Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1902-09-18
SUGGESTIONS FOR DEMOCRATS
Some Things That Nay He Overlooked
or Not known by Campaign
Recomm ders.

The democratic managers have an
nounced that theywill have a speaking
campaign of the old-fashioned kind
in due season. Doubtless the orators
are now practicing their pieces, well
aware that they must be more circum-
spect than usual. If the leaders are
prudent they will have the speakers
before them for rehearsal. If they
talk along the line of the state plat
form no allusion can be made to the
record and purposes of the democratic
party the past six years. If they ig-
more the state platform and accept the
statement of Secretary Edwards, Of
the democratic congressional commit
tee. the faithful will be edited by al
lusions to the Kansas City platform
as the last expression of democratic
faith. He is a hopelessly stupid demo-
cratic orator who does not now realize
that there are two wings to the demo-
cratic party, or, more correctly, two
democratic parties, which are as far
apart as the poles. The Cleveland
Hill democracy is the most distinctive
Wall-street political organization the
country affords, while the Bryan
democracy descibes all of the hcresics
of populism says the indianapolis
Journal.
1t will be said that none Of these diff
ferences which divide the party need
be discussed in the campaign. That
is, the democratic party has come to
a place where it is not polite to dis
cuss that portion Of its past that is
not older than any voting democrat.
In other words. the speaker must not
talk of democratic principles since the
days of Andrew Jackson. unless the
risk of controversy as to what con-
stitutes democratic principles shall
be assumed by the orator. Still.
party which declares that its tradi-
tions are as old as the constitution
cannot 90 before an audience and be
silent as to that long record. Neither
can an orator trace these principles
down to the administration of Martin
Van Buren, and stop there with the OBJ
Servation that the democratic record
from 1910 to1S6S is of no consequence,
and that since 1892 he democratic par
ty has had two sets of principles which
have the same affinity for each other
that cats and dogs have in a state of ma
ture. The half-scnsible democratic
orator must realize that he must say
something of the record of the demo-
cratic party since 1892; he must know
that many democrats now desire to
know whether the democracy Of CIeye-
land or Bryan is to dominate in the
future. No man will be a convert to
democracy unless he knows to which
of these two wideapart factions and
views he VIII be consigned.
In view of these weighty embarrass-
ments, the Journal offers two or three
suggestions that may simplify the
situation. First when the democratic
orator faces his democratic audience
let him begin with the statement that
the democratic party is now divided
between two sets of ideas. Let him
say: 81 wish to suit my audience. and
to that end | have two speeches. one
fitted to the Bryan platform and the
other to the Cleveland platform. |
propose to advocate the platform
which the majority of this audience
favors TO determine the majority.
| will take a vote. Those who desire
the Bryan brand, please rise Hav-
ing counted the democrats who would
continue to hail Bryan as the peer
less leader" and his platform as the
genuine democracy. let him call upon
those who prefer the Cleveland brand
of democratic principles. Having as
certained which faction is the larger.
let him advocate the principles it pre-
fers. In the event that the two fac
tions are so equally divided that he is
in doubt as to which is the larger,
let him make both speeches. 1t may
be a trife tedious, unless one faction.
following the example of both MFR.
Cleveland and Mr.. Bryan. applies cpl
thets to each other. This would give
interest to a meeting that otherwise
would be still-still as HHl demo-
crat in 1896. If the orator fears to put
the vote. as suggested, he can say that
"iust now there is a doubt as to wheth
er the principles of David Il. Hill or
those of William i. Bryan are the genu
inc ones; therefore. until the QueS-
tion shall be decided, | will proceed
upon the theory that the democrGtic
party has no principles" The adop-
tion Of either of these suggestions.
if previously announced, will bring out
large audiences where otherwise the
meetings would be small. and general
ly will give the feature of gayety to
what otherwise. on the democrat side.
will be n mournful campaign.