The independent., 1903-04-23
DEADLY SILVER
Defeated Blaine, Harrison and
BRYAN

Bryan
Editor Independent: At this time
the republican papers of the country
are trying to select a candidate for
president for the democrats for 1904,
and no one with sense enough to get
in out of the rain will fail to under
stand why this is thus, after he reads
my explanation.
I assume that Blaine was defeated
In his race for president because he
was too friendly to silver. The green
back campaigns up in Maine had
brought him out OF the darkness and
In cungTess he he was friendly to the
silver dollar. He was the most pop
ular man in the country (before his
nomination. with the masses. He was
nominated by party fully able to
have elected him, having ample re-
sources and everything favorable to
success. The banks, bondholders, arls-
tocratic money lenders, and such like
did not want president who was
not a gold bug and these classes threw
their influence to Cleveland and won.
This was score No. l for the gold
bugs.
In 1888, while out of power the re-
publicans won, as Mr.. Harrisons Sill
yer ideas were not developed till af-
ter has was elected. Then the sub
ject came before congress in all its
greatness, and in fear of free coinage
of silver, Sherman offered as sub
stitute the Sherman act OF July 2,
1890. This &C. Mr. Harrison approved
and it was very liberal concession
to the advocates of free coinage, an
act that gave us some $60,000,000 per
year of new money.
In 1892 Mr.. Harrison was again
nominated and had the political pow
er of the nation aiding him; yet was
defeated Why, 1t may be asked, was
Harrison greater than Cleveland in
the estimation of the people in 1888
in his contest with Cleveland and yet
defeated four years later? What was
the change? AS to this say that 1t
was the same thing that defeated
Rlaine-friendship for silver, for the
bankers found him out in 1880.
Here we have two of the most pop
ular republicans in the United States,
two of the ablest men as well, de-
feated for the presidency for one rea-
son, only one reason, that of being
in sympathy wit hthe cause of 16 to
1, free coinage, or bimetallism. NO
other plausible reason can be brought
forth Had Mr.. Blaine been elected,
we never would have had silver
champion as we had in 1890 in the
person of Benjamin Harrison.
l. tr 1909 sy
easy to discern the reason for the de-
feat of Mr. Bryan. Gold bug democrats
did to Bryan what gold bug republi-
cans did to Blaine and to Harrison.
Who defeated Blaine but republicans
and who defeated Harrison but re-
publicans? Men of that party did it.
In the defeat of Bryan 1t took a well
organized movement within the DEM
ocratic party to accomplish the re-
suit. Led by the money power, the
daily press was practically solid
against him. To uphold their power
over the people the bondholder in
yigilant as the STAKEHOLDER ever
showed himself to be in behalf of the
Institution of slavery. However. the
Shareholder did not have to overcome
the votes of his slaves, for they could
not vote; but the white men in bond
age. north and south, fairly fell over
each other on the way to the polls
to protect the plutocratic bondhold-
ers bankers and banded trusts in
their empire of licensed pillage, and
the poor, insensate serf in his docility
and political degradation has proven
a marvel. 1t is likewise a marvel
that the great democratic party, with
its, honorable memories and great
statesmen, has been so singularly un-
fortunate in it's selection of candi-
dates for president-with it's Cleve-
land posing as democrat, but al
ways doing the bidding of Wall street
operators representing both old par
ties, and winning; and with it's
Bryan, representing the common peo-
pie, and losing. 1t would seem that
the people are under a hoodoo of
some kind. A POPULIST.
Pittsburg, Pa.