Hattiesburg daily progress. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 18??-1909, 1903-03-16
A NEW YORK PAPER SHOWS
UP Mr., BRYANS TWADDLE,

VI HkAs DA Hi' A. y w HDOhks
Mr.. Bryan has recently expressed
his belief that the majority of the
democratic party favors beyond ques-
tion the platform adopted at Kansas
City. And he "serves notice" on
Judge Parker that the latter "may as
we'll save the worry of a campaign if
his acceptance of nomination depends
on the adoption of a platform that
repudiates the Kansas City platform"
enthusiastically announcing that the
Kansas City platform democrats will
attend the national convention"
The plank which overshadows all
Others in the Kansas City platform
was that specifically reafirming the
free silver resolution of the Chicago
platform, to which Mr.. Bryan still
adheres. In considering what the
majority of the democratic party will
think next year of this dead and
buried issue, it will be instructiev to
recall what they thought of it in 1900.
The historic facts of value" as to
the adoption of this plank were thus
grouped editorially in the World of
JulyEs, 1900:
/. Neither Senator Jones, the
chairman Of the national democratic
committee, who called the Kansas
City convention to order, nor Cover
nor Thomas, of the silver state of Col
GRADE, its temporary chairman, nor
REPRESENTATIVE Richardson, the
leader of the democrats in the house,
permanent chairman, said in his
speech one word in favor of free coin
age or mentioned 16 to1
2. Senator Money of Mississippi,
strong supporter of free silevr when
that question was a living Issue,
said in the platform committee that
an actual canvass of the convention
made by the chairman of each state
delegation showed only III votes in
favor of IS to plank out of $50
delegates.
s. The platform committee in it's
unfettered expression on this
question showed majority against a
16 to plank.
A. The free silver plank was
finally adopted in thu committee after
twelve hours struggle by one vote,
that of the delegate from Hawaii
striking illustration of the political
possibilities involved in the new pol
icy of imperial expansion. The die
of q naional election was cast by a
delegate from a newly acquired ter
ritory having no electoral vote and a
population of less than 1900 male
white Americans.
5 Four other votes for the silver
plank were cast by delegates from
territories having no voice in the
presidential election-Arizona, Indian
Territory, New Mexico and Oklahoma.
6. Nine states of the original
"solid SOUTH" the bulwark of the
democratic party, voted against the
free silver plank, and only four in its
favor.
z. Of the twenty-one states voting
for this plank only thirteen are demo
cratic, and their total electoral vote il
only So.
8. The twenty -four states voting
against this plank have 297 electora
votes, and among them thirteen nov
or were before 1896 doubtful-the de
Gliding states in every presidential
election.
g. The final majority of one in tn
platform committee was secured onl,
by the personal insistence of Mr.
Bryan and his explicit threat that h
would not accept the nomination if tn
policy of l6 to l were not distinct.
declared. He announced that h
would personally assume "all tn
Responsible" for the result.
What the responsibility involve
was shown in the election return
recorded the most complete, disastrou
and disrgaceful defeat that the demo
cratic party ever experienced.
Since this second sacrifice of tn
party to fads, fallacies and FLY, til
populist party, whose alliance MI
Bryan eagerly sought, has dissolve
and disappeared, and the free silvs
republicans, whose nomination /
courted, have gone back to their ow
party. TO imagine, in view of th
history and changed conditions, th'
the next democratic national CONVEX
ton will either "reaffirm" the
IS past lunacies or make them a tie
of democracy for the next campaigl
is to proclaim ones self not mere
an irreconcilable but megalomani,
of the most extreme type.
If party fools itself once it may
M forgiven. II it permits itself to
s fooled q second time its punishme
is deserved. But to play fool
third time is a performance beyol
any strssch Of credulity. New 70