The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1902-08-22
A BACKWARD GLANCE.
Democratic Leaders and Their
Present Status.


The three democratic leaders who
are struggling for supremacy each
disavows that he is responsible for
the present plight of his party. The
term three leaders is used, because,
while Mr.. Cleveland and Mr.. Hill os-
tensibly are working together, there
is irreconcilable rivalry between
them, and Mr.. Hill would be no more
averse to seeing Mr.. Bryan carry off
the honors than Mr.. Cleveland would
be to have Hillism become the con
trolling factor in the organization
AS for Mr.. Bryan, he regards boil:
Cleveland and Hill as disorganizers'
and generally opposed to true demo"
cratic principles, says the Albany
journal.
Each of these men has done his
share unwittingly, no doubt, in pull"
ing down democracy, and they
should be the last to aspire to lead
ership when the party is in its pres.
ent desperate condition. But witt
them. no matter what it may be
called, personal selfishness, not pa.
triotism rules, and the indications
are they will keep up the fight,
What the end will be does not re-
quire unusual powers of penetration.
Still it is said that under such ma
nipulation the democracy may be
able to command the country's sup,
port. That this is eXtravagant as
sumption will scarcely be denied
That the party will make long
drive to secure majority in the
house of representatives is to be eX
pected, and in the event of success it
would be greatly encouraged to put
forth unusual eNertions two years
hence, but how Clevelandism, Hill
ism and Organism are to be recon-
ciled, unless somebody sells out, is
not obvious.
The leaders see that something
must be done, and all sing harmony.
At the Tilden club Mr.. Cleveland
said: "We must all get together
and sustain the immortal principles
which took me through my two adj
ministrations, regardless of the
opinions of any party. On the same
occasion Mr.. Hill declared all must
get together and defeat the rapa-
cicus, insincere and dishonest re-
| publicans. This can be done by uni
fication and harmony, with David B.
| Hill driving the democratic machine.
| AT Nantasket, last week, Mr.. Bryan
| also made q harmony speech.
They may cry peace and harmony,
I l>,,t hn
disorganizers perhaps of democracy,
are they able to gather up the frag-
ments OF a betrayed party, and give
them form and semblance? The
condition of the democratic party
to-day is immeasurably more desper-
ate than it was in 1874, when, for
| the first time since the civil war the
| control of the house of representa-
tires was wrested from the repub-
licans. 1t is not much better than
it was in 1882. when the republican
party, torn with discussions with one
faction hating the other worse than
it did the common enemy. sent
| Grover Cleveland to the white house.
Ii is UNNECESSARILY worse than it was
in 1892 when, after season of I'M
precedented prosperity as was set
forth by Gen. Harrison in his last
annual message to congress, Grover
Cleveland was again elected, and
then and there began the destruc-
ton of his party. The way was then
paved for the brilliant success of
William Mckinley in 1896 Then
came the Spanish-American war. the
enunciatior of a broad and deep
American policy, the qualification of
interests that long had been at vari-
ance. which brought together at last
a united American people.
These are the men, then, who pro-
pose to lead the democracy to the
promised land. If they shall sue
coed we will have returned to the
age of miracles.