The Washington weekly post., 1900-10-02
An incorrect Statement.

The New York World has made the sur-
prising discovery that the platform upon
which Mr. Bryan stands is undoubtedly
more moderate and conservative than that
Of 1895"
II the World had asserted that the at
titude % the Democratic party. relative to
the great issue OF 1895. had undergone A
marked change since the defeat of ls to /
10 would have stated an important fact. a
fact as indisputabie as a mathematical
axiom. But IL Is not true-indeed, il is
the reverse Of tTue-that tile Kansas City
! platform is more moderate and eonserva-
tive than its Chicago predecessor of four
years ago. While events In the world Of
business and the hard lessons of repeatet
defeats have changed the general Demo-
cratic mind IN the direction of modera-
ton and conservatism on the currency is-
sue. the platform in itself gives no hint
of that process. Not only does il affirm
and indorse" t. rriiIg r. IF the Chiea go
deliverance, but it declares:
We reitersts the demand Of that platform for
iean people for themselves which shall restore and
maintain bimstaIe price level. and as part of
such system the immediate restoration Of the free
and unlimited coinage Of silver and gold at the
present legal ratio Of 1s to l without waiting for
the aid or consent Of any other nation"
On each and all Of the issues of 1896 Mr..
Bryan, as the candidate of the Democrats.
Populists. and Silver Republicans, stands
precisely where he stood in the battle of
the standards. And ii is only common
justice TO Mr.. bryan to say that he would
Indignantly repel an intimation that his
Views thereon had become more mod
crate ard conservative" or his ardor
cooled down a single degree His Oft
repeated pledge of fidelity. a pledge en-
phasized and solemnized by copious quota
tions from Holy Writ, has been kept to the
letter.
But it is only necessary to revert for
moment to the history of the Kansas City
convention, and especially to the story of
the building of the platform. to realize
that the tide which has swept 1e to / out
the Democratic masses unmoved. That
reiteratiOn of Is to l was opposed by dele
gates representing great majority of the
party, and its adoption was rendered pos
sible by the vote of a delegate from Ha-
wall. Ii was Mr.. Bryans ultimatum. and
he was true alike TO himself and the
allies of the Democratic party in virtually
making 1t condition precedent TO his ac
ceptance of the Democratic nomination.
But although compelled by the peculiar
conditions that confronted him and
prompted by his own sincere unchanged
coHviction TO force that plank into the
platform, Mr.. Bryan showed in his noti6
cation speech that he was quite prepared
70 yield compliance to the Democratic will
as TO "the paramount issue" Thus il
happens that while ne and the Kansas
City platform stand by and for all there
was in the platform of 1896, he and ,he
platform recognize that some things have
happened in the last four years.
Instead Of vitalizing the corpse Of IS to l
and making It menace to the business
'Ai'NiS VI thS COUNTY, lDt history OF
the Kansas City convention and the atti-
tude of the Democratic organs and speak,
ers since that platform was constructed
with the able assistance of Prince David |
of Hawaii-conhrm the truth of the Re- |
publican platform declaration that ''the
stability of cur currency on a gold basis !
has been secured" That stability is in no |
more danger from free coinage than from |
the greenback heresy. The only aggressive |
foes of sound money-except what is left |
of Senator Teller's following-are the
Populists, and their first principle is irre-
deemable legal tender paper in unlimited |
quantities. But nobody fears the triumph |
of the fiat lelusion.
And the present solidlty of the credit of |
the United States proves that capital, with /
all its traditional timidity, is not in the |
least apprehensive about l6 to 1. in spite of
the fact that Mr.. Bryan and his platform |
reiterate and reafiirm that exploded doc.
trine.