The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1902-07-23
Wrecked His Party.

dent Cleveland intimated that the
defeats Of 1896 and 1900
were due to the Chicago platform and
the nomination of Bryan. Every pOlitl-
cal observer who recalls the dark days
Of 1894, 1895 and 1896, before the
Chicago platform was formulated or
Bryan thought OF as 4 candidate.
knows that the Democratic party was
doomed to disaster by Cleveland's ad-
and leadership. Cleve-
land had been elected president in
1892 with a Democratic congress at
his back. In the lower house there
were PIG Democrats, making clear
majority OF IL. Two years later this
Democratic majority was swept away.
Only 90 Democrats were elected, and
the Republicans controlled the new
house by clear majority Of II.
In that speech Mr.. Cleveland took
occasion to say that in Tilden's day
and afterwards northern Democratic
states were not rare curioSltieS." He
implies that ''Bryanism" has made
them so. But in fact they became so
at the congressional elections of 1894
two years ahead OF "Bryanism." In
that year not one northern state, not
a solitary one, elected majority OF
Democrats in it's delegation to con-
gress: although the delegations Of In
diana, New Jersey, New York, Wyo-
ming and Wisconsin had Democratic
majorities in 1892. Here are the fig
uerS:
From California there was only one
Democrat in 1891, where there had
been four in 1892: from Illinois, none
in 1894, where there had been eleven
in 1892: from Indiana, none in 1894,
where there had been eleven in 1892:
from Iowa. none in 1894, where there
had been one in 1892: from Kansas,
none in 1894, where there had been
one in 1892: from Massachusetts,. one
in 1884, where there had been four
in 1892: from Michigan, none in 1894:
where there had been five in 1892:
from Minnesota, none in 1894, where
there had been two in 1892: from Ne
braSka, none in 1894. where there had
been one in 1892: from New Jersey.
none in 1894, where there had been
six in 1892: from New York, five in
1894, where there had been twenty in
1892; from Ohio, two in 1894, where
there had been ten in 1892: from Penn
sylvania, two in 1894, where there had
been ten in 1892: from Rhode Island,
none in 1894, where there had been
two in 1892: from West Virginia, none
in 1894, where there had been four in
1892; from Wisconsin, none in 1894,
where there had been six in 1892; from
wyoming, none in 1894, where there
had been one in 1892.
Even the southern state Of Ten
nesse had only six in delegation OF
ten in 1894, while Missouri had only
four in a delegation Of fifteen. The
senate, too was changed from Demo
cratic to Republican. In the congress
which followed the elections of 1894
there were only SO Democratic sena-
tors to 42 Republicans; whereas in the
congress following the elections OF
1892 there had been fl Democratic
senators to only 36 Republicans.
Things Democratic grew steady worse
until in the spring Of 1896 the Demo
cratic nomination for president went
a-begging. Excepting the impossible
Hill, none of the old "availables" nor
the new possibilities" wanted it.
Utter defeat for the Democratic party
was regarded as inevitable by the
leaders Of both sides. Even if all this
was not Mr.. Cleveland'S fault, it was
a result of his administration and the
signal for his Punishment"
Such was the hopeless condition OF
the party when the Chicago platform
and Bryan were unexpectedly put for
ward to save it from dropping out Of
the political arena or into scarcely
concealed alliance with the Republi'
cans. At once its prospects revived
and in spite of Cleveland's going over
to Mckinley's support, it continued tt
regain strength. Under the circum'
stances, success was impossible. But
the heaviest load it had to carry
through it all was not free silver,
nor Organism" Of any kind, but the
unpopularity of the Cleveland admin
istration. Outside of financial circles
that was the tune which the Republi'
can orators sung, and that, together
with Hanna's corruption fund, were
the cause of Bryan'S defeat. Bryan
had not only to ward off Cleveland'S
blows upon his flank: he had also tc
carry Cleveland's heavy record upon
his back. Yet, see the results. The
popular vote for Bryan in 1896 was
larger than that for Cleveland in 1S9:
by 946,007. In harmony with this
result was the change in the Demo
cratic representation in congress-
From total of only SO elected in the
last Cleveland year IS9D the Demo
cratic representation was raised in the
first Bryan year QS96) to 130 and the
Republican majority reduced from u
to p: while in the second Bryan veal
Q90O) the Democratic representation
was raise to 153 and the Republican
majority reduced to 20. And although
it might still be said in Mr.. Cleve'
lands phrase, that northern Demo
cratic states were rare curiosities,
they had at any rate regained some OF
the representation which during his
administration they absolutely lost.
The number Of Democrats in the
California delegation was increased
from one in 1894 to two it 1896.
though both were lost in 1900: that OF
the Illinois delegation from none il
1894 to FIVE in 1896, and eleven in
1900: that Of the Indiana delegation
from none in 1894 to four in 1896, ano
the gain held in 1900; that of Kansas
from one in 1894 to one in 1900; that
Of Massachusetts, from one in 1894 tc
two in 1896 and three in 1900: that OF
Michigan from none in 1894 to one in