The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-03-11
be large factor in future transportation
questions?
Is THE PARTY Of DllEMMAS
Democrats are Up Against the Horn
eldest One ia Their History.

Ntcnlld, mdTcu ., 49V1'
To the Editor Of the Eagle:
The Democratic party ought to begin
TO get used to dilemmas as they seem 10
be more common TO them than any other
body of men. Their national committee,
met in Washington, D. c., last week. A
correspondent of a Boston paper who
supported Cleveland in 1882, says in the
winding up Of his report of the meeting:
Behind the scenes it was interesting to
observe that a majority Of the commit
teemen 90 not expect that w. j.
Bryan can be elected. Upon the face Of
the situation they have no reasonable
hope Of his success, and his Democratic
friends in control Of the party machinery
know it perfectly well, and yet all of
them are willing to declare that his nom
inatiOn is certain, and probably by unan-
imOus vote Of the convention. Here is a
rather singular political paradox. But it
has been brought abought by sequences
of events which time alone will develop.
Its singular position inevitably commits
its party to candidate who it is aware
will be beaten before nominated. The
Democratic party has abandoned its old
creed of Free Trade state banks issue
and are seeking the fusion of all or any
of the side-show elements who are will
in to help to defeat the best party in the
history of the country. The original prime
essence and cardinal doctrine Of the old
Democratic party, free trade, pro-slavery
and states rights, free state banking and
the extension of slavery, introduction of
slavery into our new territory. But
where are they now? Openly opposing
the sOundest and most stable currency
bill any congress has ever presented,
both Of metallic and paper currency,
while they are advocating the issue of a
currency by the people, a 50-cent dollar
on its intrinsic face value at IS to l. If
the government steps from behind this
dollar this policy would bankrupt the
country in five years. Two-thirds of
them voted a few days ago against the
financial bill simply because it makes
every dollar in circulation and that shall
be placed there up to the value of a gold
dollar or to the value of 100 cents. w. J.
Bryan, their candidate for the presidency,
is and has been proclaining on the stump
in opposition to the decision Of the su-
preme court on the income tax bill Mr..
Bryan politically is all things to all who
may see cause to fuse with him that he
may gain their votes to help defeat the
Republican party who gave him such a
licking in 1896. for which he retains q
hatred which knows no forgiveness. If
the Democracy place him at the head of
their ticket we shall have to repeat the
same thing the coming fall election. He
must not stand in the way of our ma
tional prosperity as an obstructionist to
our commercial and financial prosperity,
either state or national In all Mr.. Bry-
ans public speeches he has not shown
executive ability sufficient to entitle him
to the gift of the highest office in the
country. AS it takes brainy, loyal and
patriotic statesman to run this nation,
the Democratic party seem to be chang
ing for the worse and we are losing ma
tional honor and influence at the national
capital, and we are losing power as a ma
tional party, and until they go back to
the old landmarks Of Jefferson, Monroe,
Madison and Jackson they cannot expect
to be a popular party. The changes they
have made since 1857 have all been out
of line with love of country and its best
interests. They have not upheld the flag
and the men behind it at all times as
they should have done. BY their oppo-
sition they are growing weaker and
weaker every year They are not that
great and popular party they Were fifty
years ago. Since the last presidential
election the Republicans have gained
four states, Kansas, Washington, South
Dakota and Wyoming and Mr.. Bryan
has weakened on free coinage, has
changed to anti-expansion and antitrust
They were badly defeated in 1896 on free
coinage, and in 1900 we expect to over
duplicate that defeat. Truly
T, VIII .KTNG