The independent., 1904-11-10
Mr.. Bryan's Opinion of
IT, E1~A.
(The Commoner Nov. II. 19o4.)

The democratic party has met with an over
whelming defeat in the national election. As yet
the returns are not sufficiently complete TO permit
analysis and it is impossible to say whether the
result is due to an actual increase in the number
of republican votes or to falling of In the demo-
cratic vote This phase of the subject will be dealt
with next week when the returns all in. The
questions for consideration at this time are, what
lesson does the election teach? and what OF the
future? The defeat of Judge Parker should not
be considered personal one. He did as well as
he could under the circumstances; he was the
victim of unfavorable conditions and OF a mistaken
party policy. he grew in popularity as the cam
paign progressed and expressed hlmse1 more
and more strongly upon the trust question out
could not overcome the heavy odds against him
The so-caed conservative democrats charged the
defeats of 1896 and 1900 to the party position on
the money question and insisted that victory
could he won by dropping the coinage question
entirely. The convention accepted this theory. and
the platform made mo reference TO the money
question, but Judge Parker felt tnat It was iis
duty to announce his personal adherence TO the
gold standard His gold teisgzzs q, as it was called
while embarrassing to the democrats CT ths -west-
and SOUTH was oplauded by the eastern press.
He had the cordial endorsement OF Mr. Cleveland
who certified that the party had returned 10 sais-
ty and sanity he had the support OF the demo.
cratic papers which bolted in 1896, and he also
had the aid of nearly all Of those who were proml-
nent in the campaia.s of 1896 and 1900, and yet
his defeat is apparently greater IAN the party
suffered in either Of those years.
It is unquestionable also that Judge Parker's
defeat was not local but generalthe returns from
the eastern states being as disappointing as the
returns from the west. The reorganizers were in
complete control Of the party; they planned the
campaign and carried it on according to taeir own
views, and the verdict against their plan is
unanimous one Surely silver not be blamed
for this defeat, for the campaign was run on
gold basis: neither can the defeat be charged to
emphatic condemnation of the trusts for the
trusts were not assailed as vigorously this year
as they were our years ago 1t is evident mat
the campaign did not turn upon the question OF
Imperialism, and it is not fair to consider the re-
suit as a personal victory for the president, al
though his administration was he subject OF
criticism 'le result due to the fact that the
democratic party attempted to be conservative in
the preserSe@of fRnditions which demand radic,l
remedies 1t sounded partial stsnat==Nhen it
should have ordered charge all along the line
In 1896 the line was drawn, for the first time
during the present generation, between putocracy
and democracy and the partys stand on the side
of democracy alienated large number of
plutocratic democrats who. in the nature Of
things can not be expected to return. and
it drew to itself large number OF earnest
advocates Of reform whose attachment to these
reforms is much stronger than attachment to any
party name The republican party occupied the
conservative position. That is, it defends those
class legislation insist that they shall not
disturbed no matter how oppressive their eXac-
tions may become The democratic party not
hone TO competa successfully with the republican
party for this support To win the support of the
putocratic element of the country the party would
have to become more putocratic than the repub-
Iican party and it could not do this without los
ing several times as many voters as that course
would win The democratic party has nothing TO
gain by catering to organized and predatory
wealth 1t must not only do without such support
but it can strengthen itself by inviting the open
and emphatic opposition of these elements. The
dient from the standpoint of policy as it is wrong
from the standpoint of principle to attempt any
cancellation Of the industrial and financial despots
who are gradually getting control of all the