The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-12-15

An Idol, a Feast and the Skeletons
Behind the Chairs.
Brooklyn Eagle.

The Omaha correspondent of the Sun fur
nishes full particulars of the great fusion.
feast at Lincoln on Dec. "a. He also fur
nishes other than particulars, which is to
say, he discusses possible developments. In
his opinion the final chapter in the varied
political history of William Jennings Bryan
will be written at the banquet. Incidental
ly. he credits Mr.. Bryan with having for
eight years absolutely dominated the Dem
ocratic and Populistic parties-it seems like
more than eight years. but is little more
than half the time. Sulzer is to write part
OF the final chapter. according TO the corre-
spondent He has been asked not only to
attend the banquet, but to make speech.
He was convinced that the name of Sulzer
should have been associated with that OF
Bryan on the national ticket and has an ac
count to settle. Accordingly, he is said to
have stipulated that he shall be permitted
to speak freely, which is construed as
meaning that he proposes to make the fur
Fly. Then there is Senator Towne He also
believes that one of the Kansas City NOM
nations should have fallen to his lot, and
WILL oratorically, conduct himself accord
ingly. To pile Pelion on Ossa, ]. Sterling
Morton informs the correspondent thai
ceased to exist. He adds: His weakness
is now too apparent to even his most de-
voted friends. AS a political factor it may
be truthfuily said to-day that w. j. Bryan
has already been eliminated" All this sug
gests to the Sun correspondent the conclu-
sion that the banquet will be stormy af-
fair instead of love feast and a consola-
ton party. Not on that account, however.
will it be called off.
An equally gloomy picture comes from
Washington. the artist in this case being
the correspondent of the Tribune. He sees
not break in the Democratic clouds. In
deed he declares the party to be in worse
shape than it Immediately after the
civil war. 1t has, he says, at the capital Of
the Nation neither a leader nor policy,
the absence of a leader at one end of the
Capitol being due to the fact that Bailey is
soon going to the other. Even Sulzer,
hitherto implacable and impetuous, not to
say headstrong, is demoralized. He declares
that he will not fight imperialism. militar-
ism and SO forth, emphasizing the and so
forth. He will simply oppose the admin
istration at every point. II am done fight
ing for time he pathetically remarked.
THE Republicans are strong enough tn this
House to run over us If they want to. They
will be stronger in the next, SO what's the
use of fighting? Hence, all shall do is to
oppose Do you catch my meaning With
out doubt the correspondent of the Trib-
une caught 1t. He went to other Democrats
OF great legislative distinction only TO find
them all in what may be called the Sulzer
frame of mind. Senator Vest happened to
be also In calculating mood 1t would,
he said. take four years for the party to
purge itself OF Populism four years to re-
cover from the purging process and four
years more to prepare to make fight along
possible lines and with ranks strong enough
to meet and overwhelm the Republicans.
Such talk as this comedies the Tribune cor
respondent, may be the widest speculation,
but Ii indicates beyond peradventure the
fact that the great majority In Congress.
anxious to get rid of Bryan as the first
move in the regeneration rather than the
reorganization of their party"
The Omaha picture is, in all probability,
overdrawn. Sulzer may fret and fume in
advance OF his speech, but he has a happy
faculty of making himself agreeable on
much TO be thankful for, and knows it.
There may be skeletons at the banquet,
but they will not be paraded. Jones. who
is to be there, knows a trick worth two
of that. The object of the feast is OBJ
vious. Bryan worship seems to grow by
whas it feeds The banquet furnishes
want TO renew assurances of their adora-
ton. They want to tell him that, defeat
to the contrary Notwithstanding. he is the
greatest man on earth. And this they
will proceed to do. Else why go TO Lin
coin? Else why not eat in Omaha and
have Mahomet go to the mountain? At
the dinner the idol will be safe enough.
Nothing but incense will be permitted to
float in the direction OF his olfactories.
His response VIII be In kind He is to
speak of the future of the party He
may modestly refrain from intimating
that he is the party, but his hearers will
be troubled by no such scruples. What
he has made up his mind not to say is that
he will step down and out The party is
lettering Organism has come within an
oce of killing it. The only sustenance it
bad from its standard bearer during the
interval between convention and election
was platitude dreary when not dangerous
and dangerous when. not dreary. Not
syllable suggestive of constructive states
manship or, indeed, of craftsmanship OF
any sort, lifted his speeches from the bot
tom. but the banquet programme will go
through. The devotees will tell the idol that
1t is not strange god, and the idol will
ccolly asquiesce. Caricaturists have por-
trayed the party as a donkey. with Bryan
in the saddle. It is growing leaner and
hungrier every day, sinking beneath the
riders weight. but he clings to his seat
like grim death. The organization of a
society for the prevention of cruelty to
political animals would appear to be in
order.