La Junta tribune., 1908-10-10
APATHY OF osmocaArs.
A Sample Of Bryan Enthusiasm" Ia
Colorado.

tain News made q front page appeal
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 II
clean and unsuilied. No corporation
dollars for him!
The result is as painful as 1t II
amusing. Up to the present time toc.
tober 2d). the 10000 Democrats OF
Colorado who voted two years ago.
have contributed the sum OF S1l.570.35
TO aid the cause OF their peerless
lcader-less than II cents per Demo
crat-
But this IL not ali. A closer inspec-
tion OF the list Of contributors. as
printed from day to day in the Rocky
Mountain News. reveals the fact that
the corporations. after all. are determ-
ined not to be baffled. Their contri-
buttons are quite evident to the initi-
ated. though they may appear to be hid
den under the names Of candidates and
party workers.
The very first contribution published
Is 5000 by Charles J. Hughes. Jr..
Democratic candidate for United
States senator. Yet he il 4 corpora
ton man. pure and simple. and has
been repeatedly assailed as such In the
Patterson papers Thus almost half Of
tho entire amount realized comes from
corporation candidate and goes mer-
rily into the uncorrupted Bryan fund.
This In 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 up to $1,000. 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 e. Osborne OF Wyoming contri-
butes $1,000: T. N. Patterson. the mil
lionaire publisher and friend Of Mr..
Bryan. contributes $500; Charles 8.
Thomas. another former governor.
comes in with $500: "Honestjohn"
shaffroth, present Democratic candi-
date for governor. gives $500: w. A..
Hill and N. 8. 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 IS and $40 each.
Now for some totals. Adding every
dollar contributed from party work
ers and the present candidates for of
flee, makes the sum OF 310.770. The
entire amount collected is only Sill
570.35, which leaves but $s00.3s 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-
tons to Pay Expenses OF Campaign"
Every Democratic voter was asked
to contribute 81 to the cause OF the
Peerless One. yet the sum realised rep
resents only about a cent apiece from
disinterested people. who cannot be
Identified in the hurry OF the moment
What IL true Of the Bryan fund in
Colorado 10 apparently true in other
parts Of the country. The list Of con
tributions throughout the country at
largo was printed in the News. and
shows that the Colorado contributions
lead all the rest. Only $s4.097.sl has
been realized In the entire United
States, and from the itemized list It II
evident that Democratic candidates.
past recipients. etc. etc. arc less gen
erous elsewhere than they are in Col
orado.
II d evident that enthusiasm for the
Democratic War Eagle from Lincoln
b sadly waning whom the Common
People" refuse to contribute. with .
chance OF having their names printed
o. 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. II has induced
only 135 OF the Common People" to
contribute mites" from IS cents to
so each. making . total Of 9so0.s5. or
An average Of one cent per voter. based
on the last election. II II takes two
months to get 3s5 Common People"