q new ones.
with the stencil % their origin cllnging
about them. These are the heads OF
the party that Mr.. Bryan speaks for.
the men who will nominate him. And
what becomes Of the trust issue? Re
cent political revelations have left Mr..
srysns platform ssmsthipE xo.sa taan