Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1904-11-18
BRYAN'S STATEMENT
OF CAUSES WHY DEMOCRATS
DID NOT WIN.

He Will at Once Enter the Campaign for Re.
form-he Urges That Plans Be Laid Now for
the Campaign Of i00S-Time, he Says. will
Develop Available Candidates, il We Decide
Upon Sound Principles.
Mr.. Bryan at Lincoln, Neb., the day
after election, gave out an extended
statement concerning the contest just
closed, which is intended to serve as
his comm snt upon the results and
as an answer to reports connecting
him with movement looking to the
formation OF a new party. Mr.. Bryan
said be would not attempt to deny all
the reports circulated as to his future
political action, but would let his
statement serve to explain his position.
He said:
"The Democratic party has met
with an overwhelming defeat in the
matte Il election. AS yet the returns
are not sufficiently complete to make
an analysis and it is impossible to say
whether the result is due to an increase
in the actual number of Republican
votes, or TO falling off in the Demo
cratic vote. This phase of the subject
will be dealt with next week when the
returns are all in.
LESSON OF THE ELECTION.
"The questions for consideration at
this time are, What lesson does the
election teach? and what of the fu-
ture? The defeat of Judge Parker
should not be considered personal
one. He did as we'll as he could un-
der the circumstances; he was the
victim of uufavorable conditions and
of mistaken party policy.
"He grew in popularity as the cam
paign proceeded and expressed himself
more and more strongly upon the
trust question, but could not overcome
the heavy odds against him. The So
called conservative Democrats charged
the defeats OF 1896 and 1900 to the
party's position on the money ques-
ton and insisted that q victory could
be gained by the dropping OF the coin
age question entirely.
"The convention accepted this
theory and the platform made no re-
ference to the money question, but
Judge Parker felt that it was his duty
to announce his personal adherence to
the gold standard. His gold telegram,
ss it was called, while embarrassing to
the Democrats OF the West and South,
was applauded by the Eastern press.
He had the cordial endorsement Of Mr..
Cleveland, who declared that the party
had returned to safety and sanity"
He had the support of the Democratic
papers which bolted in 1898, and he
also had the aid of nearly all of those
who were prominent in the campaigns
OF 1896 and 1900, and yet his defeat is
apparently greater than the party suf.
fered in either of those years.
"It is unquestionable also that
Judge Psrker's defeat WAS not local,
but general, the returns in the Eastern
States being as disappointing as the
returns from the West. The reorgan-
izers were in complete control Of the
party. They planned the campaign
and carried it on according to their
own views. and the verdict against the
plan is unanimous. Surely silver can.
not be blamed for this defeat, for the
campaign was run on a gold basis.
Neither can the defeat be charged to
his condemnation of the trusts, for the
trusts were not assailed as vigorously
this year as they we're four years ago.
1t is evident that the campaign did
not turn on the question OF imperial
ism, and it is not fair to consider the
result as q personal victory for the
President. for his administration was
subject 10 criticism. The result was
due to the fact that the Democratic
party attempted to be conservative in
the presence of conditions which de.
mand radical remedies. 1t sounded q
partial retreat when it should have
ordered charge all along the line.
"In 1896 the line was drawn for tho
first time during the present genera
tion between plutocracy and democ.
racy. and the party's stand on the side
Of democracy alienated large number
OF plutocratic Democrats who, in the
nature of things, cannot be expected
to return. It drew to itself q large
number Of earnest advocates of reform
whose attachment to these reforms is
much stronger than attachment to
any party name. The Republican
party occupies the conservative posi-.
ton. That is, it defends those who,
having secured unfair advantage
through class legislation, insist that
they shall not be disturbed, no matter
how oppressive their exactions become
"The Democratic party cannot hope
to compete successfully with the Re.
publican party for their support. To
win the support of the plutocratic ele.
ment of the country the party would
have to become more plutocratic than
the Republican party, and it could moi
do this without losing several times as
many voters as that course would win
The Democratic party has nothing to
gain by catering to organized and