The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1904-01-29
ALABAMA,s WISE MEN.

~ on u WtaA ISSUE snat AtSrss 1~N @~sa-
tude is antipodal to their former one. Il
must be admitted that such men must
have unusual wisdom.
viewing change in this way. The Ad-
vertiser is constrained to congratulate the
people OF Alabama on the exceedingly
wise body Of men who represent this
State in Congress. The majority Of them
have undergone q great change OF opin-
ion on a national issue. In fact, they
have righted about face. They have
abandoned the issue Of free silver and
are severely criticising its great apostle.
Mr.. Bryan. The truth ID, that they are
saving that free silver Is dead. and that
Mr.. Bryan is a back number, and sort
of small potato.
Everybody win recall how ardentiy
Senator Morgan. Senator Pettus, Repre-
sentatives Bankhead. Bowie. Clayton and
Wiley stood by the issue and the leader
from 1896, on to 1900, and some time since.
The Advertiser could I'LL columns with
reproductions of those wise mems ut
terances In favor of free silver and Bryan
during that period. Some OF their rhet-
ORIG was fervid, and many Of their pre-
dictions were thunderous. And In some
cases the denunciations Of those who
dared differ with them were whitening,
yea, awe inspiring.
But we will not consume space Just
now in reproducing much Of this recent
history. One instance, however. Is Pc
culiariy striking. In speech delivered
in Erswelrs Hall. Birmingham. BY Mr..
Bankhead during the first Bryan cam
paign, the Sixth district congressman
declared that all the wood in Americas
virgin forests was not sufficient for the
construction of the cofin Of free silver
at I6 to ]. that all the breezes of Heaven
were inadequate for its winding sheet.
and not even should the multitudinous
seas recede, would there be room for
the sepulchre of the movement for the
restoration of the dollar Of our dad
dies
Those views of Mr.. Bankhead were not
more radical than many utterances by
other Alabama leaders at that time. but
the rhetoric was more striking. 1t made
a vivid impression at the time on The Ad-
vertiser representative who heard 1t, and
he mentally noted that the day would
come when Mr.. Bankhead, with his eagle
eye. would see things differently. And 10,
that day b here. A few days ago The
New York Herald quoted Mr.. Bankhead
as saying this:
II we drop the issues that are dead.
the party will reorganize itself. the
whole sentiment of the South Is against
the reaffirmation of anything akin to IL
to !.
Presumably Mr.. Bankhead Is now look.
ing around for those virgin forests out
of which to construct that gigantic cof-
fin. There are plenty of icy breezes float
ing around just now, and possibly he may
be corraling few out OF which to con-
strpct that winding sheet. He may need
a large part Of the seas for a sepuichere
for the dead issue. but it is likely that he
win find the Sixth District uncomfortably
large for the purpose
Isn't it plain that Alabama has many
wise men at Washington. and that Mr.
Bankhead Is particularly to be congratu-
lated ON his extraordinary discovery
that the 16-to-l issue is dead? But he is
not alone. We reproduce again today the
wisdom Of some of Mr.. Bankhead's asso-
ciates, as reported in The New York
Herald:
Senator John T. Morgan-I have ceased
to consider what MIR. Bryan says or does.
he belongs to the past. He has perfect
right TO his Views, but he must not ex-
pect the Democrats who were Democrats
long before he was thought of to be In
fIuenced by his individual notions. have
other subjects to think about which are
far more Important than Mr.. Bryan.
Senator Edmund W. Pettus-I am in
favor OF ignoring all the Quarrels Of the
ninetles. including the money question.
We must have a platform upon whi.h
every Democrat can stand and one which
will sweep the country.
Representative Ariosto 4. Wiley Of
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. to one is dead Is
sue. The campaign should be fought out
on the tariff and trust questions and the
Representative Henry D. Clayton If
Eufaula. member Democratic National
Commtttee-Mr. Bryan should be willing
to concede that the party Is bigger than
content to suggest what he may think
the party ought to do, not dictate what
Il must do. What the party must do Is
dictated by the Convention, not by any
individual. and all loyal Democrats will
follow the policy fixed at st. Louis.
have not the renaotest idea that the six
teen to one money plank will be put up
In the platform to be adopted at st.
Louis. The money question Is not now
an issue. ana the issues upon which we
so to the people must be made up Of
living questions, not those which have
been. fo~ tde time being at least settlN6
Representative George w. Taylor of
DemopoIis-The declaration of Is to was
the greatest mistake the Democratic
party ever made--it was a monumental
mistake, and might go further and call
1t a criminal blunder; As q condition
should get together and admit that It has
made an error. All factions should be
consulted SO that We can get together on
platform that will draw to 1t every
cratic candidate. The party can win this
time II We do the right thing and do not
make any more frightful blunlels such as
we made In 1900.
Representative Sydney j. Bowie of An
niston-I am for a conservative platform
the past.
REPRESENTATIVE Charles w. Thompson
OF Tuskegee-Bryan cannot win by hold
ing up skeleton. The Democratic party
cannot expect to win votes by going to 4
graveyard for live issues. The sentiment
OF the common people of my State--and
by that ! mean the great thinking masses
is that We must consider the business
interests of the country and that we shall
need the assistance of the business men
OF the East II we expect to win.
Representative William Richardson NJ
Huntsville-A proper regard for the SEN
Siments OF those who have differed from
Mr.. Bryan must be had in the construct
ton Of a platform and selection OF the