The La Jara chronicle., 1908-10-09
APATHY OF DEMOCRATS.
A Sample of Bryan Enthusiasm" in
Colorado


to the Democrats of Colorado to send
in contributions. however small. to the
Bryan campaign fund. There has been
a great deal of fuss about this Bryan
fund, the Great Commoner having an
nounced his intention OF keeping it
clean and unsulied. No corporation
dollars for him,
The result is as painful as it is
amusing Up to the present time tOc-
tober 2d), the 10000 Democrats Of
Colorado who voted two years ago.
have contributed the sum OF sl1.57O.35
10 aid the cause of their peerless
leadcr-less than II cents per Demo.
crat
But this is not all. A closer inspec-
tion of the list OF contributors, as
printed from day TO day in tho Rocky
Mountain News. reveals the fact that
the corporations after all. are Geterm-
ined not to be baffled. Their contri-
buttons are quite evident to the init
ated, though they may appear to be hid
den under the names of candidates and
party workers.
The very first contribution published
is $1,000 by Charles ]. Hughes, Jr.,
Democratic candidate for United
States senator. Yet he is corpora
tion man, pure and simple, and has
been repeatedly assailed as such in the
Patterson papers. Thus almost half of
tho nntir, amount r.aIi1aJ corppc from
a corporation candidate and goes mer-
rily into the uucorrupted Bryan fund.
This is bad enough. to be sure, but
further inspection Of the list brings
other interesting revelations All of
the larger contributions in sums rang
ing from $40 mp to 81 1000. are from can
didates. prominent party men. former
office holders and others equally eX-
pectant of future honors or grateful
for past favors. Former Governor
John f. Osborne of Wyoming contri-
butes 1000: T. NJ. Patterson. the mil
lionaire publisher and friend OF Mr..
Bryan, contributes $500: Charles S.
Thomas. another former governor,
comes in with $500; "Honestjohn"
Shaffroth. present Democratic candi-
date for governor, gives $500. w. A
Hill and NJ. S. Bailey, candidates for
the Supreme bench, give $3.50 each and
other nominees and prominent Demo
Gratis give sums of varying size, down
to sums of s. and 80 each.
Now for some totals. Adding every
dollar contributed from party work
ers and the present candidates for OF
flee. makes the sum of s10,170. The
entire amount collected is only sll,-
57O.35. which leaves but sS00,35 con
tributed by the real Common People
approximately one cent apiece from
the Democratic voters of the state.
What is wrong with the Bryan en-
thusiasm in Colorado? The appeal of
the Patterson papers was addressed to
the masses and not the party leaders
and corporation candidates. The head
lines of the News in its original appeal,
read: Democrats. Send Your Mites
for Bryan Fund to the News. Com
moner Relies on Masses for Contribu
tions to Pay Expenses of Campaign"
Every Democratic voter was asked
to contribute 81 TO the cause of the
Peerless One. yet the sum realized rep
resents only about n cent apiece from
dlsinterested people. who cannot be
Identified in the hurry of the moment.
What is true of the Bryan fund in
Colorado is apparently true in other
parts of the country. The list Of con-
tributions throughout the country at
large was printed in the News, and
shows that the Colorado contributions
lead all the rest. Only $s4,097.9i has
been realized in the entire United
States, and from the itemized list it is
evident that Democratic candidates,
past recipients, etc. etc, are less gen
erous elsewhere than they are in Col
orado.
1t is evident that enthusiasm for the
Democratic War Eagle from Lincoln
is sadly waning when the Common
People" refuse to contribute. with "A
chance of having their names printed
on the front page of the Rocky Noun
tain News thrown in.
And the net result is that with two
months effort of the News, with front
page red ink appeals. it has induced
only 235 of the Common People" to
contribute mites" from % cents to
$40 each, making total of sSOO35. or
an average of one cent per voter, based
on the last election. If it takes two
months to get 235 Common People"