The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1908-03-19
MIXING UP PARTIES.

Mr.. Bryan refers to the democrat.
IL members Of the Kentucky legisla-
tufe whose votes brought about the
election Of republican senator as
''embezzlers of power" Treachery
10 base in whatever form 1t appears
and the betrayal Of a party trust is
vile offense 1t is also rare. and,
fortunately, has never occurred in
an obligation as vital as that Of nat
ional elector, where it might strike
at the roots of the government. But
there never has been politician in
this country who has done more than
Mr.. Bryan himself to break down
his own party lines. Ever since he
became nationally prominent he has
been a professional fusionist and
the campaign Of the present year will
show him to be as deep in this mer-
cenary business as ever. He will say
that 4 democrat should never act
with republicans; but he will also
declare that democrat should be a
populist, or vice versa, according to
circumstances. In 1896 he was the
presidential candidate OF three part
les, all of whose platforms contain
ed material differences. On one
ticket his running mate was Mr.. Sc
wall Of Maine. a democrat. On an
other the candidate for second place
was Mr.. Watson, populist then and
now. The third. or silver party,
whose ticket Mr.. Bryan also headed
In 1896. was provided for republi-
cans who were against the gold
standard.
In 1892 Mr.. Bryan voted in Neb-
raska for General Weaver, the popu-
list nominee for president, who car
ried several western states and, by
fusion. came near getting the Neb-
raska electoral vote. Mr.. Bryan
says he voted for General Weaver
because the national democratic
committee advised this course where
ever Weaver could poll more votes
than Cleveland. Consider the polit-
ical contrasts between these two men
and Judge Of the "embezzlement" in
voting for one in the name Of the
other. There was nothing in COM
mon between the democratic party
as led by Cleveland and the populist
party as directed by Weaver. but
Mr.. Bryan felt himself justified, as a
democrat, in voting for Weaver, and
he has continued to act as the leader
Of the Nebraska populists to this day.
When the democratic national con-
vention of 1895 approached, Mr..
Bryan got up in Nebraska. state
delegation antagonistic to the demo-
cratic party as led by Mr.. Cleveland.
At the opening of the convention the
Cleveland delegation from Nebraska
was enrolled by the national commit
tee but Mr.. Bryan prevailed in the
credentials committee, and entered
the assemblage to the sound of the
populist yell that then broke loose
and whooped him into the nomina-
ton. The democratic party, as it
was, had been "embezzled" and a
third of the seats in the delegations
became empty as result.
In the present campaign Mr.. Bryan
will again court populist support and
also an alliance with Mr.. Hearst.
What. then, is Bryan democrat?
Az likely as not a populist or an In
dependence league man. Mr.. Bryan's
test Of party fidelity is this: "Say
and do precisely what order" He
made speeches in Kentucky in be-
half Of the Goebel law, conspiracy
against the ballot. What about en-
bezzling the power of the people by
schemes that put the vote of a citi-
zen at the mercy OF politicians re-
.gardless Of what goes into the ballot
box? Mr.. Bryan has done and is
doing now, his utmost to obliterate
party lines as far as he conceives the
operation to be productive Of votes
for himself. He was as much for
greenbacks as for the silver stand
ard. al much for populists as for
democrats, and as much for silver
republicans as for either. In de.
claiming for party regularity let him
state how many parties he expects
to speak for in this years cam
paign.