The National tribune., 1900-11-01
EMO EXCUSE FOR VOTING FOR BRYAN.

EMO EXCUSE FOR VOTING FOR BRYAN.
If Mr.. Bryan had set out deliberately
to ALLEVIATE the veteran vote by giving nc
excuse or justification for any veteran
voting for him, he could hardly have done
otherwise than as he has done.
First and most important, he is col
leagued with and dominated by the men
to whom the veterans have always been
strongly antagonistic. No matter what
now, we know that they have always
been inimical to the best interests of the
country, their designs and acts have ever
been such as to alarm us, and our strong
est fears about the future of the country
at any given time have invariably been
from this class of men. Invariably have
they been arrayed behind some pernicious
scheme ranging all the way from Ma
tional reputation to gigantic armed re-
bellion, which gravely threatened the
country.
I'm NldlIlAg HOlbS bul luc
hope that any man may reform his views
and character, but common sense tells us
that with these men it is no more likely
than that the Ethiopian shall change his
skin, or the leopard his spots. They are
just as they always were, though some
Of their manifestations may not be the
same. This is merely because they lack
the opportunity. Give them the same con-
ditions and chances, and they will do
precisely as they have done in the past.
The veteran who goes over to their side
need expect no thanks, no consideration,
even. He will be regarded merely as one
who has weakened before the fight they
have put up, and deserted their enemies
All his opposition to them in the past will
be laid up against him. Suppose these
men come into full power through Bryan'S
election. On what possible grounds could
n veteran appeal to them? He would
have no more chances or recognized rights
than the prisoners in Andersonyille did
with their keepers.
1t was quite different when Cleveland |
was candidate. Tens of thousands of |
veterans were supporting him, because |
they believed in his principles. Many dis
tnguished veterans were on the stump for
him, or We're power in the councils of |
the men surrounding him. Even with all |
this we have acute memories of how the |
veterans Jared under his Administration.
Bryan's Administration could not help be-
ing incomparably worse, for we have alb
sOlutely no friends among his followers.
tinctly our enemies that they will not even
resort to the cheap campaign hypocrisy |
Of pretending to be our friends. Where
has Bryan, or any man authorized to
speak for him, pretended the least con-
sideration for veterans?
Every distinctive principle that Mr..
IDEAS of the veterans as the character of
his immediate following. Organism is a
reyersal-a reputation of virtually every
thing that the veterans have held to be
vitally important during all the years they
have been concerned with public ques-
tons. To support him they will have to
abjure, recant and spurn all the princi-
pes that they have hitherto maintained.
This is so markedly the case that today,
FOR the first time since the war, we do
lot find single veteran of any promi-
hence whatever in the Bryan camp. Vet
erans who were Democrats before the
var, and who clung to their party through
he Seymour, Greeley, Tilden, Hancock
Ind Cleveland campaigns, have utterly re-
used to follow Bryan when he would
cad the party into the camps of Populism
md Anarchy, and will this year cast their
irst votes for a Republican candidate. If
Organism has become too odiously strong
or them to stomach, how much more dis
asteful must it be to those who have al
yays acted with the Republican party?
Let us all, therefore, unite to crush out
Ind make an end of Organism. We can
ettle minor questions afterward.