The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1901-06-19

i'll his party, nnd one OF tho grantest
characters in the United States Senate
worked liked u beaver day and night to try
70 convince these Western delegates
that their policy were suicidal. Gov
ernor Sratth. OF Maryland, told them that
the democrats could carry Maryland with
out that plank and could not cary Mary
iand with It. Gen. st. Clair, OF West Vfr-
ing with that committee and then went
we are ruined" Tom Taggart OF Indiana,
himself silver man. worked liked a beav-
er to keep that plank from being inserted
and served notice upon his party that
the Democrats OF his stats were not in
sympathy with it and would not vote for
the candidate II nominated upon such
platform. The vote was taken and only
Miteen States voted in favor of 1G to i.
The western dele ates weakened on the
night Of July and 30 apprised Mr. Bryan.
Dy telephone. message to his leader. Mr..
Metcalf. OF Nebraska, he informed the
Convention that he would not accept the
wac not In the platform. 1t was then too
late to select another candidate, although
meetings were in progress by at least
twenty State delegations, denouncing the
man who would 80 far desert the Demo
cratic principle that the majority shall
rule as to refuse to accept nomination
upon Democratic platform that did not
contain this new principle Of Democracy.
1t was fnn late 70 cc.osIvTaSr upon an
other candidate and Mr.. Bryan was flomi.
mated. The remark was general among
the Democrats on the trains as they went
to their homes that they had been COM
PEELED to surrender and there was no hope
Of 1:y..c's e!ecsion. The Eastern leaders
feated by greater majority OF popular
and electoral votes than In the election of
1896.
When such men as Senator Vest, David
B. Hill, Grover Cleveland and Don NJ.
Dickinson discussed the reorganization,
Mr.. Bryen replied in an editorial in the
Commoner, the lain purport of which
was that he considered himself tho Demo
cratic party and declined to be reorgan-
lied. He has on various occasions in the
Commoner read out Of the party all men
who were not willing to sacrifice all Dem
ooratic principles to the interest of the
silver question. He attempted to defeat
Carter Harrison in Chicago and the regu-
lar Democratic nominee sor mayor III the
city Of St. Louis because they were Demo
Gratis first. and did not believe that the
Democratic party should sink into obljv-
ion by reason of an issue which has been
gallantly fought for, but irretrievably
lost.
The old line Democrats declined to be
driven from their party by man who,
during ten years of political life, had been
q Democrat. Populist and q Socialist.
The only Office which William j. Bryan
ever held he was elected to by the Popu-
lists, it being impossible for the Demo
Gratis to secure an election in that dis
trict. He acted with the Democrats in
Congress. but distinctly Of lted that he
was not bound by Democratic plat
form.
AS side partner of Mr.. Bryan. and
sharing with him in the nomination OF
tho Populists in 1909, is another brilliant
orator from che State Of Minnesota re-
fer to Charles A. Towne. Mr.. Towne,
by reason OF his oratory and has remained
famous as political lightning change ar.
tist His autobiography, published In the
Congressional Directory of the 5atb Con-
gress. reads as foliows:
"Charles A. Towne, of Duluth. was born
November p, 1858, in Oakland County.
and the University Of Michigan; admitted
to the Bar in 1885; removed to Duluth in
1880 took part in every campaign from
1870 down. but never ran for office until
elected to the oath Congress as a Republi-
votes for Melvin II. Baldwin, Democrat.
and 6.475 votes for Klttel Halvorsen, Pop.
ulist."
The next issue of the Congressional Di-
rectory conveys the startling information
the Populistic ticket by the Hon. Page
Morris The most remarkable speech that
Mr.. Towne made during his term in Con-
gress was one in which he said that, while
young. his record as a Republican was
from his father and his grandfather."
He had been crooked in a ReDubIican
cradle" and had always lifted 1p his yoics
in behalf of the Republican party"
Within few weeks after this remarkable
speech he had walked ont ce tho oniy Re-
Publican Convention to which he had ever
been a delegate and Joined the Silver Ra.
publican party. He went home as q Silver
Republican and two weeks later was nom.
inased anss ior h 20 Congress as PoPnlst and en-
mated as Vice President by the Populists
and then went TO Kansas City and nro-
claimed to the Democratic Convention
that he VII; only mRsquereding as q Pom
1iist and Silver Republican. and, as
crat: He then received as q Populist from
the Popultstfc Governor Of Minnesota a
thirty.day appointment as Senator Of the
United States. and placed himself under
the direct management C Senator's Petit.
grew and Butler. one q Republican, and
the other Populist.
When party of men are willing to see
their party go down in defeat in order
that ore issue may be maintained they
very foundation of all government, or else
they have some ulterior motive. In the
case of the silver issue experiences has
proved that whether Oh not the free coin
aBo VI 5itfcC iS OeueuCl6l ana the wigcgt
system OF finance, yet the perpetuity of
our institu lions does not depend upon It.
It Is not ~. Issue of such magnitude as to
Justify the disorganization Of a political
party in q vain attempt to establish it.
And yet there cen be no doubt that the
leaders Of the Democratic party, who were
responsible for forcing that issue in 1900.
knew when they did 80 that they were en-.
daneertng the life of the party, without
In any. way making it possible to cnrry ont
their design, even though elected. Had
the Democratic party succeeded the Dem
ocrats from the states which voted against
that plank would have voted against the
legislation. This would have defeated
any Act sought to be passed for the free
coinage of silver.
Had every state which voted for the free
and unlimited coinage of silver in the con-
vention OF 1910 elected every congressman
a Democrat they could not have carried
that legislation. The Democrats them
selves from the states opposed to it would
have defeated It. II the entire house of
had been Democratic n
majority of this membership, rs shown by
the votes of the states in tho Democratic
would have opposed the free
of silver Then what yaS tho nh.