The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1904-09-23

and West. had gone largely against
the Democratic party. 1t had also
lost several b rider States, including
Missouri, Maryland and Kentucky.
Indications seemed to point to an
early extinction OF the party. What
then happened was the strangest
event that ever occurred in party pol
itics, viz: the party In national con.
vention repudiated Its own admins
uation. and incidentally most of Its
great papers and leaders and declar-
ed tor i.ee silver nominated Mr.. Bry.
an on sub 'tantially a Populist plat
form. Cleveland and the principal
Democratic papers and many of the
lsa1ers bolted the ticket and procured
Bryan's defeat. He was renomiuat-
ed in 1900 on the same platform, but
was worse defeated than before, al
though some of the boilers CT 1896
seemed to support him.
Whether the action taken in 1896
expr, ssed the real views OF the party
Or was taken to keep 1t alive and des-
troy the POI ulist party cannot be cer-
tainly known. 1t seems to some eX-
tent to have accomplished the two
purposes. No candid man will now
dispute the proposition that the
Cleveland crowd Is now In control
Of the Democratic org aniz alton and
now have Bryan under their thumbs.
was inclined to thiux in 1896 that
Bryan was sincere. l presume others
hal the same opinion. but having no
faith in the party behind him did not
vote for him. Events have fully jus
dfed their course. II Bryan had been
elected, and with him a Democratic
Congress, still none OF his reform
me sures would have been enacted
into law for the reason that enough
Democrats would have voted against
the measures to defeat them. 1t l.
worthy OF note tina. the the Democrat
c platform OF 1892 recommended the
repeal of the 0 per cent, prohibitory
axes on state banks; yet, although
the Democrats won on that, they
tailed to repeal it. Likely that was
gooi thing, by omission, but the
obs ct Of that resolution was to check
mate the peoples party demand io'
more money.
From the foregoing 1t Is perfectly
manifest that no reforms, not advo-
Gated by the Republican party, can
be carried out by Democratic success
aence 1t Is absurd to look to 1t for
any relief. 1t was the Republican
party that enacted the legal tender
law of 1862. and by that law and the
decision of the Republican Supreme
Court established the legal fact that
the law makes money without rega ID
to the material OF which 1t was
composed. In other words, exploded
the old idea that intrinsic value made
money.
The Democrats are seeking to max :
capital on the imperial issue, or In
opposition to the Government owning
ard governing provinces 1t should
never be forgotten that the Hawaiian
Islands were annexed under a reso
luton OF act offered by Mr.. Newland,
OF Nevada. now a Democratic Sena'
tor from that State. 1t is we'll known
that in 1897 and 1898 the Democrats
were clamorlng for intervention In
behalf of Cuba and charging that
Mckinley and Hanna wanted to Issue
s. 20, 600, 900 bonds to buy Cuba form
spain. II such was their desire Il
would have been better and much
cheaper than the war. think 1t may
be fairly charged that the Democratic
party Is responsible for the Spanish
War, and therefore responsible fo
our ownership of the Philippine Is
lands, hence they are estopped from
prating alb out the Philippines.
notice that the Democratic nomi
nee for Vice President Is In his elgh
ty first year. have never seen 1
claimed that he voted for Bryan