The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1901-07-16
THE NEW DEMOCRACY.

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democracy has officially spoken. The state con-
vention of Ohio was held last week and il many
ways it may be deemed important as outlining the
future policy of the democratic party.
The first and most notable feature of this con-
vention composed of those who were shouting for
Bryan in Ohio last fail, was the utter contempt and
the direct insults with which he was treated. The
press dispatches state tibet during the session of
the committee on resolution hours were spent i'll
abuse OF Mr.. Bryan and his pet issues. 1t was
finally decided to leave his name out of the plat
form entirely and to make no reference to the last
Presidential campaign. This would seem to have
been enough insult to heap upon the late leader of
democracy, but it did not satisfy the democrats of
Ohio. The pictures of many democratic leaders
graced the walls of the convention hall but the
portrait of the silver tongued orator of the Platte
was not among them. One delegate called attention
to this and tried to bring a picture of Bryan into
the hall but the aisles were ordered cleared and the
picture of Bryan was thrown to the floor and tramp
led upon by a thousand democrates feet.
Again; one delegate, still in love with Bryan, off
cred a resolution endorsing him. This resolution
received but six votes out of $50. We have no
tears for Mr.. Bryan. We have always regarded
him as a dangerous demagogue. The action of
the Ohio convention is but another proof however
that the only principle honered by the democratic
parties Success. They bestow NO honors upon
their defeated brave, they have no words of sympa-
thy for those who fight their battles and who fail.
Every republican conversion references the name
of Blaine, no republican had an unkind word for
Harrison because of his defeat. 1t is interesting
to think what the democrates of Ohio would have
said of Mr.. Bryan had he been successful. He
would have been the "Savior of the people,, ssthe
gallent knight came to rescue the republic from
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whose name would go down to history with that of
Jefferson and Jackson and the other saints of de-
mocracy". No one will deny but that this would
have been the case and this leaves the glaring fact
that Bryn's great crime, the crime for which he is
insulted by the democrats of Ohio, was that he
made the best fight he could and metdefeat.
1t follows as a matter of course that having spat
upon Bryan, his great issue, free silver, should
have been omitted from this platform of democrat
&c principles. There is just as much merit in Free
Silver now as there ever was, but it was not success
full, therefore it is to be reputiated by the very
men who but a few years ago preached it in every
corner as the only saving grace for the republic.
Dose not such paltry juggling with principles make
our democratic friends think sometimes that there
is nothing in that party save a we'll organized
appetite?
The platform of the democrats of Ohio is first d-
rected toward state matters which have but little
interest to the nation at large. They are founded
upon the old cry of ssreform'' which has been their
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into practice when afforded an opportunity. E
quality tor all the people, businesslike management
OF municipal affairs, etc. are common ground upon
which all the people meet and upon which the
democratic party has no copyright. 1t is a fact
that the democratic city administrations in New
York and Chicago are the two most obnoxious
instances of municipal corruption in the whole
United States.
The convention also declared against free passes,
while we will venture the assertion that a good
half of the delegates paid no railroad fare to the
1 convention. 1t is a peculiar fact that the southern
states have been under democratic control for the
: past third of a century and that not one of them
has seen fit to legislate against passes. 1t may be
fairly taken then, that this will not be made a
national issue. 1t is but a repetition of the old cry
of the Pharisee;
0 Lord; ! thank Thee that l am not as other
men. Another strange anomaly of this most dem
ocratic convention was that while the platform
calls for the election of United States Senators by
the direct vote of the people and while there is to
be a Senator elected in Ohio by the next legislat-
ure, no effort was made to carry the principle into
effect by placing a democrat in nomination for that
office. The republicans have in effect done this
and have thus shown themselves more democratic"
then democracy.
The platform as might be expected has much to
say about trusts and their regulation. 1t has been
acknowledged by every great thinker upon this
question that the only effective way to control and
regulate great corporations doing business IN
many states is through National legislation, and
that the great defect in our constitution is that
70 Congress has not been given sufficient power to do
these things. Mr.. Bryan admitted that this was
the best way to control the trusts and vet the dem
ocrats of Ohio preface their demand for antitrust
Legislation with this statement, stThe reserved
right. of the states should be upheld. Centraliz-
n alton which would destroy them is to be con
denned". This, too, at a time when the whole
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