The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-09-27
LANDSLIDE TO BRYAN.
REPUBLICANS FLocKING TO
THE DEMOCRATIC STANDARD.

Wellington, Egan, Davis. Monet, schurz,
Olney, Wilson and Hundreds Of Others
OF Like Prominence Cannot Endorse
imperialism.
Not day passes that the press is
not called upon to record the fact that
from dozen to a score of prominent
men who voted for Mckinley in 1896
have announced their intention of vot-
Ing for Bryan and Stevenson this year.
While there are among these many
gold Democrats who voted the Repub
lican ticket four years ago, and who
are returning to their former allegi-
ance, there are still hundreds of life
long Republicans who have consistent
ly supported the Republican ticket,
ever since they reached their major
ity, but who now find it impossible to
accept the Republican platform adopt
ed at Philadelphia. The list includes
business and professional men, bank
the like, and in itself presents forci-
BILE argument in favor of the Kansas
City platform and the ticket nomin-
ated at the Kansas City convention.
The reason given for their CONVEX
sion by these recent additions to the
Democratic ranks are many The gold
Democrats, who left the party four
years ago because of its attitude on
the money question, declare that this
issue is not the paramount one in this
campaign; that the questions of i'm
perialism, militarism and trusts are of
immensely more consequence to the
country, and upon these questions they
cannot support the Republican party.
Why They Support Bryan.
The many voters of foreign birth
who are leaving the Republican party
give as their reason for doing so that
they are opposed to its policy of i'm
perialism. Many of them, also, differ
with the present administration in re-
gard to its colonial policy, and believe
that the constitution is being ignored
in the conduct of the administration
towards Cuba and Porto Rico.
0l1A1 OIASIS Slpt DIS llSll lCdSOu lCl
coming over to Mr.. Bryan that they
believe, in crisis, the country would
be safer in his hands than in the
hands of the men who dictate President
McKinley's course of action. In view
Of the continuance of the war in the
Philippines and the complicated con-
dition of affairs in China, they be-
lieve that there is grave danger of a
crisis to successfully carry this coun-
try through which will require clear
head and mature judgment, such as
Mr.. Bryan possesses.
Ex-Secretary of State Olney has
written letter declaring himself for
Mr.. Bryan and advising all patriotic
citizens to support the Democratic
candidate. Mr. Olney has always been
an expansionist but has not confused
the Jeffersonian article with imperial
ism. His announcement came as
bomb shell into the Republican camp.
Great Names in the Van.
At the head of the list of converts
60 Democracy since the Kansas City
convention stand such names as Web
ster Davis, late assistant secretary OF
the interior under Mr.. Mckinley; G.
l.. Wellington, senator from Mary
land; Patrick Egan of New York, who
was minister to Chile under Presi-
| dent Harrison Thomas Wentworth
Higginson of Boston, soldier, histo-
rain and litterateur; and a score of
others equally as prominent. The Re-
| publicans, in their desperation, are
| announcing conversion after CONVEX
sion to McKinleyism, but they are I'M
able to present list containing such
formidable array of names Of ma
tional reputation as the above.
| Webster Davis, who resigned his DO
sition as assistant secretary of the in
terror and cast his lot with the Demo-
Gratis, did SO because he had visited
| South Africa and had become con-
| WINGED that the attitude of the present
administration towards the struggling
| Beers was un-American and unjust.
| He had been making speeches for the
Democratic ticket ever since he an
4 nounced his conversion at the Kansas
| lily COuVeullOu, anu us WOTK mas
been the means of changing hundreds
of votes from Mckinley to Bryan.
Former Lieutenant Governor Jones
of New York, who was an anthusias-
tic supporter Of Mr. Mckinley in 1896,
says in announcing his change of SEN
timent: II believe the country would
be safer, in the event of any possible
crisis, in the hands of Mr.. Bryan, a
man Of answering firmness, integ-
rity and ability, than under the CON
troll of Mr.. Mckinley"
Frank Monnett, who, as the Repub-
lican attorney general of Ohio, en-
forced the law against trusts so dill
gently that they sought to bride him
with half million dollars. He is out
for Bryan now.
Wells, Fargo Co.'s President.
John ]. Valentine, president of the
Wells, Fargo & Co. Express, says:
Believing that between the claims OF
freemen, that all men are entitled to
equal political rights, and the dogma
Of tyranny, that might makes right.
there is no middle ground, favor the
endorsement of Bryan and Stevenson
and the straight support of the Demo-
cratic nominees
Edward Osgood Brown, a prominent
Chicago attorney, says: 81 believe
Bryan honest, able and right on the