Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-19
Clevelandisn and Bryanism.

In a communfca ton to the New YORK
Evening Post appears this paragraph:
The trouble that President Roosevelt is
having at present with his party-the IL
vergence of policies and principles when
seems to exist between the two-enphastzeS,
as Il did in the somewhat similar case OF
Mr.. Cleveland. the necessity or having po-
litical parties In this country governed p5
principles and convictions, based on the
real welfare of the whole people. At pres
ent, no such party exists. Ever since Bry-
anism disrupted the democracy the latter
has been disorganized chaotic affair, UNI
able TO present an effective opposition to
the party In power, mainly because 1t has
no sound principles for which 1t could
unitedly and consistently appeal to the peo-
pie for support
As we are adjured to give even the devil
his due we can easily afford to be fair
with Mr.. Bryan, who, although mistaken In
some of his policies, is yet a clean, an able,
and sincere man.
This correspondent, it will be observed,
dates the disorganization of the democracy
from the appearance of Mr.. Bryan in the
role of national leader. Now, as matter
of fact did ever a man assume the leader
ship OF a party which was in quite so
chaotic state as the democratic party
was in 1896 when the Chicago convention
met? The triumph of 1892 had been achiev-
ed by huddle of factions, including sill
verites and sound moneyitss, protectionists
and free traders, spoilsmen and civil service
reformers, and heaven knows what all. Dis
organization and chaos were bound to fol-
low, ,aud they did follow Immediately.
There was the very mischief to pay before
Mr.. Cleveland reached the White House:
and from that day no power could have
held the factions together. They went their
separate ways as rapidly as they were
called upon to deal with the questions in
hand; and at the end of the four years Mr..
Cleveland was the loneliest man in office,
while the men who had put him there were
scattered to the four winds of the political
armament
L is susceptible of proof that more men
pointing in the same direction have trained
CDGer Mr.. Bryan than under any other
democratic leader since the civil war Ina
democratic party in the campaign OF 1876
was a homogeneous party 1t had risen
from the ashes of the Cleveland ruins, and
its new leader took his followers and the
country fully into his confidence. No sound
money votes were solicited on the assur-
ance that If elected Mr. Bryan would do
the fair thing by gold. Everybody had plain
warning that Mr.. Bryans solicitude was
for silver and that If intrusted with power
he would use it to the utmost to rehabtii-
tate the white metal as money of redemp-
ton.
There is no effective opposition to the
republicans today because the Bryanites
arc in the minority and cannot increase
their numbers by the policies they propose.
The situation is lamentable for strong
opposition party is always a godsend 10
the country. But it is far better for a
party not to secure office at all than to Sc
cure II by a sort of hocus-pocus which
leads 10 turmoil as soon as office has been
obtained and the responsibilities of power
begin The country escaped great ca
lamity by the defeat of Mr. Bryan In 1896,
but was all the more poorly prepared for
further calamity by its long passage, from
1892 till then, through the valley of the
shadow of death. But Mr.. Bryan, let It
be remembered, did not disorganize the
democratic party. He found 1t in that
condition.