The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1901-03-29
MR.. BRYAN REPLIES TO MR..
CLEVELAND


The Commoner of this week says:
Elk President Cleveland has writ
ten another letter this time to the
Crescent Democrat Club of Balti
mOre--in which he gives expression
to his yearning desire to have the
democratic party return to what
be regards as true democracy and
correct principles. If this was his
first utteTance of the kind it might
be attrit uted to "a transitory impulse,
but he has said the same thing so
often as to indicate that fixed and
constant longing possesses him. The
letter reads:
my Dear Sir-Your invitation to
attend meeting of the Crescent
Democratic Club in celebration Of
its twenty ninth anniversary
reaches me as | am leaving home
for so long an absence, that it will
prevent my participation in this in
teresting work.
"All the political signs of the
times indicate most impressively the
necessity of increased activity aud
aggressiveness in the ranks OF
Democracy. There were days when
Democratic principles, advocated in
Democratic fashion, gave guarantee
of Democratic supremacy - or at
least strength and influence in our
nations counsels,
"Why should there not be re-
turn OF those days.
1.-The answer to this question is not
/ found in less applicability than
formerly of Democratic doctrine &c
present conditions. On the contrary
there never was time when they
were more needed to cure evils which
affiict our body polite, and there
never was time when our country
men would be more willing to &C
cept Democracy as they once knew
it as a safeguard against existing
and threatened ills.
II am convinced, however, that il
our party is to gain it's old prestige
and become again strong anC
vigorous organization, feared by it,
enemies and inspiring the active de-
votion of its rank and file, it mus
first, of all things, itself become
truly, honestly ard consistently
democratic
Your very truly,
GROVER CLEVELAND.
Princeton, n. j.
"His advice is so general and in
4 definite as to be utterly useless. AL
democrats believe that democratic
principles should be applied to pres
ent problems, but as the Kansa;
City platform applies democratic
principles to present problems, why
use the words return and old?
Mr.. Cleveland and his politica
associates are long on ambiguouI
aud high sounding phrases, bu
short on definitions; they are Oracu
lar only in the sense that their word
can be construed to mean anything
or nothing.
If Mr.. Cleveland's recent ad
monition had been spoken instead
of written, it might have beer ex
planned by a wink or by a gesture
, suggesting that he himself was tn,
embodiment of tie principles t,
which the party should return, bu
when the words appear in cold typ
, they require key.
The President has twice referred
to the rank aud file recently, as /
he would associate himself witt
those " no are accuse of separat!nl
the common people from the uneUm
moa ones. Since The COmmone
= circulates almost exclusively amoni
the rank and file, it seems not i'm
proper that this paper should Civ
the distinguished eX democrat a.
T opportunity to suggest plans an
specifications for a democratic struc
ture which would be cOmmOdiOu
, enough to afford a place of refug
, for him aud at the same time allO'
: standing room for real democrats.
"A reward, therefore, OF five dol
3 lars is offered for a written state
: ment, not TO exceed five hundre
= words, signed by Mr.. Cleveland, ap
7 plying democratic principles, "a
! understands them, 10 at least five {
J, the questions now before the cOuI
: try. The offer is open 10 him or
any one who can secure such a stat,