The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1908-04-01
BRYAN'S RECORD
As a Vote Getter Compared With
Other Candidates.
WHAT ARE THE FACTS?

Results of Two Presidential Flee
lions That the Great CommOncr
Is the Strongest Possible Candi-
date the Democrats Can Possibly
Nominate.
The following editorial should be
read by all Democrats:
Payable weakness evidences the
attempt of the esteemed News and
Courier to contend against the posi-
ton of Mr.. Bryan, as expressed in
his letter to the editor of The State.
And it seems as if consciousness vi
that weakness is having an injurious
effect upon the temper and morals of
the South Carolina champion of the
New York political programme.
Commenting on Mr.. Bryan's ex-
preston of pleasure that his Demo-
rank and file Of the Democrats of
the South as we'll as to the rank and
file Of the Democrats of the North"
The News and Courier says that South
Carolina gave Judge Parker more
votes in 1904 than were given Bryan
in 1900, and that Georgia gave
Cleveland more votes in 1892 than
Bryan in 1896, and continues: so.
it would appear from the records that
the rank and file of the Democrats of
the South are not by any means sat-
isfied with Mr.. Bryan, and the rank
and file of the Democrats OF the
North have shown Mr.. Bryan very
clearly that they do not want him
and will not have him." 1t is scarce
ly ingenious to cite the vote OF a
one-party Southern State in a general
election to prove or disprove a point
like this, but since The News and
Courier has appealed to the record,
and attempts to mislead its readers,
we shall quote the whole record to
its confusion.
What are the facts? In 1892 Mr..
Cleveland was given more votes than
Mr.. Bryan got in 1896 in these
States: Wisconsin, Vermont, New
Hampshire, Massachusetts, C%onnecti-
cut, New York, New Jersey, Dele
ware, Rhode Island, Maryland, Fir-
ginia, Georgia and Alabama. In
other words, in Is States, including
four in the South, Cleveland received
more votes than Bryan; and in 50
States and territories, including nine
Southern States, Bryan was given
moer votes than Cleveland. Bryan's
popular vote in 1896 was 9o3,OOO
greater than Cleveland's i'll 1892. II
the record appealed to by the Char
lesion paper proves anything, what
does it prove?
Proceeding to the record of the
Bryan vote by States in 1900. and
the Parker cote iii 1904, it is found
that Parker got more votes than
Bryan in New York, New Hampshire,
Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Della
ware, West Virginia, South Carolina,
Georgia ana Mississippi; or that in
nine States, including three Southern
States, Parker received more votes
than Bryan; while in thirty nine
States, including ten Southern,
States. Bryan was given a greater
vote than Parker. And Bryan's pop
ular vote in 1900 totaled l, 2SO;l62
more than Parker's in 1904. What
does the record prove that is APP
pealed to by The News and Courier
TO show that the rank and file OF
Democrats in the South are not sat
isfed with Mr.. Bryan and that the
Democrats in the North will not have
him? 1t proves just what Mr.. Bryan
said, and proves that The News and
Courier is a misleading and unsafe
counselor.
Since we have gone into the rec
ords, let us pursue d little turther.
In 1896, even after the awful bumps
Democracy received in the then cur
rent Cleveland administration. Bryan
had 81 more votes in the electoral
college than President Harrison when
cleveland defeated him in 1892. And
in 1896 Bryan had seven more cleo
toral votes than Cleveland got when
az president. he was defeated by
HARRISON in 1888. The least number
of popular votes received by Bryan
was nearly Il million greater than
was ever given to any other Demo-
crat.
In 1900. William Mckinley, gen
orally beloved because Of his success
in allaving sectional animosities, and
jabnormally popular because he was
the maker Of a brilliantly successful
war. had a majority over Bryan OF
S4q.79O. Four years later Roosevelt
defeated the New York Worlds can
didate, Parker, by the enormous piur-
ality of 2~.545,515.
Once more to the record: We find
that Bryan carried eight states III
1895 that went against Cleveland III
1892. And in that year he carried
twelve States that Parker lost. losing
only two that Parker carried. That
was inst after the last Cleveland all
ADMINISTRATION had given democracy
fearful black eve. In 1900 the ke'
publicans. having the prestige or
srccessful war, and Mckinley as
leader. were practically i~mpreenab!e
= particularly when many
| knifed BRYAN. Four years later
ootio nhi0ftnlr