The river press., 1904-11-02
Especial Correspondence

ayers to lnaugurate Whlrwlnd cam
paign in this State, with William Jen-
nings Bryan as the star orator. and their
still later decision to push him to the
front constantly and to double the num-
Der Of his speeches, has revealed at last
an extraordinary situation, which has
thoroughly alarmed the leaders. Bryan
has been brought to Indiana for the sole
purpose of seeing if his personal infiu-
ence could not be relied on to stop
wholesale rebellion on the part Of the
old line Democrats. 1t has been an open
secret for some time, but until now the
Democratic managers have constantly
denied it. that the rank and file Of the
Indiana Democracy the men who voted
Cor Bryan because they loved him, the
men who worked for silver because they
believed in it. have been thoroughly dis
gusted with the one-sided reorganization
Of the Democratic party. 1t is to bring
these men back into the fold that Bryan
has been brought here, but it is not be-
lieyed that the brilliant Nebraska leader
will do more than make perfunctory
speeches for Parker, because in every
country town are to he found leaflets ex-
pressing what Rryan's real opinions are.
and just what he thinks Of Parker and
the desperate politicians who secured his
nomination at st. Louis.
The old line Democrats Of Indiana are
naturally a peculiarly loyal and straight
forward class of men. They represent in
their party the bone and sinew Of the
great manufacturing class, and more par
ticulary the thoughtful, rock-ribbed, in
tclligent portion of the farming COM
munity. They voted for silver in 1896
and in 1900 because they believed that
the system OF free coinage advocated by
Bryan and the great mass of the West
ern Democratic leaders would put an
end to their poverty and give them a
chance to compete on even terms with
the Wall street ,nagnates, who, they were
told, We're stealing away from the people
the wealth OF the country.
Object to Being Called Traitors.
Conditions have changed since then.
'Undeniable. prosperity has come to I'LL
classes, and there is no longer DISPOSE
tien to press the silver question to the
front. These old line Democrats, how
ever, do not relish the idea of being
called lnnatics or traitors, and still less
do they relish the development OF party
politics which has absolutely turned over
the control Of the Democracy to the very
men who bolted the party in 1896 They
have never believed it right thnt the tail
should attempt TO wag the dog. and they
cannot forget here in Indiana that the
men who are now seeking to ostracizc
tho faithful Democratic masses. aud who
are doing everything in their power TO
create Il Wall street control of the Demo
cratic party. are the same ones who open
ly, only eight years ago, left the Demo
cracy and voted direct for the Republi-
can candidate for the Presidency; ~
There are no more loyal Bryan Demo-
Gratis in the country than those OF In
diana. This is particularly true of the
country districts. The people loved and
believed in their splendid leader. and it
is significant thing that when the
other States through the Mississippi val
lev voted for Mckinley by an enormous
majority, Indiana kept the plurality
down to a marrow margin. Mr.. Bryan
made a campaign in this State that year
which made friends wherever he went
1t is these warm friends and admirers
Of William Jennings Bryan who. i'll tht
present campaign, have been disgustcc
and insulted by the men who are now
in control of the Democratic machine
They cannot, forget that in 1886. here
in this city of Indianapolis, there wa:
held convention to organize an indie
pendent Democratic party. The gol,
Democrats Of Indiana led the movement
against Bryan. They were foremost il
urging the nomination OF Palmer ant
Buckner. They urged all gold Demo
Gratis to ,ote for these two old generals
and not to cast ballot for William
Jennings Bryan. who was denounced
much more severely by the gold Demo
Gratis than ever he was by the Repnbli
cans. There was an appearance OF 10y
atty to the old party. because Palmer an
Buckner were both old-time Democrat
and they conducted their campaign on
Democratic basis. Yet every one know
what happened The gold Democrats
larity by voting for Palmer and Buck
ner, voted by thousands, for Mckinle,
The Palmer and Ruckner vote in II
diana, was a mere shadow. and did nc
begin to indicate the real strength Of tn
bolt.
Bryanites We're Generous.
Throughout all the campaign of 1S9
the gold Democrats, not only in Indian
I but in the country at large. abused Brya
and Bryanism in the most savage terms
He received much better treatment frol
the Republicans. who made their hgl
on an honest basis, who flooded the co4l
try with literature in behalf OF the gol
standard, but who never assailed tt
personal character or the integrity of II
beloved Democratic standard bearer.
the convention at st. Louis the so
Democratic men were in control. a
though not in the majority. There ":
q sentiment in the party that some kir
of reorganization was absolutely nece
sary to success. The Bryan men we
clearly in the majority. not only in tt
convention. but throughout the countr
Yet they were generous, and they we
willing to kill the fattel calf for t
prodigal son. But they expected hi
to eat only his owa share Of the ba
hec,ie and had no notion that after