Omaha daily bee., 1908-09-02
HEARsTs COMPLIMENTS tn DEMoC-
RACT.

HEARSTS COMPLIMENTS TO DEMOC
RACT.
The Iroquois club, a democratic or
ganization OF San Francisco, evidently
woke up the wrong passenger when II
undertook to read William Randolph
Hearst of New York, Boston, Chicago
and San Francisco out of the demo-
cratic party. The California club sent
Mr.. Hearst a letter suggesting that as
he was opposing the democratic candi-
date for president he could hardly re-
gard himself as a democrat and out OF
due respect to the proprieties should
withdraw his name from the club mem
bership. Mr.. Hearst's reply was prompt,
plain and somewhat torrid.
Admitting that he is hardly CHASING
himself as a democrat, MIR. Hearst re-
minds the Iroquois club members that
he worked hard for the democratic
party at one time, cheerfully contrib
uted many thousands of dollars to
party advancement and as cheerfully
suffered much abuse and much injury
because he then believed in the demo-
cratic party, but does not so believe
now. His letter then continues:
You imply, furthermore, that you are
democrats, and l cannot help wondering
what kind Of democrats you think you are,
Are you 1892 democrats, or 1896 democrats,
or 1900 democrats, or 1901 democrats, or
1903 democrats? Are YOU Cleveland demo-
Gratis, believing in the tariff reform that
we didn't get, and the military suppression
of labor unions that we did get? Are you
Parker democrats supporting the trusts II
they contribute and opposing them II they
don't? Are you Bryan democrats, believ-
ing In free silver sometimes and in gov
eminent ownership sometimes, and in the
initiative and the referendum sometimes?
And II you are Bryan democrats and be-
lieve in these things, do you also believe
in a Bryan platform that contains none
Of these things?
Dear friends and brothers OF the lro-
quois club, you all remember how the de-
mocracy of free silver was taught you and
how you got intensely excited over it, and
cheered for It and marched for it, and then
we're informed that free silver was not true
democracy after all, but that public owner
ship was. Then you remember how you
threw your hats in the air over public
ownership and worked up an almost hys-
terical enthusiasm for 1t, and then were in
formed that this wasn't true democracy
either, but that the initiative and referen-
dunn were. Then you came nobly to the
front again and affirmed tndying devotion
to the everlasting principles of the initia-
tive and referendum; but now you have a
platform in which there is no free silver,
in which there is no public ownership, in
which there is no initiative or referendum,
and still you are informed by the old DR..
Gringle of democracy that only that plat
form with the owners trademark pasted
on the front and the owners name blown
in the bottle is genuine democracy and
that IL you don't subscribe to that you will
be read out of the democratic party.
Only a few years ago Mr.. Hearst was
Mr.. Bryan's strongest ally. They were
working together, Mr.. Bryan for gov
eminent ownership and Mr.. Hearst for
municipal ownership, with an apparent
plan of uniting forces after Mr.. Hearst
had captured the city and Mr.. Bryan
had caught the rural districts. Mr.
Hearst has at least kept true to his
original plan and insists that he still
stands squarely upon the principles OF
the founder of the democratic party
and the Trainer of the Declaration Of
Independence, while, as he says, ''the
democratic donkey has gone gallopine
over the political prairie until it is lost
to the sight Of its original inherents,
and, he adds, 81 am not in the race tC
catch that donkey"
This letter would appear to burr
the last bridge between Hearst ant
Bryan, making impossible a union o.
their forces, without which neither cal
have any hope of winning a victory IL
the campaign.