New-York tribune., 1908-10-21
CLEVELAND ON BRYAN
"4S DANGEROUS As BURR" b"
Words of Great Democrat Quoted by
Former National Official.
AGED IN THE CATHEDRAL OF ST.


Washington Oct. 20.-In a speech delivered at
Charleston Jefferson County, w. Va on
Wednesday, October IA, 1908. Richard Randolph
Mcmahon, of Harpers Ferry, who was Deputy
Controller of the Treasury in the first Cleveland
administration. made known to his audience
what ex-President Cleveland had said about
William Jennings Bryan in October, 1900 when
Mr.. Cleveland was a guest at Mr.. McMahons
home jefferson Place. Harpers Ferry, where the
ex-Presfdent had gone after attending the
funeral of William L. Wilson. Mr. Cleveland.
referring to what had been said by agitators
about himself, said:
They are the ones who have changed. l stand
to-day where l did ten. twenty. thirty years ago
for what l have always considered and believed
to be true democracy. 1t is because have not
changed and shall not change. by taking up,
adopting and advocating, as part Of the creed of
democracy, such radical and revolutionary. the
ortes as are offered to us, that fault is 1ouhd
with me. as it was with our dear friend. Wilson,
wIlo was buried in Charlestown to-day.
The Constitution, framed by men whose wis.,
dom and patriotism have been commended by
the universal world and under which We have
lived as nation so long and | think so happily,
seems wholly unsatisfactory to Bryan Whether
he would amend it reconstruct it to suit him
self. the Lord alone knows He is not satisfied
with the constitutional method of appointing our
federal judges. our monetary laws are all wrong.
the gold standard is to be exterminated, men
who were Democrats before he was born are
now traitors" because they Will not condOne
pOpUlism and socialism. All in all, considering
Bryan'S solemn aVOWalS of his fixed purpose to
demosh and destroy whatever does not satisfy
him-and | know Of nothing that does. from the
Constitution dOwn-his vain assumptions, his
appeals to passion and to prejudice, his AFRO
gance in his new and self-COnStituted role of the
leader of the democracy, his nOStrums. his quacks
and his demagOgism. ! regard him as quite
dangerous enemy to country was
Aaron Burr.
Mr.. McMahon, in the speech in which he
quoted Mr.. Cleveland as above, spoke in part as
follows
This seems to be the proper place and this the
aDDropriate time for me to make known what
falaCies and nOStrumS OF William j. Bryan and
of Bryan himself In October. 1900. as many or
you may well remember, Mr., Cleveland came
here TO attend the funeral of a distinguished
death affected him very much. After the
funeral Mr.. Cleveland my guest at Harper's
Ferry for little while In the privacy OF my
library spoke of many subjects. The sub
ject of Bryanism manifeStly painful one
to him. Somewhat reluctantly, and rather pa
thetiCaIly. he referred to what had been said by
agitators and extremists about himself. l shall
never forget his words.
This same illustrIOus man, by far the great
est Democratic President since Jackson, was
stigmatzed by Candidate Bryan "bunco
Steerer." and the eminent scholar Mr.. Wilson.
loved and respected by us all, branded
traitor. This illuStriOuS Cleveland. de-
nounced in 1904. in 1908 eulogized by the
Democratic National Convention a great
patriot a great President and a man Of heroic
courage and l am advised that Mr.. Bryan him
self wrote the eulOgy, having rejected the superb
resolutions prepared by Judge Parker a true
friend OF the ex- President.
Yes. Cleveland a great President. and he
had courage enough to repudiate Bryanism, and
time. as well as the verdict of the American
people. has demonstrated that he everlast
ingly right and Bryanism eternally wrong