The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-08-30
SUGGESTIONS TO THE DEMOCRATIC
ORATOR.

The Democratic managers have an
nounced that they will have a speaking
campaign OF the old-fashioned kind in due
season. Doubtless the orators are now
practicing their pieces. we'll aware that
they must be more eircumspect than usual.
If the leaders are prudent they will have
the speakers before them for rehearsal If
they talk along the line of the state plat
form no allusion can be made to the record
and purposes of the Democratic party the
past six years. III they ignore the state
platform and accept the statement of Sec
rotary Edwards, of the Democratic con-
gressional committee. the faithful will be
edited by illusions to the Kansas City
platform as the last expression of Demo-
cratic faith. He is a hopelessly stupid
Democratic orator who does not now
realize that there are two wings to the
Democratic party, or, more correctly, two
Democratic parties, which are as far apart
as the poles The Cleveland-Hill Democracy
is the most distinctive Wall-street political
organization the country affords, while the
Bryan Democracy describes all of the here
sizes of Populism.
1t will be said that none of these differ
ences which divide the party need be dis
cussed in the campaign. That is, the Dem
ocratic party has come to place where it
is not polite to discuss that portion of its
past that is not older than any voting Dem
ocrat. In other words, the speaker must
not talk of Democratic principles since the
days of Andrew Jackson, unless the risk
Of controversy as to what constitutes Dem
ocratic principles shall be assumed by the
orator. STILL party which declares that
its traditions old the Constitution
cannot go before an audience and be silent
as to that long record. Neither can the
orator trace these principles down to the
administration of Martin Van Buren, and
stop there with the observation that the
Democratic record from 1910 to 1868 is of no
consequence, and that since 1892 the Demo-
cratic party has mad two sets of principles
which have the same affinity for each other
that cats and dogs have in a state of ma
ture. The half-sensible Democratic orator
must realize that he must say something
of the record of the Democratic party since
1892; he must know that many Democrats
now desire to know whether the Democracy
of Cleveland or Bryan is TO dominate in
the future. No man will be convert to
Democracy unless he knows to which of
these two wide-apart factions and views
he will be consigned.
In view of these weighty embarrassments
the Journal offers two or three suggestions
that may simplify the situation. First
when the Democratic orator faces his Dem
ocratic audience let him begin with the
statement that the Democratic party is now
divided between two sets of ideas Let him
say: II wish to suit my audience. and TO
that end l have two speeches, one fitted to
the Bryan platform and another to the
Cleveland platform. l propose to advocate
the platform which the majority of this
audience favors. To determine the ma
jority. will take a vote Those who desire
the Bryan brand. please rise" Having
counted the Democrats who would continue
to hail Bryan as 1.-The peerless leader and
his platform as the genuine Democracy. let
/ him call upon those who prefer the Cleve-
| land brand Of Democratic principles. Hav-
/ ing ascertained which faction is the larger.
\ let him advocate the principles il prefers.
! In the event that the two factions are so
/ equally divided that he is in doubt as to
which is the larger, let him make both
/ speeches. 1t may be trife tedious, unless
\ one faction, following the example of both
Mr.. Cleveland and NJ. Bryan, applies cpl
/ thets 10 the other. This would give inter-
est 10 n meeting that otherwise would be
stiil-still as a Hill Democrat in 1896. II the
orator fears 10 Put a vote, as suggested.
4 he can say that "just now there is a doubt
as TO whether the principles OF David b.
Hill or those of William J. Bryan are the
genuine ones; therefore. until the question
shall be decided. l Will proceed upon the
theory that the Democratic party has no
principles" The adoption of either of these
suggestions. II previously announced. VIII
bring out large audiences where otherwise
the meetings would be small. and generally
will give the feature OF gayety TO what
otherwise. on the Democratic side. will be
a mournful campaign.
Senator Hanna's declaration in favor OF
1 g. 4