The Savannah morning news., 1904-02-19
CLEVELAND AND BRYAN.

In the dispatches of the Morning
News yesterday Mr.. Cleveland appear
ed in an article contributed to the Sat
urday Evening Post and Mr.. Bryan in
a speech delivered at Valdosta. Those
who read the extracts from Mr. Cleve-
lands article and the synopsis of Mr..
Bryan's speech must have come to the
conclusion that there was no possibility
of bringing about harmony between
these two leaders and have wondered
whether it was going to be difficult to
harmonic their respective followers.
Mr.. Cleveland did not mention Mr..
Bryan's name, but there was no doubt
that, in much of what he said, he had
Mr.. Bryan in mind. For instance, he
said: "Our fighting forces will respond
listlessly and falteringly if summoned
to a third defeat in a strange cause;
but if they hear the rallying cry of true
Democracy they will gather for battle
with old time Democratic enthusiasm
and courage" Further along in his
paper he said "Obsolete issues and
questions no longer challenging popu-
lar interest should be manfully aban-
doned." In other words, Mr.. Cleveland
said that it would be a great mistake to
reaffirm the Kansas City platform be-
cause it contained obsolete issues, and
containing such issues, wouldn't arouse
the true Democracy to old time Demo-
cratic enthusiasm and courage. sa
There are reasons for thinking Mr..
Cleveland is right. Even Mr.. Towne.
who was nominated in 1900 for Vice
President on the Populist ticket, and
who expected to be the nominee for
Vice President on the Democratic tick
ct with Mr.. Bryan, declared in the first
of the Democratic Club lectures which
he delivered in New York city on Tues
day night, that the silver question
ought to be dropped. Mr.. Towne hopes
to bring the two wings of the party to-
gether, believing, as Mr.. Cleveland
does, that with a united party and a
platform on which all Democrats can
stand, the Democratic party will have
a good opportunity of electing the next
President.
Mr.. Bryan, however doesn't appa-
rently believe in making any conces-
sions. 1t looks as if he thought a re-
affirmation of the Is to declaration
was of vastly more Importance than a
united party that would enter upon
the campaign with the enthusiasm and
courage that promised success.
In his Valdosta speech, according to
the telegraphic synopsis of it, Mr.. Bry-
an couldn't resist the temptation to say
,unkind things of Mr.. Cleveland and he
plainly told the Valdosta Democrats
that he wanted them to help him keep
the party in line with the platform
adopted at Kansas City.
1t seems fair to say that Mr.. Bryan
isn't seeking to bring about a condition
of affairs in the Democratic party that
will enable it to win in the presidential
election. His whole aim seems to be
to show the party and the country that
he is still strong enough to dominate
his party and, to get even" as it were,
with those who refused to give him a,
hearty support in his two campaigns.
If this statement of Mr. Bryan's atti-
tuder is correct he ought not to be sur
prised IL the Democratic party should
refuse to follow him. The party isn't
anxious to assist Mr.. Bryan in gaining
a personal triumph. What it wants is
victory in the coming campaign. -....,t