The Saint Paul globe., 1904-06-02
LETTERS FROM THEPEoPLE
Put Live Issues In the Platform and Keep
the Party Solid.
Q the Editor of the Globe:

the Party Solid. %
To the Editor of the Globe:
The date OF the national convention at
~. Louis Is fast approaching and ii is
becoming time for the Democrats OF this
nation to bury past differences and get
together on some candidate who does not
antagoniZe one-haH the party as soon as
nominated Congressman Frank Eddy,
now Republican candidate for governor
IN this state, said at a public meeting:
There Is no doubt but what there are
more democrats than Republicans in this
country, but that party Is easily divided
into factions, SO that all we must do in or
der to win is to seek some issue on which
the opposition Is divided" When a Re-
publican orator admits that the party for
which ne Is speaking is IN the minority
when the voters really express their will
Is II not time for intelligent Democrats
TO do a little thinking?
The main effort of the Republicans ar
present seems to be devoted to the or
gan1zing Of the Democracy into so-eaIled
ttearst Democrats and Cleveland Demo-
CTats, ana some Of our leaders either
through Ignorance of the motive which
inspires the opposition or through de-
hperaIe attempt to wreck the party, are
| actually playing directly into the hands
OF the Republicans; not by indorSing their
platforms, but by adhering to old. worm
OUT principles which time and the people
are bus1ly engaged in burying deeper
| each year. Free silver was an issue in
1895, but the abolition Of slavery was an
issue IN 1850. Why should it be any more
h1OOOSSe1S AOT us 10 redf1fm the one than
| the other? Anti-expanSionism was an issue
IN 1900, and in a certain measure sfouId
sun De, but there are times when one
must must make the best Of existing condi-
tlons and on this issue there appears
10 nave arrived one of those times. OF
course absolute independence should he
gwen the F41p1nos sometime, but there
IS no one who really believes that thev
are today capable of self government.
Il PLATFORM OF dead issues is desired,
why not rea firm the platforms which in
4 n11I
the embargo act. and then end with
set OF dead candidates? And there win
| tS pe some N mean enough to suggest that
there IS a gentlemen out in Nebraska and
! anOIner IN Arkansas who would be en-
| tlfled to place On such a ticket.
IN the last issue OF the Commoner. Mr..
TO bolt the choice OF the convention
Wen and good. No one has ever denied
Inat, put why was it such a crime of
crimes for the best men in the party to
bolt in the two last campaigns II not al
the present time? If Bryan and his
friends have the right to bolt the next
Cleveland and Carlisle the same right II,
1896? so far as I know there is no act
IN the the constitution of this country which
definitely states that, having once afTiIj
ated with a certain political party. one
must m continue to support the candidates
OF tnat party; nor is there any other
TO abide by the decision of a certain
party, ne must forever be held as a
stranger. When Cleveland refused to
supp supPort the Chicago platform he had the
good taste to keep still and not 20 about
| the country preaching against the s'trai-
Tors, the demagOgues and the socialists -
aItnough he had, as a successful leader
| IN Two campaigns, more right to do 81
than any other man in the party let
certain other so-called leaders take a
valuable lesson therefrom.
The reorganizerS have gained control -
| shouts the Commoner Yes and vhere9
In the great states Of New York. New
Jersey. Indiana, Connecticut, Kentucky.
| Georgia, Alabama, in fact in every s.+afe
where there is the remotest nossibiiift,
| OF success. In the meantime where has
fne AansaS City platform been reaffirmed?
1ngton and in Nebraska. four states vrboEo
combined electoral vote is IittIa mora
tI1an haif that of New York or Ohio. And
oi,ly oh5,,c one & u tnese four states can by any
| cnance cast It's vote for the Democratic
! @ @canuIuate; Hearst has said that he will
support the candidate whoever he MAJ,
| ptr ppe All honor to him therefor Now.
MI. bryan, Won't you also promise to he
/ goou! A reunited Democracy asks If IN
tIe Itdhie OF the future welfare Of the
party and OF the American people The
peSl men OF eur party, the most inf1uen-
tIaI papers of the country are against Won
| IN your present mode of keeping alive tha
GQaIs Ss9 OF d1ssension; won't you recede A
! little from your stubborn position Of rt,ls
or ruin and like a true Democrat eav
am ABOVE all. a Democrat and viii
Support the nominee of the St, Louis con-
i = 10
| law. Better thousand times bettar
IIid I1dl we retain IN our ranks such men as
Was, cleveland, German, Carlisle Wat
terson and Olney than that we sacrifico
tnem on the altar of socialism in aI1oc
10 gam such new recruits as Butler yro1a
otbaSe MASON, Pettlgrew. Hogg and a dozen
Gated. nasS aqTo-
owatonna May 80. ioyo Bel
The following is the statement NV ar.
Bryan referred to. 1t was published in the
| iast number Of the Conmoner ana ,,-oe
written in reply to letter to Mr.. Bryan
asking him to state whether he nronosoJ
70 bolt or would vote the ticket no matter
What platform was adopted and M J71otto,.
who was nominated:
My Dear Sir: Your favor at bon5
Whlie Democrat presumes that his con
Ventlon viii write a platform and nomi
nate ticket that he can conscient tio,,SI,-
support. it is not concIusiye rras,y,,,
| tion, and I do not believe that an1r npa
ought to be asked or expected to saw that
no mater What convention does he viii
support the ticket. For that reason I do
fer until the convention has acted a da
clslOn upon the course that | will pursue
II the rule suggested by you were the
correct one1namely, that whatever the
platform ana whoever the candidate the
| ticket should be supported at the nolIs
then there would be no need Of a cam
palgn, because no rule is a sound one
that does not answer as well for RenIh
licans as for Democrats There is no
more reason why every Democrat should
pledge himself in advance than there is
that every Republican should. and IL an
did, campaigns would not change a vote
If that is a correct rule then when a
party is once in power it is useless to at
tempt to dislodge it, because it can only
be disiodged by a change in political affili-
ations. And then too, you will notice that
the Eastern Democrats never pledge them
selves to support the ticket. and there Is
no reason why Western Democrats should
hold at a lower value their duty to give
to their country their best conscience and
their best judgment at the time when
action is required.
Because Eastern Democrats refuse to
make promises and assert their right to
Independent action after the convention,
their opinions are now being consulted,
while il is not thought necessary to con-
suit the opinions of those who voeiferously
announce that neither their convictions
nor their interests need be considered. but
that they can be counted upon to hurrah
for anything in the platform and to
change their own opinions whenever the
Eastern Democrats decide that the time
shas come to change Yours truly.
wv j. Bryan"