Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1900-09-07
sRYAN'S IMPROVED PROSPECTS
y. Y. World.

The action of the indianapolis Con-
vention is one of the signs of an intel
lectual and moral movement which is
to the advantage of the Democratic
candidate.
There is great contrast between
the situation to-day and that OF four
years ago. In 1896 the independents
were practically all for Mr.. Mckinley !;
this year many of them are for Mr..
Bryan. Any change indeed must have
been favorable to the Democratic can
didate. The mere allayment of ex-
citement, the indecision of some con-
servative men in choosing their candi-
date. the willingness of many more
who supported Mr.. Mckinley in 1896
to consider calmly the issues and the
candidates of this year, show that
something has driven from Mr.. Nc
Kinley some of the most intelligent,
the most unselfish and the most patri-
otto OF his supporters OF four years ago.
The men who have turned away
from him are intellectually among the
strongest men of an exceptional class
of citizens. They are the leaders of
OF those who put their country above
their party. Some OF them were the
glory and strength of the Republican
cause in 1896. They are now to be
the glory and strength of the Bryan
cause.
Call the roll of the Indianapolis
Convention and mark the striking loss
in intellect and character which Mr..
Mckinley has sustained and the re.
sultant gain to Mr.. Bryan. Mr..
Schurz is now against the Republican
candidate, and no one knows better
than Mr.. Mckinley himself that here
he has lost and Mr.. Bryan has gained
the most eloquent and potent orator
who spoke for the Republican candi-
date in 1896. If any other speaker
approached Mr.. Schurz in interest and
effectiveness it was Mr.. Bourke Coch-
ran. He is for Mr.. Bryan because, as
he says in his letter to the Indisnapo-
lis Convention, he believes that Mr..
Bryan's election OF itself would put a
quietus on the imperialistic adventure,
while if the Republican party sue
ceeds, "at the end of four years imper.
ialism will be so firmly imbedded in
our political life that it can never be
expelled" The venerable George s.
Boutwell,, ex-senator and ex-Secretary,
says: "In my age I leave the Repub-
lican party now that it has surren-
dered itself to despotic and tyrannical
motives" Moorfield Storey, Charles
Summers private and secretary biogra.
pher, declares against Mr.. Mckinley.
Edward NJ. Shepard, one OF the ablest
OF the Gold Democrats OF New York
and one Of Mr.. McKinley's ardent sup
porters four years ago, announces that
he will work and vote for Mr.. Bryan.
John B. Henderson, one OF the Oldest
Of the Republican Senators who in the
johnson impeachment honorably and
courageously preferred retirement to
private life rather than to violate their
consciences at the behest of their
party, is another OF the commanding
figures whom Mr.. Mckinley has lost
and Mr.. Bryan has gained.
These are but the names Of some OF
the leaders. They are not isolated
thinkers. They stand for many thou
sands of the best citizens OF the repub-
lie whose thoughts and purpose they
are expressing.
What is the meaning OF the change?
Primarily it is due to Mr.. Mckinley
himself. He has deceived and disap.
pointed and angered many of the men
who four years ago deemed it the duty
of all patriotic and honest men to vote
for him. Now they regard him as a
menace to republican institutions.
They are still gold-standard men.
They have not changed their princi-
Piles. They have counted the cost of
electing Mr.. Bryan. They are willing
to pay it, whatever it may be, in order
to rid the country Of McKinleyism and
its dangers. They are against Imper-
ialism, against the denial of the prin-
ciples of the Declaration of Iniepen-
dence, against executive or legislative
rule outside OF the Constitution.
against the greed which surrounds the
country with that atmosphere of cor
ruption which is inseparable from
money.seeking politics.
But while Mr.. McKinley's conduct
explains the change which has takeE
place during the four years. Mr.. Bryan
himself has grown since his nomina-
ton six weeks ago-first by reason OF
his wise silence on the silver question,
and second by his remarkable speech
accepting the Democratic nomination.
The speech will 60 down in history as
one OF the most effective utterances
ever made by candidate. Besides its
thoughtfulness, its eloquence, its able
marshaling of arguments, we must
recognize the fine sagacity which
caught the public imagination and sat-
isfied the public mind by full accept
ance OF its uppermost thought. His
silence on the silver question has the
same quality of sagacity. If he had
not maintained it so studiously and