Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1900-08-09
TUE SINCERE" MR.. BRYAN.

r,-tions OF a letter written to the
,,.or Of the New York World last May
yuiIliam J. Bryan have been made
pss,,ic In that letter Mr.. Bryan sets
ppu u his principles. He wants the
sree coinage OF silver at the ratio of
= m 1. the destruction OF every private
,sonopoly; the amendment OF the con-
as~T,tution SO as to authorize an income
.ay end the election of senator's by the
.aonle. the abolition of the system
,rnwn as government by injunction"
IA the establishment OF arbitration
sOtueen labor and capital; and the
Tilininos to have a chance to celebrate
,be Fourth of July"
Tban Mr.. Bryan says those who IA
.or the gold standard favor a few OF
Nose reforms, but are against most of
.hsn,p So looking at the matter from
.ho eypediency point of view, II am
not willing to trade a large number of
noonle who are all right for a small
pumber who are part right" He as
sumes that the abandonment of free
silver will drive away more votes than
a will gain. That is doubtful. But
avon n Mr.. Bryan believed votes could
ha gained by giving up free silver he
vonld not do ii, for he is "the man Of
nrInciple." He says, 81 am not anxious
enough for the nomination to purchase
II by sacrificing what believe to be
right. He says further:
when you look into the matter you
will find that my strength IL | have
anvil Is not all PERSONAL, but is due to
principles / advocate. The only part
that is personal is the belief among our
neopl that | am honest and will fulfill
every pledge / make. IL | give them
any reason to doubt my willingness to
20 down to defeat rather than abandon
nv convictions they would turn against
me in a moment. But they shall have
no reason to lose faith"
II Is courteous to assume that Mr..
BRYAN is not playing the role of a dem
agogue in this letter, and that he is
quite sincere when he says in substance
that he would rather be right than be
president" Therefore, If the Democrat
ic national convention dominates him
on the kind of platform he desires, it
will do so knowing what kind of a
president the Democratic party and the
country will have in the event of Bry-
ans election. Assuming that Mr.. Bryan
IS a sincere man, he would, If president,
endeavor to fulfill every pledge" he
had made, no matter how disastrous
might be the consequences to the coun-
try or to his party. He would be less
smenable to reason than Jackson even.
He would persist in a course which
ruined both If he thought what he con-
sidered his duty" demanded II.
William Allen White, in his study of
Bryan's character, printed in the cur
rent number of McClure's Magazine.
says the man is "passionately sincere"
but that II elected president "he would
have such difficult things to learn and
such an incapacity for learning them
that ne would cut many a fantastic ca
per, and In the end make a mess of 1t
Is bad as a thorough going rascal
would"
A ~demagogue elected to office on a
PLATFORM pledging him to carry out bad
policies may refrain from carrying
nem out. The arguments Of party lead
ers, or his own conviction that it will
pe unTlse to live up to party prom
ses. may make him hold his hand. But
tae fanatically sincere mantle
knd OF man Bryan is said to be-who
nolds dangerous views, like those of
bryan as to free silver and Debsism. is
elected to ar important office. then
trouble Is bound to ensue. The election
" MT. Bryan, il sincere, Is more to be
dreaded In some respects than that of
MT Bryan If a demagogue.-Chicago