Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-06-24
BRYAN ON CLEVELAND
EX-PRESIDENT READ OUT OF
DEMOCRATIC PARTY.
Nebraska Editor Follows Up the At
tack Of Henry Watterson
With Vigor.

says: 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 this evening, commenting
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:
1.-THE banquet given on the evening Of
June 10 by the Tilden Club of New York
city was advertised as a harmony meet
ing but it turned out to be what might
have been expected Of such a gathering
an ovation 20 the chief guest former dem
ocrat Grover Cleveland. There can be no
such thing as harmony between men like
him and those who believe in democratic
principles, and he Is frank enough to say
He spent time looking for middle
ground upon which to gather together
discordant elements He boldly called upon
the members of the party to abandon their
convictions and accept the construction
which he placed upon democratic princi-
Piles. He even tainted the party with be-
ing sort of prodigal son, and invited 1t to
give UP its diet of husks and return to its
fathers house.
He spoke of his retirement from DO
litical 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 /
have followed on the matters of difference
within our party the teachings and counsel
of the great democrat in whose name party
peace and harmony tonight invoked
No confession of party sin should, there
fore, be expected of me. / have none to
make; nor do l crave political absolution'
He not only boosted of his course but
put his brand upon those who sat at meat
with him. Having asserted that his demo-
cratic faith compelled him to leave the party
Cor resulted in his banishmenD, he described
the banqueters as sharing in that faith.
He is not only defiant, but he insists
that party success can be secured only by
an open and avowed return to his ideas
Harmony is to be secured, not by the sup
preston of differences, but by the elimina
ton of those who differ from him.
Mr.. Bryan says he will print in his paper
Mr.. Clevelands speech Ito show that the
organizers do not want harmony, but con-
troll and that their control means the aban-
donment of the partys position and a re-
turn to the policies and practices of Mr..
Cieveland's second administration" He
continues:
He Cleveland) secured his nomination
in 1892 by a secret bargain with the finan-
c1ers; his committee collected. from the
corporations and spent the largest campaign
fund the party ever had; he filled his cabi-
net with corporation agents and placed rail-
read attorneys on the United States bench
to look after the interests of their former
clients. He turned the treasury over to q
Wall street syndicate, and the financial
member of his official family went from
Washington to become the private attorney
OF the man who forced Co. the Treasury
Department to sell him government bonds
at 100 and then resold them at III He
tried to prevent the adoption of the income
tax provision. he refused to sign the only
tariff reform measure passed since the war,
and while laundering against the trusts In
his measure, did even less than Knox has
done to interfere with their high handed
methods
His administration, instead of being
FOUNTAIN of demOcra cy, sending forth pure
and refreshing streams, became stagnant
pool, from whose waters foul vapors arose.
poisonous to those who fingered near
Having debauched his party, he was Of
Tended by its effort to reform and gave
comfort to the enemy. Virginius killed his
daughter to save her chastity: Cleveland
stabbed his party to prevent it's return TO
the paths of virtue.
And now. still gloating over his political
crimes, he invites the party to return to
him and apologize for the contempt which
1t has expressed for him. VIII 1t? Not
until the principles of Jefferson are forgot
ten and the works of Jackson cease to in
spre.
IF we are to have reorganization Cleve-
land himself should accept the presidential
nomination. 1t would be due him; his rein
statement would be poetic justice to him
and retribution to those whose democrat tic
conscience revolted against his undemo-
cratic conduct. OF course he would get no
UtHhOcTdtlc votes, Out DelnS closer TO plu-
tocracy than any republican likely to be
nominated he might divide the enemy and
even democrats would have what little con-
ISOLATION would come from receiving their
disappointment in advance.
"A merchant about to fail invited his
creditors to dinner and, after stating his
condition. secured a 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 me a preferred
creditor, are you not? Yes replied the
debtor, I'll make you a preferred creditor
I'll tell you now that you are not going to
get anything: the rest won't find it out for
a year. Mr.. Clevland's nomination would
have this advantage over the nomination
of any other reorganiZer. He would make
the democrats preferred creditors and tell
them that they would not be benefited by
his administration.
"Mr. Cleveland's speech should be read
in full. 1t answers a useful purpose: 1t
outlines the plan of campaign decided upon
by the plutocratic elements, for which the
reorganizers stand. Tariff reform Is to be
made the chief issue. and the men who
voted for Mckinley, the high priest Of pro-
lection, are to carry on sham battle with
their companions of 1896, while the finan-
cers make the dollar redeemable in gold
and fasten upon the country an asset cur
rency and a branch bank system. Trusts
are to be denounced in sonorous terms,
while the campaign managers mortgage the
party to the trust magnates in return for
campaign funds. Sometimes Imperialism
will be denounced as in Mr.. Hopkins Illi-
nois convention; sometimes ignored, as in
Mr.. Cleveland's speech; but, whether de-
nounced or ignored. the secret and silent
power that compel submission to the
demands of the financiers and to the de-
mands of the trust magnates can compel
submission to the demands of the exploit
ers and the representatives Of militarism.
1.-The fight is on between a democracy
that means democracy and .Clevelandism
which means plutocracy. Every speech
made by Mr.. Cleveland shows more clearly
the odiousness of the policies for which he
stands We have more to fear from those
who, like Mr.. Hill. indorse Mr.. Cleveland's
views but conceal their real purpose in