The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-03-12
GROVER CLEvELAND's
 DEMOCRACY" 1"
MT. Bryan's Absurd Sneers at Sue
 cessful Leader,


 New York World
 In the last Commoner MT. Bryan, allud- ing to his refusal to attend Democratic dinners to which MT. Cleveland had been invited, says:
 T have about made up my mind to &C., cept the next invitation that 1 receive 10 harmony banquet where MT. Cleve- ianu Is to be present but l shall make my acceptance conditional upon being al- lowed to take as my toast Grover Cleve- iano and His Democracy 1 think 1 can handle that subject in such way that ne and will not be present at any more harmony banquets. And l have a right to speak of Grover CIevelands Democ- racy-for I have borne his sins in two national campaigns"
 MT. Bryan is doubtless one of the great est unconscious humorists in the country. Antnlng more sardonically hilarious than campaigns Mir. Bryan was merely a scapegoat for MT. Clevelands sins has not been heard since the wolf of the fa- ble accused the lamb of rolling the stream and proceeded to make ban quet ofr the offender.
 In his personal aspects the question of Grover Cievelands Democracy is not of paramount importance. particularly since he said yesterday that he Is "out of poli tics for good: but insofar az he repre- sents the Democrats who refused to fol- low the party into the last ditch of Popu- lism and free silver Republicanism his principles and record are of consequence just now when the party is turning to its old faith and it's old leaders.
 The chief complaint of the Bryanites against MT. Cleveland is that he called Congress together to repeal the sherman silver-purchase act instead of the Mo Kinley tariff law-the main issue upon which he was elected But the national platform upon which Mir. Cleveland was elected pledged the party to sound money and stable currency just as distinctly as 1t did to the reform or repeal of the Mckinley tariff. And the money ques- tion was much the more exlgent. Under the operations of the Sherman silver purchase coinage 1aw-passed exclusive ly by Republican, votes-the country was drifting rapidly toward a cheap silver ba- sis, With the consequent calamity and disgrace of national repudiation and in dustrial ruin.
 The Chicago platform of 1892 declared for gold and silver dollars of equal intrinsic and exchangeable value" so ad- justed as to 'insure the maintenance of the parity of the two metals and the equal power of every dollar at all times in the markets and in payment of debt" Such a currency was impossible under the policy then pursued. and no Demo- cratic President since Jackson ever did "a more distinctively Democratic act than MT Cleveland did in forcing Congress to put a stop to the compulsory coinage of 5O-cent dollars and the useless heaping up in the treasury of steadily depreciat- ing silver bullion. By that act he prepar- | ed the way for that parity of the two metals which his party insisted upon | and which the government has since been | able to maintain. And that Democratic ] deed furnished the condition ihecedent of | the unexampled prosperity which the country now enjoys.
 Grover Cleveland's Democracy" was | equally sound when he withheld his sig 1 nature from the Wilson tariff bill be- cause, as he said, through the perf1dy of handful of Senators elected as Demo- | crats the livery of Democratic tariff | reform has been stolen and worn in the | service of Republican protection" In his management of the treasury and | in some other matters of administration, President Cleveland was censured and op- posed by The World in discharge of a public duty. But judged alike by Demo- | cratic conditions and practices and by | the plain declaration of the Chicago plat | form of 1892. his Democracy on the two main questions of the time-the currency | and the tariff-was unimpeachable by | MT. Bryan or anybody else.