Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1900-03-10
The Democratic Dilemma


the democratic national committee
in Washington last week, the cor
respondent of a Boston paper that
supported Cievc aai says in wind
ing up a rcpar' ol the meeting:
Behind the scenes il was interest
ing to observe that the majority OF
the committcemen do not now cx-
pect that Nj Bryan will be
elected" On the face of the stu.
alton Bryan has no reasonable hope
of success, aud The democrats in
control of the party machinery
know it perfectly well. Yet all OF
them will declare that his noniua-
ton is certain, and probably by n
unanimous vote. There is here
something of a political paradox,
but it has been brought about 10y a
sequence Of events. Time alone
can deliver the democratic party
from its singular position. 1t is
inevitably committed to candi-
date who will be beaten, as the
managers behind him foresce. The
causes Of this predicameut are not
hard to find, In 1896 the demo
cratic party abandoned its old creed
and went into a fusion with another
party. 1t cannot retraCe its steps.
Its position is hopelessly bad, but
there is tone better in sight, and
circumstances compel it to fight
the second battle on the general
alignment of the first.
. Since the last presidential trial
of strength there have been three
fall elections in various states and
in all Of them an evident loss OF
ground for the Bryauitcs The
states that have left their column
are Kansas, Washington, South
Dakota and Wyoming. Maryland
went democratic last year but on
platform written by Mr. German
and making no mention Of free
coinage. Some suggest that the
democrats might Try German
idea in the national fight this year
II could only be done with some
other candidate, for Bryan and sill
yer are synony NOUS,
To drop Brya would cost th,
democrats all the Transmits issipp
states that remain to them and thS
gain in the eastern or border state.
would be problematical. An elec
ton practically on the German
plan was held in New York ii
1898 and the republicans carried
the state, with a plurality fol
Roosevelt over Van Wyck 0.
1876. The republicans won in
New York decisively again last
year on the vote Tor legislature
Though party lines were much
broken III Ohio last fall, the repub
lican plurality was larger than
usual and the democratic aggre
gate vote one of the smallest com
paratively i'll the history of the
state.
As far as the facts OF the politi
cal situation are revealed the dem.
ocrats can make nothing either
with Bryan or without him
So they are disposed to lei
matters DRIFT, knowing at least
that another defeat will lessen his
super fetal popularity, representing
now, as always, great deal more
noise than votes. The republican
party holds the vantage ground D
having redeemed It's pledges aue
also of having conducteI the ma
ton through s>ries Of unexpected
and serious emergencies. 1t ha.
momentous work on hand con
nected with the couutry's expau
sion and 1t would be unbusiuess
like to turn it over to new hand.
and a hostile party, bent on de
stroying what has been done
rather than lettering it. Possibl,
the national democratic convention
of 1900, like that OF 1906. may be
seized with sudden impulse and
do something extraordinary but
no matter what ticket or sensation
is ground out at Kansas CITY the
electoral table gives the democrats
no encc'-.age whatever.
Relief Is Necessary.