Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1904-11-18
STATEMENT OF BRYAN
Conditions that Now Con-
front the Democratic
Party

Party
The following are the salient parts
of W. J. Bryan's statement on the re-
suit of the national election
1.-The democratic party has met with
an overwhelming defeat in the nation.
al election. The questions for consid-
GRAFTON ut this time are what lesson
does the election teach, and what Of
the future. The defeat of Judge Park
er should not be considered personal
one He did as we'll as he could under
the circumstances. He was the vic
tim of unfavorable conditions, and of
a mistaken party policy. He grew in
popularity as the campaign progressed
and expressed hims elf more and more
strongly upon the trust que stion, bit
he could not overcome tbs heavy odds
against him.
THE so-called tariff democrats
charged defeat of 1896 and 1900 to the
party's position or the money ques-
tion, and insisted that victory could
DO won by dropping the coinage ones
ton entirely. The convention &C.
cepted this theory and the platform
made no reference to the n!onev Ques-
ton, put Judge Parker felt that it
, was his duty to announce his personal
adherence to the gold standard.
"His gold telegram, as it Was
| s]led, while embarrassing to the
democrats Of the West and South, was
appraised by the Eastern press. He
had the cordial Endorsement of Mr..
Cleveland, who certified thas the party
had returned to ''safety and sanity ;
he had the support Of the Democratic
papers which bolted in 1896 and be al
so had the aid Of nearly all Of those
who were prominent in the campaigns
Of 1895 and 1900, and yet his defeat
is apparently greater than the party
suffered in either of those years
1T is unqueetionable also that
Judge Parker's defeat was net local
but general, the returns from the
Eastern states being as disappointing
az the returns from the West. The re-
organizers were closely affiliated with
the party. They planned the CAM
paign and carried it ON according to
their own views and thes verdict
against their plan is a unanimous
one. Surely nobody can be blamed for
this defeat. for the campaign was run
on gold basis. Neither can the de-
feat be charged to emphatic eondem-
nation Of the trrsts for tAe trusts
were not assailed a. vigorou51y this
year AZ they were four. years Rgo. 1t
Is evident that the campaign did not
turn upon the question of imperial
Ism, and 1t III not fair to considsf the
result as personal victory for the
president. although his administra-
ton was the subject Of criticism.
THE result was due to the fact that
the democratic party attempted to be
conservative, in the presence of condi-
tions which demand radical remedies.
It sounded partial retreat when it
should have ordered q charge all
along the line. In 1895 the line was
drawn for the first time during the
present generation between plotocracy
and democracy and the party's stand
for democracy alienated large num-
Der of plutocratic democrats who IN
the nature Of things cannot be ex.
pected to return, and it drew to it.
self large number Of earneet advo-
1caees Of reform whose attachment to
these reforms is much stronger than
attachment to ally party name.
THE republican party occupies the
conservative position. That is, it de-
tends those who, having found unfair
advantage through class legislation,
insist they should net be disturbed.
no matter how oppressive their exac-
tions may become. The democratic
party cannot hope to compete sue
| CO6S4UAA uAA06S ~ Ao5 Ill lS6u0 tAdt
touches the people individually.
Injustice to the Filippinos is not
resented as We would resent harm
to ourselves and the costliness of the
Philippines is hidden by the statistics
and our indirect means of taxa
tion. While theparty mutt maintain
its position on this subject it cannot
present this as the only issue.
The party must also maintain its
position on the tariff question. No
| answer has been made to the indict-
ment against the high tariff and yet
! here, too, the burden Of tue tariff
system is concealed by a method by
| which the taxes are collected. It can
not be made the sole issue in 8 cam
paign.
1.-The party must renew lis demand
for an income tax, t. DO secured
Through constitutional amendment,
in order that waal,u NAV ha Nude To