The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1902-09-12
BRYAN REBuKES
DEMOCRATS
TELLS OF 'THB
BLUNDER in IOWA"
Calls Iowa Democrats "Cowards''
''With Small Respect for Intelli-
gence of the People,

In the last issue of the Commoner.
w. j. Bryan fearlessly expresses his
opinion3of the Iowa damocratic plat
form. The contrast between his virile
utterance and that of his timid follower,
the Bulletin. is striking and amusing.
Mr.. Bryau's editoria! will make good
reading for Crawford county demo-
Gratis. 1t is as follows:
THE BLUNDER IN IOWA
On another page will be found an
editorial reproduced from the Omaha
World-Herald entitled The Iowa
Blunder." 1t so fully covers the case
that it's reproduction makes it unneces
sary for The Commoner to add any ex
tended comment The democrats Of
Iowa have blundered, and it is difficult
to say who are most to blanche men
who engineered the scheme or the
men who were duped into believing
that a party can fight best when on the
run. The mistake made in Ohio Il
year ago has been repeated in Iowa,
and the tactics employed were quite
similar, although the majority against
the Endorsement of the Kansas City
platform was much greater in Ohio
than in Iowa, being only 1884 to 344 in
the latter state.
The Iowa platform does not indorse
the gold standard, and therein demon
strates the cowardice of those who are
not willing to indorse the national
platform of the party. If bimetallism
is not desirable the Iowa reorganizers
ought to be willing to indorse the gold
Standard If they favor bimetallism
and are opposed to the ratio of 16 to l
they ought to be willing to state what
ratio they do favor; but they are not
They dare not put in writing any plan
upon the money question and ask for
its indorsement at the polls. They
show small respect for the intelligence
OF the people when they assume that
the voters can be fooled by such dodg.
ing and equivocation. 1.-THE democratic
party cannot be trusted to state its
position on the money question it can.
not be trusted to stand by position on
any question, and the timid souls who
beat a retreat on finance are not likely
to beat charge anywhere. If their
fear of the fnanciers compels them tc
be silent on the money question they
will find that the same scare will be
used when they attempt to deal effect
lively with any question. If they had
shown half as much moral courage IL
fighting the money changers as Cover
nor Cummins showed in fighting the
tariff protected trusts they would have
won more votes than they will by max
ing concessions to the men who hy
helping the republican party in 1896
became responsible for all of the in
iluities against which the Iowa plat
form declares. The Iowa democrats
who endeavored to secure the indorse
ment OF the Kansas City platform car
confidently expect better succcss mex
year, but they must make their fight a
the primaries and not wait till the con
vention has been packed with mel
selected for the purpose of surrender
ing the party's position on the tinancia
question. Insofar as the Iowa plat
form touches on public questions it is
in the main, sound. but it is neither a.
explicit nor as strong as the Kansas
City platform which the convention
threw into the waste basket. The fac
is that q platform means much or little
according to the purpose of those VIII,
are to administer it, and no platform
however good, will amount to much i
it must be administered by men VIII,
are frightened at their shadows ant