The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-07-07
A Conservative Democracy.

The day or conservative democracy
seems to, have returned. The contrast
between the democratic convention of
1904 and that of 1896, or even that
of 1900, Is very marked. The man
and the idea which swept everything
before them4in the convention OF 1896,
and which still compelled submission
in 1900, have so small a following in
the convention at st. Louis that even
q bolt would be ridiculous.
No more remarkable demonstra-
ton Of approval ever occurred in a
political convention than that which
followed the conclusion of Bryan's
speech in the Chicago convention of
1896, when the orator Of the Platte,
gifted in speech and magnetic in his
personality, voiced the discomfort and
expressed the radical sentiments of his
hearers better than they had been
able to formulate them in their own
minds. That was the real secret Of
Bryan's remarkable power on that oc-
casion.
Times have changed. Discomfort
has given place to general satisfaction
and prosperity. The men who gath
er in the convention hall at st. Louis
today are in different frame Of mind.
They know that altho the things they
clamored for In 90 and submitted to
in. 1900 have not been realized, the
country is prosperous, and that they
are fortunate in not having been able
to realize those things for which they
commended so strenuously eight years
ago. ..
Bryan and all he stands for are
passing. The men who walked out of
the Chicago convention, followed by
the Kisses and the jeers Of Bryan and
his followers, are today in absolute
control of the st. Louis convention
-Four years ago, at Kansas City,
the convention humbly received the
imperious dictatton of Bryan from his
home in Nebraska, altho 80 per cent
of the democratic leaders believed that
the political creed he then forced upon
them was unwise and a tactical blum
der. Yesterday, this political god Of
1900 was Kissed stormily by large
segment Of the convention at st.
Louis. Nothing Is surer than that the
essential features of the platforms Of
'96 and 1900 will be repudiated by this
convention. The appearance Of no in
,dividual before the st. Louis conven-
ton has aroused as much enthusiasm
as the casual mention Of the name of
Grover Cleveland. He will not be
nominated, but the things for which
he stands, and the men who have SYM
pathized with himin his views of pub
lie questions, will shape the platform
and make the nominations at st. Louis.
The democracy is recovering from
Its drift to populism and socialism,
from it's subserviency to Bryan and the
radicals, and is passing into. the con-
$trol of more conservative men and re-
turning to it's traditional principles
and policies. 49,.
This is a good thing. The country
needs two political parties, and the
more nearly these parties are balanced
as to strength and intelligent
leadership, the better. Unques-
tionably the prospective success
of the reorganizers in the democratic
party and the tendency therein to re-
turn to saner ideas had a wholesome
Influence upon the bourbon element OF
the republican party at Chicago and
gave strength and influence to progress
sive republicanism in that convention
The democratic party has nothing ir
Its recent record upon which it car
go before the country with decent
claim for approval, and no reason tc
expect success at this time. But the
predominance Of those forces and in.
f1uences which control the st. Louis
convention to-day will bring it nearer
to that standard of profession and per
formance which justify the confidence
of the public than anything which has
dominated democratic councils DURING
the last two campaigns.
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