The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-04-10
SUNDAY, APRIL 10, 1901.
The Press on Regularity

-. 1a,os y Gordon's withdrawal from
A., n,.,,oralty contest because his voting
for Mckinley was being crl1cls seu' i"'
assumed tho proportion Of state ISSUE '"
Eight years ago any Democrat OIL ~
r.ort,on,s standing would have been .plt-
terly reviled, by the press Mt large lof 81
( voting. But history has justified the OK
{. ..,to t,ons Of those patriotic Democrats
who clearly saw the hopeless error -
y Mr.. Bryan's denagogic haransnes' anu
therefore, for the good of their felio"-
citizens. Democrat or Republican, Voteu
for Mckinley as tho lesser OF Two eVils'
no. DIV McKinley's name and memory
i are revered and loved by, every section
and every State, while Mr.. Bryan, so
far from being national leader, is only
n discredited voice crying in wilderness
OF political errors.
None recognize these facts any better
Than the conservative Democrats of the
South, Of whom Mr.. Gordon is SO nigh
an example. Men of this stamp know
that neither Mr.. Nlckinley's personal
charm nor Mr.. Bryans unconqucrable
faulty alter the real underlying principles
of the parties which those gentlemen
The patriotism and kndll-
ness of Mr.. Mckinley did not curb the
trusts or purify the postoffice. and neither
the oratory or the opinions Of Mr.. bryan
were able to wreck our finances or TO
change our national policies.
To-day we see things clearer, and some
Of the leading papers of the State, re-
CARELESS Of their attitude to Mr.. Bryan
in 1896. are, bitterly deploring the fact
/, that such an antedelnvian issue as strict
party regularity In 1896 should be toler-
4 Rted for an instant in deciding such a
present and vital question as the election
4 Of the Mayor OF Richmond.
The folly of that issue is now appar-
emit; the scales have fallen from the eyes
4 Of the Democrats, and in the place Of
uncompromising dcnunciation we now read
the calm and wise advice of the Bruns-
I wick Gazette, which says:
What ii Mr.. Gordon did vote for Nc
Knley in 1896, instead of for Mr.. BryanP
Richmond is full OF men. and good ones.
too. who did the same thing. If he be-
lleved that the election of Mr.. Bryan on
a free silver platform would be Injurious
to the best interests of the country. it
was not only his privilege but his duty
to bolt the nomination and to vote with
the party whose platform moro nearly
accorded with his own views"
To the same effect speak tho Norfolk
Landmark and the South Boston News.
whose articles'A%e reproduce in full in
another coluf,ili.,"
These expressions from papers Of such
standing mean Enthusiastically that the
Democrats of Virginia are going TO adj
dress themselves to the new phases of
the old principles that lie at the bottom
q OF Democracy. The Chicago platform was
wrong and the campaign of 1896 was a
delusion and snare but neither error is
irreparable. IT only needs that the DEM
ocrats of tho country at large, following
( the call OF conscience. forhearance and
common sense. join together for cam
paign = on tho lines OF Democracy that
have been tried, proved and beloved. Let
US waste no time In opening old wounds
or discussing past errors. but. leaving
0ir. Bryan and his dwindling handful of
\ followers TO the besmirching blandish-
ments of Mr. Hearst, let the real Demo
Gratis make campaign for real Democ-
racy.
The first and most important step for
gaining this great end is to refuse to
submit for an instant to any such par,i-
sanry as that which was SO unwisely and
unfortunately called out by Mr.. Gordon's
vote in 1896.
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