The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1902-12-11

their own party associates that the
enemy might be profited thereby. This
Is the class of men that has very
largely had control of the party Or
ganization this year. This is the class
of men that has been SO sure that
there would be harmony and success.
If only The party could get rid of Bry-
an and the popuIists. This was the
burden Of their song,
Such IIen were not controlled by any
political principle, and very naturally
assumed that no one else could be-
They reJoiced at the defeat OF Mr..
Bryan in 1900 because they thought
that defeat finally disposed of him as
political factor. They have been
foolish enough to suppose that all they
had to do was to have one OF the aris-
tocratic clubs to have banquet some
where IN New York, and trot out
Cleveland for a speech, then send the
secretary Of the Boston Free Trade
league - Indianapolis to have another
banquet at the Grand hotel, at which
should be present only those who
would not mention Mr.. Bryan's name,
then give a few whoops for the old
party and unesignated democratic
principles, and that everybody who
voted for Bryan would GO trooping
after them like a flock of fool sheep
after the bell wether 1t did not work,
and it never will. This IS the one en-
couragins thing demonstrated by tho
late election. The stunning defeat,
caused more by ne loss o. the pop
ulists and the silver republicans, and
the disgust in the ranks of their own
party, than by any increased strength
of the republican party, seems to have
paralyzei their tongues so that they
have not since been able to use them,
except 10 snarl and groWl.
Now what is the situation? Is 1t
rot perfectly clear that such men have
been more in sympathy with the pur.
poses OF the republican party than
with the declarations of the democratic
party? II Is manlfestly certain that, il
they cannot induce the democratic par.
ty to abandon the declarations of 1896
and 1900, they Will continue to prefer
the success of the republican party,
and will in every campaign, wherever
given the opportunity, oetray their
own party to bring about that success,
just as they have heretofore done. Any
man of intelligence knows that If ev-
cry man who called himself demo-
crat hal supported that party. Mr.. Bry'
an Woul1 have been elected. They did
not support the party, and they never
will uni 9Ss the party abandons its po-
sitiOn on the financial question. This
election demonstrates that rEe voters
many Of them are not ready to pay the
price demanded. Very certain it is,
the pOpulists and those who left the
republican party, and gave their sup
port to Mr.. Bryan i'll two campaigns on
this question, cannot, without stulti-
fcatiOn, suppOrt the party with such
votarie5 Cf putocracy as Cleveland
and Hill at the head of its column,
either rs leaders or honOrc guests"
The fayOrite assertion witn this ele-
ment nov is, that the money question
is dead issue. Well, if thay are real
ly sincere about that, it is very
strange that sensible meu should be
sc terribly afraid o. a corpse. They
are not sincere. The none" question
is not dead. 1t is not dead issue.
1t is the question that is at The bottom
OF, and that gives life to, e. cry other
possible question in our rclitics. No
man knows this better than such men
as Gle leland and hill and the more
intelligent part Of their following.
The oIrty. never will succeed again
with suc1 men in it. Can the party
get rid Gf them? | suppose the ques.
ton ought to be put in this way viii
the party get rid of them? When put
in this form | am constrained to ex-
pI ess the opinion in answer that it
never will. I am forced to the con-
clusion hat those, who believe in the
declarations of The Chicago and Kan
sas City platforms OF the money ques-
ton, will not be able to cleanse the
old party hulk from these barnacles.
There arc too many who are more
concernet about party than about the
success of any principle il has de-
clared The party put it's hands to
the DlOw in 1896, and made its cam
paign distinctly and specifically on the
money question. If it had not been
betrayed by so-cailed democrats, it
would, with the aid of the two million
and more votes outside of the party,
have succeeded. If it looks backward
now it is doomed. No more disastrous
mistake was ever made, in political