The Forrest City times. [volume] (Forrest City, Ark.) 1871-1919, 1902-06-27

A WORD FROM VIM. J. BRYAN,
The Editor of the Commoner Explains His
Absence From the Tilden
Club banquet.

cratic harmony dinner at New York
is pretty well explained by state
ment given out by ar. Bryan Monday
evening, commenting on the dinner.
AT the outset Mr.. Bryan says there is
no such thing as democratic harmony
where former President Cleveland il
concerned. He says in part:
The banquet given on the evening
of June 10 by the Tilden club of New
York was advertised as a harmony
meeting but it turned out to be
what might have been expected of
such gathering, an ovation to the
chief guest, former democrat 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 so. He spent no time looking for
middle ground upon which to gather
together discordant elements. He
boldly called upon the members of
the party to abandon their convic-
tions and accept the construction
which he places upon democratic
principles. He even taunted the par
ty with being sort of prodigal son
and invited it to give up its diet of
husks and return to its fathers
house.
''He is not only defiant, but he in
sists that party success can only be
secured by an open and avowed re-
turn to his ideas. Harmony is to be
secured not by the suppression of
differences, but by the elimination
of those who differ from him"
He continues: He fCleveland) Sc
cured his nomination in 1892 by Sc
cret bargain with the fnanciers; his
committee collected from the cor
porations and spent the largest cam
paign fund the party ever had; he
filled his cabinet with corporation
agents and placed railroad attorneys
on the United States bench to look
after the interests of their former
clients. He turned the treasury over
to Wall street syndicate, and the
financial member of his official fami-
ly went from Washington to become
the private attorney of the man who
forced the treasury department to
sell him government bonds at 105 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 messages,
did even less than Knox has done to
interfere with their highhanded
methods.
His administration, instead of be-
ing foundation of democracy send
ing 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 offended by its effort to reform
and gave comfort to the enemy Vir-
ginius killed his daughter To save her
chastity; Cleveland stabbed his party
to prevent its 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 it has expressed
for him. Will it? Not until the
principles of jefferson are forgotten
and the works of jackson cease to
inspire.
IF we are to have reorganization,
Cleveland himself should accept the
presidential nomination. 1t would be
due him; his reinstatement would be
poetic justice to him and retribution
to those whose democratic con
science revolted against his undemo-
cratic conduct
Mr.. Cleveland's speech should be
read in full. 1t answers useful
purpose; it outlines the plan of cam
paign 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 Mr.. Mckinley. the high
priest of protection, are to carry on
a sham battle with their companions
of 1896. while the financiers make the
dollar redeemable in gold and fasten
upon the country an asset currency
and a branch bank system. Trusts
are to be denounced in sonorous
terms, while the campaign managers
mortgage the party to the trust mag
mates in return for campaign funds.
Sometimes imperialism will be de-
nounced, as in Mr.. Hopkins Illinois
convention, sometimes ignored, as in
Mr.. Cleveland's speech; but whether
denounced or ignored, the secret and
silent power that can compel sub
mission to the demands of the finan-
ciers and to the demands of the
trust magnates can compel submis-
sion TO the demands of the exploiters
and the representatives. of mlitarism.
1.-The fight is on between a democ-
racy that means democracy and a
ClevelandiSm which means plutocra-
cy. Every speech made by Mr.. Cleve-
land shows more clearly the odious-
ness of the policies for which he
stands. We have more TO fear from