Ripley County democrat. (Doniphan, Mo.) 1905-1920, 1908-09-04
was no reasonable answer to be
made by any reasonable man.
Then and there I laid down NV

| "So az hOoSOhS1AC duoWCE W w
made by any reasonable man.
Then and there / laid down my
hand. AS a good Democrat,
seeing clearly, aud as the sequel
has shown, seeing truly, the drift
of the winds, L accepted the in
evitable; but | did this in no
dubious way.
! made no half friendship with
any man or set of men. There
had never been anything more
than skin deep between myself
and Mr.. Bryan. Nothing even
skin deep remained, and, when
the interview had in New York
was concluded, went forth to
make Mr.. Bryan's fight my fight,
because it was in reality the fight
of what | believe truth against
what believe falsehood.
Mr.. Bryan upon acquaintance
proved different from my precon-
ception of him. Imet not vis-
ionary orator but a man with
sense, in deadly earnest, direct
and reasonable. Coming to
know him better seeing him in
his home, l found a man able and
sincere, devoted and devout,
having a childlike faith in the
people, in God and truth. l.
changed my opinion altogether.
felt that had done him signal
injustice. ] would as~soon trust
him in the White House as Geo.
Gray or Richard Olney; and l be-.
lieve that when he gets there
militant Democracy Of the school
Of Jefferson and Jackson and
Tilden will renew its youth and
vigor, leading the way to such
changss in the national Hehse
and senate as will restore them
their legislativs' functions and
give the people assurance Of real
and lasting reforms.
No party was ever known to re-
form ITSELF. Republican prom
ises to reform Republican abuses
! make but poor deathbed. re-.
pentance. Taft means either
"four years more of Theodore
or a new lease for Aldrich, Cam.
non & Co. Bryan means, if any
thing else, a clean sweep uponi
floors that are unclean. There
must be an occasioal change of
parties if we are to have decent
administration. One-party gov
erment is only degree less OBJ
jectionable than the one-man
power,
1t is a peculiar misfortune and
an angury of evil that the people
of the East--notably the people
of New York-get their mental
sustenanoe chiefly through the
organs Of the rich. In the bu-
collie days "befo' the wars the
Gulf States we're fed from the
same trough. Their newspapers
sang only the virtures Of slavery.
None others were allowed to ex-
ist. In the fabulous wealth of
the. East piled up in few hands
some of it predatory-much of
; it sprung from class legislation
all of it more or less corrupting-.
it is easy to see q growing like
ness to the partricianism of the
old South.
Already artificial conditions of
! life predominant.
Young men are reared to re-
gard enthusiasm as effeminate.
Young women are almostas ed
ucated in knowledge OF evil as
. young men. The sex line be-
comes less and less visible.
Caste distinctions press upon the
, commonalty more and more, and
harder and harder. The foolish
Ipoor either hate or emulate the
rich. Graft is everywhere.
Money making seems quite to
: have swamped simple patriotism
, and popular piety. The news
papers are SO used to this that
Ethey are oalleus--they take their
, Icomplexion from society, which
Is well pleased with ITSELF and
: lwafsks thfnca h rer.ain an fha,,