The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1900-10-12
what Baseness Deserves.


States offered by one of the dominant
parties within the memory of living
nan. We have had candidates with
views, we have had men with
dangerous policies. But we have never
had man whose perversion Of truth
was SO shameless, whose stock in trade
consisted OF appeals to class prejudice,
whose hopes of success lay wholly in
ministering the basest passions of hui
man nature. tits past comprehension
how any man who values truth before
falsellood and sets law before anarchy
can ally himself with this most con-
scienceless of demagogues and most
pernicious Of agitators.
We printed tile other day a letter
that showed irrefdtably that Bryan
had taken message Of Abraham Lin
coins, written to rebuke the owner
ship of capital in human labor and so
perverted it as TO make it appear to be
an Endorsement of Bryan's senseless
rawlings against capital in its relations
with free labor. 1t was an act palpa-
bly, andunmitigatedly dishonest, that
should find, as it has found, no de-
tenders, and that should forever debar
Bryan from the confidence ard sup
port of men Of principle.
Why did Bryan urge ratification of
the peace treaty? For the purpose of
putting the Republicans in hole. 1t
is the act of a cheap politician, it is
not the act OF statesmen.
Bryan went al out the country in
1896 predicting all manner of catastro-
Plies if we kept the gold standard. If
he knew better, he is knave. If he
didn't know better, he is fool.
He talks silver at the West, anti
imperialism at the East, anti-trusts at
the South. He is for anything that
will get votes
He wants us to return to the simple
dignity of the Fathers, yet he scurries
about the country to receive superfons
nominations, and spouts his speeches
into n photograph.
He denouuces autocratic rule, yet he
is himself the most dictatorial of living
politicians.
He holds up Washington and Lin
coin as examples, and yet he has done
nothing for four years but pursue with
unblushing and unwearied ambition
the Democratic nomination for Presi-
dent.
Now man may be a cheap politi-
can and an arrant demagogue and still
be sound at heart. But the baseness
OF Bryan's purpose is clearly apparent
from the nature of his appeal.
Ii man is contented, Bryan will
do his best to make him disconnected,
Ii man deies the law with a riot
Bryan pats him on the back. If a
man is poor, Bryan tells him the
Government is to blame, BRYAN en-
courages him to call down impreca-
lions on the rich.
Here is man who goes about The
country stirring up the poor against
the rich, the broken against the sue
cessful, the idle against the busy, the
laborer against the employer, the riot
er against the courts, the properties
against property, the disorderly agains,
law.
Every man that is enraged at the
existing order: every man that Is en-.
vious of his neighbor's progress: ever,
man that blames society for his owr
incompetence: every man that feel.
like taking the law into his own hand.
to redress the grievances against the
capital; every socialist, communist
anarchist and rioter; every enemy O
progress and prosperity; every croak
ing raven of calamity; every apostle q
discomfort; every prophet of despair
recognizes IA friend in Bryan, ant
recognizes truly, because his Who'll,
appeal, overt or convert, il addressed
to these basest elements aud mos
dangerous foes OF our civilization.
Such MN is out of place in til,
United States. Such man il a
variance with American ideals OF liher
~ and law, individual enterprise ant
responsibility. He is the enemy Of, tn,
doctrine of fair play, which insures /,
each the fruits of his labor. He offer,
us despair for hope, discomfort for de
termination, bitterness for ambition
dependency for courage. Such a maj
Is dangerous, not only and. not q
grievonsly because he perverts history
palms off humbug as philosophy an,
menaces business and order. but he
cause he seeks to poison at its YER
source the fountain of our Naticna
ilfe. He seeks tosnbstliute for vtril
sell reliance, obedience to law an
resolution to press forward, spirit q
anarchistic rage and bitter COMPLAIN
that belongs only IN the decadent CIV
lizations of the Old World.
The difference between Bryan an
all his predecessors is one not Of degre
but OF kind. We have never had
man before who sought 10 build him
self up on the ruins of prosperity, an,
not only that hnf ~, az -