The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1904-02-23
ASTORIAN PUBLISHING COMPANY.
MIR. BRYAN AND THE PLATFORM.


Despite all the effort to bring about harmony IN
the ranks of the democracy, Mr.. Bryan is still vgor-
ously against the reorganizers. He insists that the
1900 platform must be reafirmed and denounces the
reorganizers as politicians who merely trying to
fool the people with an ambiguous 1904 platform
which he will vigorously oppose, Mr.. Bryan states
his position in the current issue of the Commoner as
3 follows:
The reorganzers, with the dishonesty that has al
ways characterized their political movements, are
shouting Bryan wants to make l6 TO the para
mount issue They have read what he says and
they have read the platform adopted at Kansas City
and they know that 16 to is not regarded as the par
amount issue by Mr. Bryan or by other advocates of
that platform. The money question was, declared to
be the paramount issue in 1896; in 1900 it was ex-
pressy declared not to be the paramount issue, but
that it is an issue is perfectly evident to any
who will read the papers published by the reorgan-
izer These papers show that they regard the money
question in two ways: First, they make that the
test in the selection of candidates. The man may
favor high tariff or low tariff or he may have no
opinion at all the tariff question but he must be-
eve in the gold standard and be willing to allow the
fnanciers to do his thinking for him. And so with
other minor questions Sut on the money question
the candidate to obtain favorable mention must be
sound according to Wall streed standards This
proves that with the nancers the money question is
not only one of the issues, but really the paramount
issue. Second, why are the reorganizers alarmed
when silver is mentioned? If it is dead ISSUE why
make such fuss over every reference to it If it is
lifeless, and has supporters how can it Justify
conservative democrat" in botng? The very fact
that the reorganzers are so afraid of the money ques
ton proof that there is life enough in it to prevent
its burial by its friends.
The truth of the matter is that the reorganizers
are trying to deceive the rank and file of the party
and it makes them mad to be discovered and exposed
They know that phase of the money question is
always before congress and lacking the courage to
meet the issue honestly they seek an advantage under
cover of deceit They also know that back Of all the
surface issues is the controlling one, whether the
money changers of the people shall control the gov
ernment To surrender the money question would
not conciate the reorganizers. Take the result in
Ohio. Tom johnson expressly denied that he favored
free silver and yet he was as bitterly denounced if
he had been an original silver man. Why? Because
he was opposed to the rule of corporate wealth Mr.
Clarke the democratic candidate against Mr.. Hanna
was against the party in 1896; he helped The
republicans that year and last fall avoided the moeny
question. Was that satisfactory to the fnanciers9
Not at all In spite of the fact that all the repub
lican papers reproduced his speeches against free
silver he was beaten than any senatorial candi-
date in recent years Why experiment longerl Con-
sessions and compromises are not expedent even if
they were right Try to draw platfor mwithout re-
affirming the Kansas City platform and see what the
result will be- No honest statement of the party's
position can be made without endorsing the position
taken in 1900 The whole aim of the reorganzers is
to secure an ambiguous platform with which to fool
the people and presidential candidate under Sc
cret pledge to the money magnates
Mr.. Bryan will not cooperate with them in this
effort and therefore he is the recipient Of their abuse
and malace But neither abuse nor malicious mis-
representation will avail The issue must be met.
a.