The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1903-11-20
MIR BRYAN ON THE ELECTIONS.

Mr. Bryan, In his Commoner last
week, reviews the elections held in
various states a few days ago. Mr..
Bryan thinks the returns do not
indicate any decided trend Of opinion
toward or away from either of the
old parties.
He regards the victory in New
YORK City as being local rather than
national, because the democratic can
dldate for mayor this year received a
less majority than the democratic
candidate for governor received In
New York city last fall. eff both
candidates ran on national issues, y
says Mr.. Bryan, then it necessarily
follows that the democratic vote has
fallen off in New York since last year.
But the true explanation Is that
municipal questions entered so largely
into the controversy that it cannot be
regarded as straw showing the
direction OF the wind. Besides, a
d ,mocratlc presidential candidat 9
would have to have considerably more
than 81, 600 Mr.. Mcclellan S majority
to overcome the republican majority
In country districts of the state.
As to Tom johnson S defeat in Ohio,
Mr.. Bryan Is not disposed to admit
that 1t Is a defeat for the Kansas City
nlatform. He argues the point as
follows:
1.-THE gold papers point to the oefeat
of Johnson as q fatal blow to the
Kansas City platform democracy, but
they seem to overlook the fact that
Mr.. Clarke, who was so overwhelm-
ingly defeated by Senator Hanna, was
a gold democrat whose opposition to
free silver was constantly proclaimed
by all the republican papers. IT, as
the gold papers claim, johnson was
defeated by gold democrats. they must
be given credit for less party loyalty
than the silver men have shown where
the reorganizers have obtained control.
IT gold man was justified In voting
against johnson and Clarke because
their convention Endorsed the Kansas
City platform, with what consistency
can those who believe in that platform
be appealed to when convention
Ignores or turns down that PLATFORM
But before the reorganlzers claim
a victory In Ohio, let Them explain
the defeat in Massachusetts, Penn
sylyania and Iowa where the Kansas
City platform was not Endorsed. An
examination OF the files of the cor
poration papers will reveal the fact
that they rejolced greatly over the
conservative victory in Iowa.
They predicted great things for the
party, but in spite OF the very able
and energetic campaign made by the
democratic candidate, Mr.. Sullivan,
and in spite OF the wohbling OF Cover
nor Cummins ON the tariff question:
the republicans carried the state by a
large majority-and the reorganizers
can now see nothing but Ohio.
Mr.. Bryan draws his own lesson
from the returns in statement that
the party can make no progress while
1t spends more time trying to reconcile
irreconcilable elements than 1t does in
trying to make converts. He evidently
takes for true and ADMITS the assertions
Of large number or the daily papers
Of the country that the Ohio defea
was caused by the gold element in the
party knitting the ticket for the pur-
pose OF hitting the Kansas City plat
from democrats. who forced the
endor sement of that platform on the
State Democratic Convention. Mr..
bryan then says
"The party cannot succeed while it
is wasting its strength In internal
wars. II II is going TO be positive
force in the country ii must stand for
democratic priuciples-Dot for one
campaign. but all the time-not just
before election, but all through the
year.
"If 1t is going to be a national
party II must stand for the same
things in all the states. A long as IL
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