Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1902-07-18
CLEVELAND IN 1894.
FACTS AND FIGURES WHICH
CARRY CONVICTION.

Cleveland is Responsible for Wreck Of the
Party During His Administration-Hi At
tempt to Foist the Blame on Others Only
Makes More Patent His Own Responsibility
The Chicago Platform and Candidate
Infused New Life Into the Party. and the
Petted and Pampered Few Deliberately Drew
the Knife Across Its Throat.
About the walls over Democratic de-
feat, however, word should be said
regarding the facts. This word can
not be repeated too often. Mr.. Cleve.
land implies; evidently with intention,
that the Democratic defeats OF 1896
and 1900 were due to the Chicago
platform and the nomination OF
Bryan. His memory is short. Every
political observer who recalls the dark
days Of 1894, 1895 and 1896, before the
Chicago platform was formulated or
Bryan thought of as a candidate,
knows that the Democratic party was
doomed to disaster by Cleveland's ad-
ministration and leadership. Never
mind the blame, We are speaking of
facts. Cleveland had been elected
President in 1892 with a Democratic
Congress at his back. In the lower
House there were 2l9 Democrats,
making clear majority of fl. Two
years later this Democratic majority
was swept away. Only SO Democrats
were elected, and the Republicans
controlled the new House by clear
majority of "a. MIR. Cleveland takes
occasion to say that in Tilden's day
"and afterwards northern Democratic
States were not rare curiosities." He
implies that Organism" has made
them so. But in fact they became SO
at the congressional elections OF 1874,
two years ahead of Bryanism." In
that year not one northern State, not
a solitary one, elected a majority OF
Democrats in its delegation to Con.
gress; although the delegations OF
Indiana, New Jersey, New York,
Wyoming and Wisconsin had Demo-
cratic majorities in 1892. From Cali
fornia there was only one Democrat
in 1894, 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
1894. 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 iii 1862; from
Nebraska, 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 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 1882;
from Wyoming, none in 1894, where
there had been one in 1892. Even the
southern State Of Tennessee had only
six in a delegation of ten in 1894,
while Missouri had only four in dele.
cation of fifteen. The Senate, too,
was changed from Democratic to Re-
publican. In the Congress which fol.
lowed the elections OF 1894 there were
only SO Democratic Senators to AZ Re-
publicans; whereas in the Congress
following the elections of 1892 there
had been A Democratic Senators to
only 36 Republicans. Things Demo.
cratic grew steadily worse, until in the
spring OF 1876 the Democratic nomi.
nation for President went a.begging.
Excepting the impossible Hill, none
Of the old availables" nor the new
possibilities" wanted it. Utter de-
feat for the Democratic party was 70.
garded 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 to
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 to