The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1903-04-15
W. j. BRYAN
In Commoner Administered a
Sound Flolling
10 That Iowa Democrat So-calIed

ID yam is IHdU, not Delng Demo
crat himself, he fails to appreciate
the true principles, the true object,
the true aim, the true scope of De
mocracy. He fails to realize that
the Democratic party is a party of
the people, party which holds
that the right to govern, in party
councils or in matters of legislative
enactment, emanates from the con-
sent of the governed; he overlooks
the fact that Democratic doctrines
and Democratic principles have
their inception in the minds of the
common people of the country and
of the party, and are not taken at
second hand from self constituted
leaders and aspirants for honors at
the hands of the mass of Demo-
cratic voters.'
1t is not necessary TO discuss the
question raised by the statement of
this paper that Bryan is mot a
Democrat" 1t is however, worthy
of note that this organ has outlined
a rule which it pretends is followed
by the reorganizers when in fact
that rule is ignored by the reorgani-
zers and is adhered to by Kansas
City platform Democrats
A Kansas City platform Demo-
crat does appreciate the true prin-
ciples, the true object, the true aim,
the true scope of Democracy. He
does realize that the Democratic
party is the party of the people.
He insists that in that party the
right of government, in party coun-
ellis. emanates from the consent Of
the governed. He insists chat Dem
ocratic platforms shall adhere to
Democratic doctrines and Demo-
cratic principles and that the rank
and file of the party, rather than
'self-constituted leaders and aspir-
ants for honors at the hands of the
mass of Democratic voters" shall
say what the platform shall be.
For this reason the Commoner is
appealing to Democrats who believe
in the Kansas City platform to or
ganize and to cooperate in order
that their opinions may be reflected
in the national platform of their
party.
On the other hand, the reorgani-
zers whom this Iowa paper seems to
represent, insist that Democratic
doctrines and Democratic princi-
Piles must be "taken at second hand
from self-constituted leaders and
aspirants for honors at the hands
of the mass of Democratic voters. +"
The Brooklyn Eagle, for instance
recognized as one of the great or
gans of these reorganizers, tells us,
not that the platform should be
framed to suit the rank and file of
Democracy, but that the platform
should be framed so that it would
be acceptable to Grover Cleveland
and men who believe with him.
The platform adopted in 1896 at
Chicago, the platform adopted in
1900 at Kansas City, were framed
by the rank and file of the Demo-
cratic party. Men who believe in
the principles set forth in those
platforms and who insist that the
Democratic party shall take no
backward steps are demanding that
the national platform of 1904, shall
be framed, not by "the self-contsi-
tuted leaders and aspirants for hon
ors at the hands of the mass of
Democratic voters" but shall be
framed in accordance with the sem
timents of the rank and file of the
party.
These reorganizers would not be
willing to submit their platform
and their candidates to the rank
and file of the party in order that
the Democrats of every precinct In
the United States could pass upon
that platform and that candidate.
Upon the pretense of desire for