The sun., 1900-12-21
Truo Democracy 4"

an article In the Saturday Fysnrig Post
Of Philadelphia. but lie merely repeats the
very general views lately expressed by
him In AZ interview In an Atlanta paper. 10
which already We have referred. A re-
! turn from our wanderings Is absolutely
essential" tho only forces that can win
| SUCCESS are adherence to recognized Demo-
! cratic principles" there Is not one who
would not haf the proclamation OF the
| old faith." II our fighting forces hear
,, the rallyng call Of true Democracy thpy
| will gather for battle with oid-time Demo-
! cratic enthusiasm and courage These
senrrnces sum up about all there Is in the
| article
IT will be seen that they DO not undertake
to define what true Democracy IL.
though that il the very question az issue
between the Bryan school of Democrats
and the Cleveland school BRYAN contends
that IL Is he who brought back the party
from our wanderings and that those
wanderngs were under the leadership
Of Mr.. CLEvkLANp: but Mr.. CLEVELAND
retorts by declaring that It was under
BRYAN's leadership that the wandering
| took place.
In fairness the Democratic situation
AZ the beginning OF 1905 must be recalled
Mr.. CLEVELAND had been elected In 1892
by large popular and Electoral ma jority:
but his second Administration had been
coincdent with great business and financial
distress and stagnation. His platform
had wandered from past Democratic
doctrine by declaring II "to be funda-
n ,.,t., f,,Ia - ~.
that the Federal Government has not Com
sututonal power to impose and collect
tariff duties except for the purpose of
revenue only" When the party acquired
at the election full control OF the Govern
ment 1t proceeded. however. TO enact a tariff
distinctively and avowedly protective, and
radically Populstic in the income tax that
was added to II at Mr. CLEvEIANps q
own instgation. In other respects the
Democracy had lost public respect and
confidence. so that az the time for the
It's defeat at the election was booked upon
as foregone conclusion.
In 1892 the election Of Mr. CLEVELAND
was assisted by the withdrawal from the
Republican party Of a great body Of voters,
in the West more particularly. 70 Popuisrn.
tho Populist candidate receiving more than
million votes and the outside political
movement demonstrating a tendency 70
growth which seriously menaced both Of
the great parties. In 1896 BRYAN came in
and by strategy which cannot be called less
than mastery In its complete change OF
face in the presence Of the enemy he won
kA ka
Populist votes and turned campaign
which seemed 70 promise a walk-over
for the Republicans into fieroely disputed
contest in which he received about a million
more votes than had elected Mr.. CLEVELAND
in 1892
At least. that is the answer BRYAN and
his school OF Democrats will make to Mr.
CLEyE1ANDs talk about wandering"
They will say that in order to get back
TO " true Democracy and to arouse Demo-
cratic enthusiasm they had to get rid Of
the responsibility Of his Administration.
IL is always wisdom 10 look at the argu.
ment Of the other side. Moreover. IL must
be remembered that actually the Demo-
cratic party had demonstrated itself to be
free silver party in the course OF its Repre-
sentatives in Congress during the Cleveland
Administration. The repeal OF the Sherman
act had just been made possible by Repub-
lican votes. and that the Democratic Con-
vention at Chicago in 1896 would he for
free silver was made manifest long before
its assembling. II ever a parry's position
on a great question. so far as concerned
its greatly preponderatipg majority. was
rI,Ll and aocnpatolv ha0larad in xIo
form IL was in the Democratic silver policy
Of 1893.
BRYAN was beaten. but only after he had
received about "a million more votes than
Mr.. CLEVELAND obtained four years be-
fore. Again he was beaten in 1900, yet
his poll again exceeded Mr.. CLEyELASps
by a number nearly as great. Moreover,
the Democratic party had done good deal
of wandering before. in the period
from 1854 TO 1892. and according TO the
Bryan notion the worst wandering had been
under Mr.. CLEVELAND.
1t is profltless. therefore. to handy words
about that matter. or TO talk about true
Democracy" as II 1t was body of political
doctrine accepted as a common creed by
Democrats universally. True Democ-
racy.' OF course. is the Democracy author
itatively formulated and proclaimed 10y a
National Democratic Convention and there
is no other. Denuncia tion Of protection
was true Democracy in 1892, and 10 to
was true Democracy In 1899 and 1900
What will be true Democracy in 1904?
That will be determined by the National
Democratic Convention then TO be held
and what IL is 10 be will be determined by
issues which may not have shaped them
selves before four years have passed. Az
the opposition party Democracy will mega
tive affirmative policies and principles
put forward by the Republicans at a con-
vention which, according 10 precedent.
will be held antecedenuy. Meantime the
whole political situation may change and
financial. business and industrial cond-
tions may be totally different from those
existing now. Whether BRYAN or a Demo-
crat of the opposing school will then repre-
sent Democratic sentiment cannot now
he foresesn. The South. in 1900 the sole
remaining stronghold of Democracy. il
passing through a complete transforma-
uon and becoming one oi the most enter
uNN.V 81 i