Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1904-10-19
Especial Correspondence

paign in this State, with William Jen-
nings Bryan as the star orator, and their
still later decision to push him to the
front constantly and to double the num-
Der of his speeches, has revealed at last
an extraordinary situation, which has
thoroughly alarmed the leaders. Bryan
has been brought to Indiana for the sole
purpose Of seeing if his personal influ-
ence could not be relied on to stop
wholesale rebellion on the part of the
old line Democrats. 1t has been an open
secret for some time, but until now the
Democratic managers have constantly
denied it. that the rank and file of the
Indiana Democracy, the men who voted
for Bryan because they loved him, the
men who worked for silver because they
believed in it, have been thoroughly dis
gusted with the one-sided reorganization
of the Democratic party. 1t is TO bring
these men back into the fold that Bryan
has been brought here, but it is not be-
lieved that the brilliant Nebraska leader
will do more than make perfunctory
speeches for Parker, because in every
country town are to be found leaflets eX-
pressing what Bryan's real opinions are,
and just what he thinks of Parker and
Nuc desperate pOllLlCldno " ~ oOSuA W AiAs'
nomination at St Louis. 81
The old line Democrats of Indiana are
naturally a peculiarly loyal and straight
forward class of men, They represent in
their party the bone and sinew of the
great manufacturing class, and more par
ticularly the thoughtful, rock-ribbed, in
telligent portion of the farming COM
munity. They voted for silver in 1896
and in 1900 because they believed that
the system of free coinage advocated by
Bryan and the great mass Of the West.
ern Democratic leaders would put an
end to their poverty and give them a
chance to compete on even terms with
the Wall street magnates, who, they were
told, were stealing away from the people
the wealth of the country.
Object toSBeing Called Traitors.
Conditions have changed since then.
Undeniable prosperity has come to all
classes. and there is no longer DISPOSE
ton to press the silver question to the
front These old line Democrats, how
ever, do not relish the idea of being
called lunatcs or traitors, and still less
do they relish the development of party
politics which has absolutely turned over
men who boted the party in 1896. They
have never believed it right that the tail
should attempt to wag the dog, and they
cannot forget here in Indiana that the
men who are now seeking to ostracize
the faithful Democratic masses, and who
are doing everything in their power TO
create a Wall street control of the Demo
cratic party, are the same ones who open
~, only eight years ago, left the Demo-
cracy and voted direct for the Republic
can candidate for the Presidency.
There are no more loyal Bryan Demo-
Gratis in the country than those of In
diana. This is particularly true of the
country districts. The people loved and
believed in their splendid leader, and it
is a significant thing that when the
other States through the Mississippi val
ley voted for Mckinley by an enormous
majority, Indiana kept the plurality
down to a narrow margin. Mr.. Bryan
made a campaign in this State that year
which made friends wherever he went.
1t is these warm friends and admirers
of William Jennings Bryan who, in the
present campaign, have been disguised
and insulted by the men who are now
in control of the Democratic machine.
They cannot forget that in 1896, here
i'll this city of Indianapolis, there was
held d convention to organize an indie
pendent Democratic party The gold
Democrats of Indiana led the movement
against Bryan. They were foremost in
urging the nomination of Palmer and
Buckner. They urged all gold Demo
Gratis to vote for these two old generals
and not to cast ballot for William
Jennings Bryan, who was denounced
much more severely by the gold Demo-
Gratis than ever he was by the Republic
cans. There was an appearance of 10y
atty to the old party, because Palmer and
Buckner were both old-time Democrats
and they conducted their campaign on a
Democratic basis. Yet every one knows
what happened. The gold Democrats,
instead of maintaining a show of regu-
larity by voting for Palmer and Buck
ner. voted by thousands for Mckinley.
The Palmer and Buckner vote in In
diana was mere shadow, and did not
begin to indicate the real strength of the
bolt.
Bryanites We're Generous.
Throughout all the campaign of 1896
the gold Democrats, not only in Indiana
Out III the country dI large, dDuSeu bryan
and Organism in the most savage terms.
He received much better treatment from
the Republicans who made. their fight
on an honest basis, who flooded the coun-
try with literature in behalf Of the gold
standard, but who never assailed the
personal character or the integrity of the
beloved Democratic standard bearer. In
the convention at st. Louis the gold
Democratic men were in control, al
though not in the majority. There was
a sentiment in the party that some kind
of reorganization was absolutely neces-
sary to success. The Bryan men were
clearly in the majority, not only in the
convention, but throughout the country.
Yet they were generous, and they were
willing to kill the fatted calf for the
prodigal son. But they expected him
to eat only his own share of the bar
becue, and had no notion that after he
returned from his meager diet ON the