The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-02-25
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY IS, 1909.
Mr.. BRYAN's SUPPORT OF
WEAVER,

some weeks ago The Advertiser In
commenting on some remarks Of The
Columbia Is. CO. State said:
Time and again 1t has been stated that
the National Committee In 1899 advised
Democrats in Nebraska to vote for
Weaver. but we have never seen any
thing else than assertion. The Demo-
cratic electoral ticket was kept in the
field until the polls closed and received
about 5000 votes. Surely, IL the Nation
al Committee had advised its withdrawal,
Il would have been taken down. Senator
German, II has been said, gave some
such advice but he was not the COM
mittee, nor was he in charge of the cam
paign. Indeed, until few days before
the election he kept away from head
quarters under the idea that the party
would be defeated. and he did not want
TO appear as having had anything to do
with its management. If the committee
did advise rejection of Cleveland and
support OF Weaver in Nebraska in 1892,
now IL a good time for the proof to be
forthcoming.
The State of last Saturday says:
This was referred to Mr.. Bryan as the
proper person TO give the desired proof
and in the last issue of The Commoner
he furnishes it in the shape of an extract
from "a letter sent out by James E.
Boyd. then Governor of the State of Ne
braska, since then one of the prominent
members of the gold contingent of the
Democratic party" The extract is as
follows:
Lincoln. Neb., Oct. 17.z-Personal and
cnofidentiai. )-Dear sir: / have just re-
turned from the east where i was honored
by a consultation with the National
Committee and leading men of our party.
with regard to the best policy to be
pursued in Nebraska this fall in dealing
with the electoral ticket; and they agreed
with me that the wisest course would be
for Democrats to support the Weaver
electors; the object being to take Ne
braska out of her accustomed place In
the Republican column.
Information has reached me that a
number of independents who were
formerly Republicans contemplate voting
for the Harrison electors. With the Re
publican strength thus augmented it
would be impossible for the Democrats to
carry their own electors ticket to VIC
tory. 1t is therefore the part of good
Judgment and wise action for Democrats
to support the Weaver electors in as
large numbers as possible. For Demo-
Gratis to do this is no abandonment of
principle; on the contrary, it is a definite
step toward victory, and the ultimate
triumph of Cleveland and Stevenson and
the principles they represent.
So it is upon a personal and confidential
letter of Governor Boyd that justification
for voting for Weaver instead of Cleve-
land is sought. We have no desire to
dispute the correctness of Governor
Boyd's statement, but 1t lacked a great
deal of the force that a plain declaration
from the National Committee would
have carried and failed to convince
5000 Democrats in Nebraska who voted
the regular Democratic electoral ticket
in that State in 1892. This. however. is
ancient history now and is only pub
lished in order that Mr.. Bryan's version
of the affair may be given. 1t should
be the earnest endeavor of all Democrats
now to bring about such a condition of
affairs as will enable the party to present
a solid front to the enemy at coming
elections and especially in 1904.