The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1904-11-17

ment.
Lincoln. Npb., Nov. Own. j.
Bryan to night gave out an extended
statement concerning yesterdays
election. which is intended to serve
AS his comment on the result and as
an answer to reports connecting him
with a movement looking to theform-
alton of a new party. Bryan said he
would not attempt to deny allreports
circulated n to his future political
action, but would let his statement
serve to explain his position. Hesays
In part:
"The democratic party has met
with an overwhelming defeat in the
national election As yet the returns
are not sufficiently complete to per-
init an analysis as it is impossible to
say whether the result is due to an
actual increase in the number OF re-
publican voters or to falling off in
the democratic vote. This phase of
the subject will be dealt with next
week when the returns are all in.
"The questions Tor considerable at
this time are, what lesson does the
election teach. and what OF future?
The defeat OF Parker should not be
considered PERSONAL one. He did as
well as he could under the circum-
stances; he was the victim OF uniavor
able conditions and OF mistaken
party policy.
He grew in popularity as the cam
paign progressed and expressed him.
self more and more strongly upon the
trust question, but could not over
come the heavy odds against him. So
called conservative democrats charg.
ed the defeat Of 1896 and 1900 to the
party's position on the money ques'
ton and insisted that victory could
be won by dropping the coinage
question entirely.
"The convention accepted this
theory and the platform madeno ref
erence to the money question, but
Parker felt that it was his duty to
announce his personal adherence to
the gold standard. His gold telegram
as it was called, while embarrassing
to the democrats OF the west and
south, was applauded by the eastern
press.
"He had corralled the Endorsement
OF Cleveland, who certified that the
plrty had returned to safety andsan'
ity; he had the support oidemocratic
papers which bolted in 1896, 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
suffered in either of those cases.
at is unquestionable, also, that
Par ker's defeat was not local, but
general, the returns from the eastern
states being as disappointing as the
returns from the west.
The reorganizers are in complete
control of the party, they planned
the campaign and carried it on &C
cording to their own views
Surely silver carnot be blamed fol
this defeat, for the campaign was
run on a gold basis. Neither car
defeat be charged to the emphatic
condemnation OF the trusts for the
trusts were not assailed az vigorous
ly this year as they we're four years
ago.
1t is evident that the campaign die
not turn upon the question OF i'm
perialism, and it is not fair to con
slider the result as Iersonal victory
for the president, although his ad
ministration was the subject OF criti
cism.
The result was due to the fact thai
the De mocratic party attempted t.
be. conservative in the presence o
conditions which demand radica
remedies 1t sounded partial re
treat when it should have ordered {
charge along the line"
PARKER's STATEMENT.
Y