Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-06-24
Bryan FLAYS GROVER
He Says There Can Be No Har-
mony Between Cleveland
and Democrats
His Administration Character
lied as a Fountain of Cor.
ruption.sNot Democratic.
Still Gloating Over His Political
Crimes He Invites Party to
Return TO Him.

Lincoln. Neb., June 24.-The absence
of w. j. Bryan from the democratic
harmony dinner at New York is pretty
well explained by a statement given
out by Mr.. Bryan last evening COM
mentng on the dinner. At the outset,
Mr.. Bryan says there is no such thing
as democratic harmony where former
President Cleveland is concerned. He
says:
The banquet given on June 10 by the
Tilden Club of New York city was adj
vertised as a harmony meeting, but it
turned out to be what might have been
expected of such a gathering, an oVa-
ton to the chief guest, former PresidelN
Grover Cleveland. There can be no
such thing as harmony between men
like him and those who believe in DEM
ocratic principles, and he is frank
enough to say so. He spent no time
looking for middle ground upon which
to gather discordant elements. He
boldly called upon the members Of the
party to abandon their convictions and
accept the construction which he places
upon democratic principles. He even
tainted the party with being sort of
prodigal son and invited it to give up
its diet of husks and return to it's faith
er's house.
He spoke of his retirement from
political activity and said: Perhaps
there are those who would define my
position as one of Punishment instead
of retirement. Against this l shall not
enter a protest. 1t is sufficient for me
in either case that I have followed in
matters of difference without our party
the teachings and counsel of the great
democrat in whose name party peace
and harmony are tonight invoked. No
confession Of party sin should, there
fore, be expected of me. / have none to
make; nor do crave political absolu-
ton
He not only boosted of his course,
but put his brand upon those who sat
at meat with him. Having asserted that
his democratic faith compelled him to
leave the party Cor resulted in his ban
ishmenD, he described the banqueters
as sharing in that faith.
He is not only defiant, but he in
sists that party success can only be Sc
cured by an open and apowed return to
his ideas. Harmony is to be secured not
by the suppression of differences but by
the elimination of those who differ from
him."
Mr.. Bryan says he will print in his
paper Mr.. CleYeland's speech, Ito show
that the reorganizers do not want har-
mony, but control, and that their con-
troll means the abandonment of the
party's position and a return to the
policies and practices of Mr.. Cleveland's
second administration"
He continues:
HE (Cleveland) secured his nomina-
ton in 1892 by a secret bargain with
the financiers; his committee collected
from the corporations and spent the
largest campaign fund the party ever
had; he filled his cabinet with corpor-
alton agents and placed railroad attor-
neys on the United States bench to look
after the interests of their former CHI
ents. He turned the treasury over to
Wall street syndicate. and the financial
member of his official family went from
torney of the man who forced (?) the
treasury department to sell him gov
eminent bonds at 105 and then resold
them at lit. He tried to prevent the
adoption of the income tax provision,
refused to sign the only tariff reform
measure passed since the war, and
while laundering against the trusts in
his messages did even less than Knox
has done to interfere with their high
handed methods.
Ills administration, instead of being
a fountain of democracy sending forth
pure and refreshing streams, became
a stagnant pool from whose waters foul
vapors arose, poisonous to those who
fingered near.
Having debauched his party, he was
offended by it's effort to reform and
gave comfort to the enemy Virgin-
ius killed his daughter to save her
chastity: Cleveland stabbed his party
to prevent its return to the paths of
virtue.
And now, still gloating over his po-
litical crimes, he invites the party
to return to him and apologize for the
contempt which it has expressed fog
him! Will it? Not until the principles
of Jefferson are forgotten and the
works of jackson cease to inspire.
IF we are to have reorganization
Cleveland himself should accept the
presidential nomination. 1t would be
due him; his reinstatement would be
poetic justice to him and retribution
to those whose democratic conscience
revolted against his undemocratic con-
duct. OF course he would get no DEM
ocratic votes, but being closer to plu.
tocracy than any republican likely to
be nominated he might divide the enc
my and even democrats would have
what little consolation would come
from receiving their disappointment in
advance.
"a merchant, about to fail invited
his creditors to a dinner and after
stating his condition secured years
extension from all present. One OF
the number, relative, waited until
after the others had retired and then
accosted the debtor: OF course. ]
promised with the rest to extend the
time, but you are going to make ma
a preferred creditor, are you not?' Yes
replied the debtor, I'll make YOU q
preferred creditor. Ill tell you now
that you are not going to get any
thing; the rest won't find it out for
year
Mr. Clevelands nomination would
have this advantage over the nominal
ton of any other reorganizer: he would
make the democrats preferred creditors
hot he.