Mexico weekly ledger., 1901-04-25
A BRYAN DEMOCRAT TO BRYAN

/.
70 tie EAiof q he - LOWS Repzsde
ST. LOUIS April FL an consider
ably surprised % End that Mr.. Bryzl
continues to harp on the subject 0
the late municipal election In the cit,
q St Louis; and stll more surprises
10 ind that the grounds Of his diSoon
tent are q such . vague and shadow
character. Permit a brief criticism
Of his position from one who consist
entity and heartily supported Mr..
Bran and the Democratic platforms
Of IseS and 1900. and who believes that
Nj. Bran IS one Of the finest type
Of American public men, in some re
ispscuS that have even appeared In Oul
national history. But be is not in.
faIlible. and when be leaves the pre-.
cincts Of his own Republican ward.
leity and State, and crosses the border
Of Democratic Missouri 10 charge thai
she has sold her birthright for a mes
Of p0ttage, We who have heretofore
followed his leadership willingly and
esteem him personally, are justified in
examining the grounds On which this
accusation is based.
In a leading editorial In his paper
this week. which editorial is eonspi-
cuOusly displayed On the first page Of
the leading Republican paper d St
Louis to-day, Bryan rails at the Dem
.ocraus q st. Louis for their action in
the late election and walls over the
sad results sure 70 follow.
Reduced TO its smallest proportions,
his article contains a. an accusation,
and p an induction. The charge Is
that the Democrats o. St Louis
assisted in electing a Gold-Standard
Democrat as mayor Of the city: the
inference drawn from this admitted
fact Is that there viii be a fight In the
party In the State that will involve
its very existence
III the contest had been a local
one, says Bryan, "the C~oBlm0Ber
would have taken no part in IL. Now,
this is just what a great many stupid,
~easy-gOing Democrats thought was the
nsture Of the contest They supposed
that il was a union q forces composed
Of the local Democratic organization
On One side and a large number Of in
dependent voters On the other, whose
supreme aim was a. overthrow the
existing city government and put in
its place a mayor and 0ficial staff who
would honestly collect and disburse
the city's revenue; reform the abuses
in its various departments that had
grown intolezble, and be prepared to
receive the eity's guests in 1893 in a
manner betting the dignity Of the
fourth city in the Union The writer,
believing that this vas the chief end
aimed at made a night ride Of over
800 miles to reach the city on election
day, and voted the Democratic ticket
straight from Rolla Wells 70 Mr.. Ken
ney, without the slightest misgiving
that be was assisting to deliver his
party. OF conscience over the
thraldOm u some secret, dark and
midnight conspiracy whose elevation
meant disaster either 70 city, State or
nation He might have scratched
some Of these names had be been per-
acquainted with all the candi-
dates, their characters and antece-
dents. But he was not and, reasoning
that a Democratic grand rascal is
to be preferred in OBJECT a Re
publican grand rascal, be showed in
The good and bad together. leaving
he final separation % be made by one
wiser than himself.
"But il was not simply a local con-
est" says Bryan. ut was a link In
he chain TO Republicanize the Dem
organization" Hark to that
.tartling conclusion. But let US not
ose u heads over this terrible reve-
alton until we have examined the
acts In the a S a little more closely.
sfrst Of all, ROlla Wells and his asso-
.iates were regularly nominated by a
convention Of delegates selected at
Irimaries held under the control Of a
Beard Of Election Commissioner, Of
Ehom a majority were Democrats,
nd all the appOintees Of a Democratic
Governor, Secretary Of State and other
and local officers Endorsed the
icket thus nominated, and Senator
est wrote a strong letter, urging
democrats 70 vote for II. While all
he leading Democrats Of the State
id not take an active part in adyo-
ating the election Of the ticket, none
opposed It, or even raised a
'arning voice against II, with one ex-
The youthful and ruddy
leaving his sheep folds in the
tlderness Of Pike county, came down
ITO the camp and hurled a few peb-
les at the Philistine giant. This
ter David is not as expert at the
usiness, however, a. his ancient
amesake, for the giant In this case,
DliviOus Of the pebbles Of the daring
lepherd, calmly walked through the
camp and sat down in the !
chair in the City Hall. But
here gere Senators Vest and Cock
II, the thirteen Democratic Con-
Of Missouri, the Go~yernor (
other State officers and the thOus- I
Ids Of Others capable OF filing these