The Portland daily press., 1900-10-24
CAN'T VOTE FOR BRYAN.
Don u. Dickinson Scores Dem.
Ocratic Leader.
Says That He Is Preaching the Gospel Of
Hate.

Washington, D. c., Oct. p, 19OO.-Don
NJ. Dickinson, acknowledgement in the
first cabinet Of President Cleveland, and
one Of Mr.. C,eveland's closest personal
and political friends, has written a letter
to a friend in Washington, in which he
says:
Since the adoption OF the Kansas CITY
platform and MS nomination, I 7have
never entertained a thought Of voting
for Mr.. Bryan, 1 confess, however, that.
IN common with very many Democrats.
1 hoped Tor time that l might with a
clear conscience stay away from the polls.
But Ar. Bryan speeches, particularly
his later ones, have destroyed that iIIu-
sion, and convinced me that 1 must vota
at the coming election.
l criticise no man Of different views
who can reconcile himself TO the other
course, but as for me, with the light
thai have, L am forced to the conviction
that l would be q Iecreant, false TO nv
country and false to my party as well.
If L should take to the woods
1 am Democrat on all the fundamen-
tai issues On which our party Joined
battle IN the past with the Republicans.
the Wings and the Federalists-a Demo-
crat without the prefix OF gold because
my party has been the party of souna
finance from Jefferson to Cleveland.
could not be Republican II | would.
and follow the creed, of Democracy with
all my old-time sincerity and faith, but
L recognize scarcely vestige OF Demo
cratic principle IN either the Chicago OF
Kansas City platform. The organization
is in the hands Of Populists, and by
these the livery Of true Democracy has
been stolen, In which to serve all the
devils that make for social disorder.
Mr., Bryan Is preaching the gospel OF
hate; vOicing that, he appeals to the
enYIOus, the discontented, the improyi-
dent, the incompetent and the unworthy
idle. But worse still, he endeavors to
set friend against friend, neighbor against
neighbor, family against family, section
against section and nation against nation.
Where is the intelligent citizen who
believes in his heart that his Republican
neighbOrs are not as good Americans
ana as good patriots as himself? And
yet, in connection with his making q
charge that the Republicans demanded a
larger army an increase, by the way,
that was voted for By the Bryan men
Of the Senate and Lcarried in the House
with minority vote of but 30, he has
recently said in his public speeches as hg
said at indianapolis: why do they want
it. So that they can build fort near
every large city and use the army to
suppress by force the discontent that
ought to be cured by remedial legisIa-
tiOn.'
What intelligent citizen, loving his
country, with a stake in home, in family
or in property, however great his sym
pathy for the unhappy Beers, would, II
he could, have had his government az
gressiYely interfere for their protection, at
the risk of war with Great BritainY
Imperialism? The theory of our GOV
ernment, fixed in organic law, cannot be
changed IN form or in substance, unless
our Congress, with It's House fresh from
the people. and the supreme court Of the
United States ara parties with the exeou.
tive to the reasonable conspiracy.
The Philippine question is a problem
to be solved by Congress, SO far as the
whole territory IS concerned. 1t may be
determined to Withdraw the flag, as in
Cuba, but IN no place on earth must that
flag be hauled down under fire,
Mr.. Dickinson objects to the logic OF
men who say Mr.. Bryan could not bring
about free silver if he would, and saws;
While the Republicans are response bic
for many evils that beset US IN our do
nestle economy, the crisis is sueh that
this is no time to discuss them.