The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1902-11-08
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ISSUING HIS COMMANDS.
| Why does Mr.. Bryan persist In his de-
mands that Democrats in the different
States shall declare their continued ad-
herence to a platform which has been
virtually abandoned and to an issue which
Is dead? That is just what he does, IL
the following from an editorial In a recent
issue of his Commoner means anything:
Democrats who live in the States where
the national platform has been ignored
| must organize to protect the party
against any more cowardly evasion.
He was referring to those States which
In this off year saw At to ignore the last
national platform, and we presume the
paragraph quoted may be taken as an ex-
preston Of his idea Of Party harmony.
In number of the States which held
Democratic conventions the Democrats
saw proper to leave out all reference to
the platform OF 1900. or to the issues which
divided the Party In the campaign OF that
year. They did this because they were
convinced that there had been such
change in public sentiment that 1t would
be plainly suicidal to make free coinage
an issue, or to insist on 1t as a Demo-
cratic doctrine and that the only hope
of Democratic success in future Is to unite
on the principles about which there Is ht-
tie or no division of sentiment among
Democrats. This was both SOUND pohcy
and good politics for an insistence on
issues which are known to be dead would
be a very plain invitation to defeat.
Mr.. Bryan is certainly not lacking In
intelligence or information. He must
read the papers, and should be as well In
formed regarding popular sentiment as
any man In the country. and he Is nee
essarily compelled to know that ma
jofity Of Democrats are no longer with
him in his financial theory or belief. He
cannot possibly be ignorant of the fact
that there has been a change. even In
the South and West. and that what was
popular with the rank and file in 1885,
and but little less so in 1900, is no longer
so, taking the country as a whole. IL
the election were to come off this year,
and the Democrats were asked to sup
port man and a platform like those Of
1900, it is probable that he would carry
practically all the Southern States, but
what good would that do? Such can
didate on such a platform would do well
to control one-fourth the electoral vote.
as events in 1900 have shown.
And yet. in the face of these known
6ir,c
Democrats in all the States to keep up the
fight for free silver and to organize them
selves for that purpose. He demands that
Democrats shall again fan the flames
of dissension and keep up In the party
the factionai fight which is fast dying
out, and which will soon become only
memory If 1t Is not kept alive by the
irreconcilables in the Party. Was there
ever such an exhibition of complacency
and self-sufficiency? He can offer nc
reason for his demand other than that II
is due him, as the late leader of the Party
that all Democrats shall avow themselves
adherents and advocates of his theory
of finance.
In most of the States this year the aues-
ton of free silver or gold standard had
: no more place than 1t had in our owl
: campaign in Alabama. No one will con-
3 tend that the financial question was ar
issue in our late election. or that il
a should have been injected into our cam
= paign, yet it had as much business in oul
u own State as it had in any other Really
Mr.. Bryan ought to be willing for Demo
Gratis to fight their State battles on State
issues and without reference to his finan
r cial views, and he ought to quit command
: ing Democrats to fight against Party
n harmony.
r And while we are on this subject W.
= must append a paragraph or two from
e a paper which was formerly one o.
= Bryan's most devoted adherents. w
d allude to our esteemed contemporary, Thu
d virginian-Pilot and we quote it because
of its persistent and consistent advocac!
of Bryan and Organism as long as it be
" leved they were right. In a recen
editorial that paper said:
d His obstinate and uncompromising in
. sistence upon issues not now para
|
d excommunicate any man who does no
. share his views; his covert threat t.
y bolt the party If it does not accept hi
dictum at the next national convention
these are the things that now, more thai
e anything else foment discord in the part.
q and prevent the accomplishment of tina
amicable understanding that every loya
l. Democrat should desire.
i And it added:
: The Party will tolerate no dictator. W
have sincere, a profound admiration 70
Mr.. Bryan. But we would tolerate n
dictator for the Democratic Party, thong
e he came with a harp and halo. An
:, that, be it said, is the attitude of IN
- average Democrat-and 1t is precisely tina
y attitude that has made the Democrat
IS Party the conservator of the liberties @
the people.
h We have the satisfaction of KNOWN
that there's to be other elections afte
this. The Democrats of this great cour
u try have had too many set-backs to fee
discouraged over this one.
e -S-o-s-
n The biggest corn story we have so ia