Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1904-06-02
DEMOCRATIC IDEA
6OLTERS SOllClTOUS ABOUT
OLD LINE DEMOCRATS
SesAd Talk From ". J. Brysn.-The Rank and
ce the Democratic Party Are Men Who
Jhl1k First and Act Afterwards.

Th6men who bolted in 1896 are very
solicit0us just now lest some who were
loyal - 1896 intend to bolt in 1904 If the
party IL made to represent Wall street
ideas. Several statements have been
made nregard to Mr.. Bryan's purpose.
A statement has been going the rounds
to the eject that Mr.. Bryan asked a
citisapSof Lincoln if he (the citizen)
would bolt with him (Mr. Bryan in case
the Ksnsas City platform was not re-
affirmed. The dispatch further said that
the cid citizen declined to make a
pronaiGr to bolt, and that Mr.. Bryan the n
had Mn defeated for delegate to the
natiOuel convention. The story is entire
" without foundation. No such con-
veradtion ever occurred, and Mr.. BRYAN
took no part IN the selection Of the dele.
gate hon his home county.
THIS false report is only referred to to
showsfhe extremity TO which the re.
orGal51ers are driven. Not being able
70 iJAle $heir fight on honest grounds,
/ thaysff4 constantly resorting to mis-.
| Itpt ation.
ian has refused to discuss the
gu6j6&E6& boiling, because he believes
thet fh individual must decide his
polft duty for himself, according to
his "a lance and his judgment. and
that tale 5lecision cannot be intelligently
made N3U the issues and candidates are
press and the citizen is able to Judge
the q and plans of the various
MS Ia received letter recently
iron In OF q western. state asking
hin t<6 whether he proposed to bolt
or - Ne the ticket mo matter what
|pla5 Ne adopted and no matter who
va MATED" His answer will be
found i<w, and it states his views upon
NY Dsky SIR: Your favor u hand.
While democrat presdines that his COM
vention will write platform and nomin-
ate ticket that he can conscientiously
support, it is not y conclusive pre-.
sumption and do not believe that any
one ought to be aske or expected to say
that no matter what convention does,
he will support the ticket. For that
reason 1 defer until the convention has
acted a decision upon the coufse that l
will pursue.
"If the rule suggested:by you were the
correct one--namely, that whatever the
platform and whoever the candidate, the
ticket should be supported at the polls,
then there would be no need of cam =
paign, because no rule is sound one
that does not answer as we'll for republi.
cans as for democrats. There is no more
reason why every democrat should pledge
himself in advance than there is that
every republican should, and if all did,
campaigns would not change vote. l!
that is correct rule, then when a
party is once in power it is useless to at.
tempt to dislodge it, because it can only
be dislodged by change in political
affiliations. And then, too, you will
notice that the eastern democrats never
pledge themselves to support the ticket,
and there is no reason why western
democrats should hold at lower value
their duty to give to their country their
best conscience and their best judgment
at the time when action is required.
"Because eastern democrats refuse to
make promises and assert their right to
independent action after the convention,
their opinions are now being consulted,
while it is not thought necessary to con.
suit the opinions Of those who vociferous-
ly announce that neither their con.
victions nor their interests neeu be con.
sidered, but that they can be counted
upon to hurrah for anything in the plat.
form and to change their own opinions
whenever the eastern democrats decide
that the time has come to change.
Yours truly,
NV. J. Bryan.