The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-06-06

Bryan Speaks. The Party is Dumb.
The Democratic party is put in the
background by Col W. ]. Bryan In the
current number of the North American
Review, in which publication he con-
sumes seventeen pages in defining what
he believes are THE Issues in the Presi-
dental Campaign" Mr.. Bryan Is so
newly Democratic. or lately Populistic
in his Affiliations that it would seem an
lmpertinence for him to speak for the
party which is TO nominate him. But Mr..
Bryan was never known to let a dell
cate point like that deter him from
speaking or writing OF what he knows
about issues.
In his article in the North American
Review the champion Of the atrocious
Chicago platform formuIates nothing
new. With the same dOgmatic spirit
and egotism he discards all traditions
of the party Of which he is now master
and brings to the fore all the heresIes
that characterized his campaign in 1895.
With a great sweep of his demagogic
pen he preludes his article with the as
sertion that 1.-THE issue is between pluto
cracy and Democracy; all the questions
under discussion will in their last analy'
sis disclose the conflict between the dol
lar and the man" The dollar and the
man we all see, but they are not in con-
flIct. Benevolent and somewhat rapid
assimilation, rather, is the relation that
subsists between them. The INST place
of honor in the issues recited by Bryan
is given to the old and discreditable
financial heresy of the free, unlimited,
independent coinage of silver at the
ratio Of I6 to l. He pounds on this sub
ject with the same insistence he did In
1896. This fallacy is ingrained in him,
and we must give him due credit for be-
ing consistently insane on the matter.
1t is with him in his dreams and the
companion OF his waking hours. 1t
will be the first plank IN Sie Kansas
City platform, and how sound money
Democrats can be rallied to his stand
ard is beyond the comprehension of the
wlsest seer in politics.
In speaking of his impoittic insistence
In this matter and the improperly OF
his article in the Review the New York
Times caustIcally remarks: IN the his
tory Of our presidential contests we can
recall no aspIrant for the office save Mr..
Bryan who would not have held 1t to be
a shocking impropriety, after lac was in
nomination. to write, sign and permit
to be published a review article declar-
irg the issues OF the campaign. Exper-
fenced and capable leaders OF party
would be terrified by such an escapade.
for 1t is an aftront to them. who are
supposed to pass upon the literature OF
the campaign both as to Its subject
matter Of It's presentation; and it is a
gross Importance to the party Itself,
which in the old days used to furnish
the raw material OF the campaign issues
in the ideas. sentiments, likes and dis
likes, and demands that occupied its
mind.
Mr.. Bryans startling disregard OF
usage and propriety strongly empha-
sizes the dominant personal quality OF
his campaign and his career. The par
ty is dumb. Bryan alone speaks. or
II the party speaks. II is only to cry.
Bryan! Bryan! Give us Bryant" He
made the Sioux Falls platform. There
is no Democracy in it. He puts forth a
printed declaration OF the issues. They
are altogether and absolutely Of his own
choice and devlslug, The platforms
upon which Seymour. TIlden, Hancock.
and Cleveland were content to stand he
rejects as "cunningly devised evaslons
and antiquities" In its every aspect
and manifestation Organism is a per-
sonal venture. 1t might be described
Us u private literary undertaking ar
fected in a political interest The dol
lar and the man. the dollar for the man.
At all the little district conventions the
question is not of choosing delegates
who will support this or that principle,
but delegates who will support Bryan.
In Organism personal politics reaches
It's complete expression"
The situation In China is extremely
grave, and II tho Chinese government