Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1904-07-22
MIR. BRYAN'S POSITION
GIVES REASONS FOR SUPPORT
OF PARKER AND DAVIS.

Ooou "sdy DC SuUSefNSu Dy INC fIdtioTti
Although the Trust Plank Is a Nullity
Unless Mr.. Parker Favors Anti. Trust LesisIa-
tion-The Labor Plank SraddIins and Mean
insIess-Much Depends Upon Judge Parksr's
Letter Of Acceptance.
A Lincoln dispatch OF the 18th, sent
forth Immediately on Mr.. Bryap's re.
turn from the st. Louis Convention,
has this to say Of attitude towards the
nominees and platform of the st.
Louis Conventions:
IL shall vote for Parker and Davis,
the nominees of the Democratic Ma
tional Convention, and shall do 80 for
the following reasons:
First-Because the Democratic
ticket stands for opposition to imper-
ialism. while the Republican ticket
stands for an imperialistic policy.
On this question, which was the para
mount issue in 1900, and which must
remain an important issue so long as
an attempt is made to hold colonies
under the American flag-on this is
sue the convention was unanimous,
the platform emphatic, and have no
doubt that the candidate will carry
out the platform.
"SecOnd-Mr. Roosevelt is injecting
the race issue into American politics,
and this issue, if it becomes National,
will make it impossible to consider
questions that demand solution. The
election of the Democratic ticket will
put quietus on this subject.
"Third-Mr. Roosevelt stands for
the spirit OF war. His friends present
him as q man Of blood and iron. He
believes in strenuousness and incul.
Gates a love for warlike things. The
Democratic ticket stands for peace, for
reason, and for arbitration, rather
than for force, conquest and bluster.
Fourth-The Democratic platform
declares in favor of the reduction OF
the standing army, and as this plank
was unanimously adopted, there is
reason to believe Democratic state
ment ON this subject would bring some
advantage to the people. For these
reasons, l feel Justified in supporting
the ticket.
"A Democratic victory will mean
very little, if any, progress on econom-
ic questions, SO long As the party is un.
der the control of the Wall-street ele.
ment. On the money question Mr..
Parker is as thoroughly committed to
the side OF the tinanciers as Mr..
Roosevelt. If he does not 60 as far as
the Republicans would in retiring sill
yer dollars, in establishing branch
banks, in enlarging the powers of the
National banks, and in the substitu.
ton of an asset currency for the pres.
ent currency, it will be because he is
restrained by the Democrats in the
House and Senate. Nothing greater
can be expected from him on the
money question.
"On the trust question the Demo-
cratic platform is very much better
than the Republican platform, but
the nomination Of Judge Parker vir-
tually nullifies one antitrust plank.
Unless in his letter of acceptance he
commits himself to antitrust legisla.
ton we need not expect him to pursue
a different course from that pursued
by President Roosevelt.
$50 far as the labor questions are
concerned, we must await Judge Par
ker's letter before we shall know
whether the labOring man has any
thing to expect from his election. The
labor plank, as prepared by Judge
Parker's friends on the subcommittee
was straddling, meaningless plank.
In the full committee planks were
adopted in favor OF arbitration and
the eight day and against govern.
ment by injunction; also a plank ON
the Colorado situation. If Judge
Parker is silent or ambiguous on these
subjects, it will mean that the men
back of him will not permit him to
take the labor side on these disputed
questions.
"On the tariff question some little
progress may be hoped for. But the
Parker men on the committee were
nearly all in favor OF q very conserva.
tive plank, and it remains to be seen
whether Judge Parker will carry out
the definite plank which was substi.
tuted by the full committee"
After describing the manner OF
Judge Parker's nomination, which he
maintains was secured by crooked
and indefensible methods" Mr.. Bryan
concludes:
"After having stated that l shall
support the ticket, and after having
given my reasons for so doing, I think
it due to the Democrats of the Nation
to say that, while the fight on econ
omic questions is postponed, it is not
abandoned. As soon as the election is
over, l shall, with the help of those
who believe as / do, undertake to or
ganize before the campaign of 1908,
the object being to marshal the friends
OF popular governments within the
Democratic party to the support of a
radical and progressive policy to make
the Democratic party an efficient
means in the hands Of the people for
securing relief from the element that
controls the Republican party, and for
the time being is in control OF the
Democratic party. This plan OF or
ganization will be elaborated SOON"
GOVERNMENT reports issued last week
announce that the cost of living is re-
duced, because the price of majority
the necessities of life are cheaper
While beef, mutton, lard, butter
wheat, corn, oats and sugar and vege'
tables have gone up, other necessities
like pig.iron, leather, copper, tin spell
ter and haircloth have gone down.
All that the workingman has to dc
now is to accustom himself to making
| a dinner of these last named materials.