Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1908-10-24
IS BRYAN SINCERE?

All the speakers at the republican
injecting Tuesday night declared their
belief that Bryan was sincere. We
do not share this belief. We are
marrow enough to regard the man as a
political adventurer who places his
own ambition above the welfare of
his country. We believe the es-
ssential distinction between Taft and
Bryan to be that the one is sincere
while the other is not.
1t is difficult to reconcile Bryan's
record of inconsistency with the
theory of his sincerity.
In 1892, when opposing the tariff.
ne attributed the decline of prices to
invention. This, he said. had in
creased one thousand times the power
of the human arm. 1t had made
labor vastly more productive.
In 1895 che attributed to ''the sap-
Dreciating gold standard the effects
ne had previously attributed to inyen-
ton.
In 1900. feeling the necessity of
retaining the support of the populists,
who favored fiatism, he continued to
4denounce the gold standard and prom
Used its destruction in the event of
his election.
Ia 1908 he declares that he was
right on this question in 1896 and
1900. but that the increase which has
since occurred in the production of
gold has made the free coinage OF
silver unnecessary and has secured to
rs what he sought through the re-
monetization of silver. an increase in
our supply of primary money.
Yet he knew in 1896 that the
production of gold that year would
be greater than during the first
twenty years of the century and he
knew in 1900 that the production of
gold the preceding decade had averag
ed over $500 600 900 year. He knew
that the production of gold in 1899
was nearly three times the annual
average from 1881 to 1890 Still he
.prOfessed to believe that the gold
standard was an approaching standard
and that it was lowering prices and
running the prosperity of the country.
Was this the profession of sincere
man fit for the presidency1
In 1898 Mr.. Bryan. expecting to be
mis- party's candidate for the presi
.dency again in 1900 created the
issue Of anti-imperialism by persuad-
ing his followers in the United States
senate 70 support the ratification of
the treaty with Spain, giving us sover-
eighty in the Philippines. Then he
proceeded 70 denOunce our government
for exercising the sovereignty acquir-
ed under this treaty. That he might
have new issue in 1900 he gave aid
and comfort to the enemies of a
sovereignty he had labored to estab-
aish Now was this the act of
sincere man?
In this same campaign of 1900 Mr..
Bryan. while denouncing our govern
ment for ruling the brown man with
out his consent. refused to condemn
the suppression of the negro vote in
the south. the ruling of the negro
without his consent. Why this course
IF he was sincere -, - -
BRYAN returned from Europe con
WINGED, a he said at Madison Square
garden. that the only remedy fol rail
way abuses would be found in govern
-ment ownership. When the south
protested he said he didn't mean to
make this proposition an issue. Why
not if he was sincere and seeking pro.
gTess Instead of votes
''Great is Tammany and Croker is
ats pTnphetl exclaimed the presi-
DENTAL candidate in 1900 Would
the sincere advocate of purity in
public administration be guilty of
such an uttteranceS Contrast his
course with that of Taft, who declined