The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-11-15
Republicans Have knowledge that He
Wrote Personal Letters to Thou
sands Of Democrats.
URGED DEFEAT OF THE TICKET
REORGANIZING ELEMENT IN THIS
STATE HAD UsURPED CONTROL.
His Proselyting, 1t Is Claimed, Had
Far-Reaching Enect-Political
News of Interest.

I'VE are indebted to William ]. Bryan
and the loyalty of his followers in Indiana.
more than to any other influence, for the
great increase in our plurality in this State
at the recent election" was the rather
startling statement of prominent Repub-
lican last evening. For reasons that will
appear the man insisted that his name be
not mentioned in connection with the state
ment, but he followed 1t up with evidence
that showed that he knew whereof he
spoke.
with the average slump for an of year
the Republican plurality in this State would
have been in the neighborhood Of 10000"
he said, in continuing his story. Instead
1t was in excess of $4,000 Do you know
where these 1900 extra votes came from?
No? Well. they came from the free-silver
Democrats, the dyed-in- the-wool Bryan
Democrats. And do you know why we got
them? Because Mr.. Bryan, early in the
campaign, sent between 10000 and 1900
personal letters over hts own Signature
not circulars-to his followers in Indiana,
urging them to do all in their power to in
the defeat of the Democratic ticket
state. county and township. To obey his
command-and he has as loyal following
as any national leader has ever had-there
was but one course for them to pursue and
that was to vote the Republican ticket
And they did it; We know that they did it,
USURPED CONTROL
"In this letter Mr.. Bryan pointed out that
the recognizing element in the Democratic
party had usurped control in this State and
had manipulated things in the state con-
in
majority of the delegates and nominate a
ticket of their own followers. He said that
the future of Democracy rested with the
old-line element in the party. the men who
had stood loyalty by the national ticket in
1896 and 1900. and that the reorganizers
were really as antagonistic to true Demo-
cratic principles as were the Republicans
He argued that the reorganizers should be
administered a stinging rebuke and that
they should be given defeat that would
completely demoraliZe them and convince
them once and for all that men who turned
political somersaults every two years could
not control the Democratic party In Indi-
ana or in the country at large The letter
was a powerful appeal and there is no
doubt that 1t had a tremendous influence
CLOSELY following this letter some 10 600
pamphlets, containing a copy of the let
ter and further arguments along the same
line were sent out from indianapolis to the
free silverites of the State. The pamnbIet
was so prepared that its source could nor
be located. liz may have come from a
committee of Bryanites and ii NAV have
come from the Republican leaders. II is
sufficient TO state that the Republicans
knew of the Bryan letters and that thew
made the most of them.
1.-The result must have been an eve
opener to Taggart-Shively ct al, the re-
organizers l do not know that they knew
of the letters from Bryan or Of the pamph-
let's. but they certainly felt the effects
and | am inclined TO believe that they
could not have been in ignorance of what
was going Mr.. Bryan followed up his
letter with articles in the Commoner along
the same line. although not so plainIv
worded. and his paper has a large circuIa.
ton in this State, consequently he was
hammering his doctrines home 10 his ad-
herents all through the campaign and he
did not permit them to lose sight of the
one principle for which he claimed to he
fghting-the preservation of the real
Democracy
.sAs a result the Bryanites and the re-
organizers are farther apart than ever
and the ruction. / believe. will result i'm
a permanent split and the formation of a
new party. / believe that the reorganizers
have sufficient strength 10 maintain con-
troll of the party organization, both State
and national, and that Bryan will not sub
nit tamely 10 their policies. He will rally
his adherents around him In a new party
and. while he may not be the presidential
nominee. he will at least dictate the choice