The White Pine news. [volume] (Ely, Nev.) 1906-1910, 1908-08-30
THE DEMOCRATS AND BRYAN

Gratis that it Is there duty 10 vote Iof
Bryan. notwithstanding the indis-
position of large number of them
to accept Mr.. Bryan's policies as the
policies of the party.
In order to strengthen its pleadings
the Commercial Appeal reviews the
history of the party in 1896. In
l1s96." il says. the Democratic party
divided on the financial question.
Mr.. Cleveland had succeeded in pre-
serving the gold standard. There
had been hadr times during his adj
minstration.
This is not fair statement of the
situation. Mr.. Cleveland was gold
standard Democrat. and because of
his known We've on that question he
was nominated in 1892 by the Demo-
Gratis TO lead forlorn hope. He was
placed upon a platform pledging the
party to do two things distinctly:
First. 10 repeal the Sherman silver
purchas act and maintain the parity
with gold of all the currency in cir
culation. Second. to revise the tariff
and reduce IL to revenue basis.
When Mr.. Cleveland was Inaugural
ted the resources of the treasury were
exhausted. Ii was necessary TO issue
bonds in order TO meet the obliga-
lions of the country and in order to
continue the purchase of silver I'M
der the sherman act.
In June the president called con-
gress together to formulate meas
ures of relief and to fulfill the
promises of the party concerning the
repeal of the act
1t was on this appeal that the party
was devided. The recommendations
of the president were resisted in the
house and senate. and the bill for the
repeal was carried by the support of
a large number of Republicans.
Following the repeal ofthe purchase
act the Democrats in congress under
took 10 revise the tariff in accordance
with the promises of the platform
Here again the party divided. and a
large element, led by Mr.. German, of
Maryland. and some supporters in the
east. resisted the Wilson bill, mutila-
ted it after long months of debate,
under which the business of the
country gradually declined
But this left the party in a position
to sweep the country in 1896 on the
Cleveland platform and the Cleve-
land performances. All that was
necessary was TO have nominated Mr..
John G. Carlisle, representing the
Cleveland administration as Mr. Taft
today represents the Roosevelt adj
ministration. The return of pros
perity was AT hand. The work of
preparing for a new era of progress
had been conducted by the advice
and leadership of Mr.. Cleveland.
This was the condition of affairs
that confronted the Democratic con-
vention in 1896. That convention
refused to stand by Mr. Cleveland.
Ii refused TO indorse the Sherman
purchase repeal. II refused to stand
by the Wilson measure reforming the
tariff. and it denounced the course
the president had taken in regard to
the Chicago strike Senators who in
congress had voted to uphold the
president. voted TO condemn him at
the Chicago convention.
That course was suicidal Review
ing the situation historically, no
Democrat who advised it can expect
the confidence of the people as
party leader.
1t is true that Mr.. Bryan made
shrinking speech at that convention.
He scoffed at all compromise. He
wrote free silver into the platform
in the strongest possible terms. He
was more bitter in his assaults upon
Democrats than he was upon Republic
cans The whole campaingn was a
campaign of denunciation OF Mr..
Cleveland and his associates AFTER