Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1908-08-05
HOW CAN BRYAN WIN?


1900 he was the nominee of three
parties. Not only did the democrats
nominate him in each year, but. in
separate conventions. the populists
and the silver republicans placed him
in the field. Thus he figured ON three
national tickets in each of those
years. He surely must remember
this. He remembers that his friend.
Gen. James B. Weaver, as the presi-
Dental candidate. of the populist
party, received over 1000, 600 in 1892.
Bryan himself stumped several states
for Weaver in that year and voted for
him. These LOCO. 600 populists, led
by Gen. Weaver, supported Bryan in
1896 and 1900. Everybody ought to
remember the walkout of the silver
republicans, led by Senators Teller
and Dubois. from the republican con.
vention in st. Louis in 1896. which
nominated Mckinley the first time.
The silver republicans throughout the
west. and they numbered hundreds Of
thousands, all voted for Bryan in his
two previous canvasses. Through the
support of these three parties Bryan
received that popular vote of 6, 500. 900
in 1896 which he has been boastiDg
about ever since, and that vote of 6. :
1858. 900 in 1900.
Where are the populists and the
silver republicans in 1908? All the
populists who remain in 1908 have
nominated Thomas +. Watson for
president-the Watson who was the
candidate for vice president on the
first Bryan ticket. Most OF the west
ern populists who were drawn from
the republican party in the canvasses
of 1895 and 1900-and they were the
large element of the populists-have
come back to the republicans. Most
of the votes in the western states
which will be given to Watson in 1908
belong to that faction of the populists
who were drawn from the democrats.
Nine out of every ten Of the silver
Republicans of 1896 and 1900 are back
among the republicans in 1908, and
have been back for several years.
They began to drift back to their old
party soon after Bryan's defeat in
1896. The loss OF those silver repub.
lican votes will account for the fact
that of all the western states carried
by Bryan in 1896 only four-Colorado,
Montana. Idaho and Nevada-were
left to him in 1900. And Roosevelt
won all those four in 1904, as we'll as
the rest Of the western states which
went to Bryan in 1895. OF all the
prominent silver republican support
ers of Bryan in 1895 and 1900. only
Teller. Dubois and few others are
left to him in 1908. The abandon.
ment Of Bryan by the populists and
silver republicans who gave him all
the ascendancy in the west which he
had in his canvass of twelve and eight
years ago is fact which will count
heavily against him in the canvass
this year.
Where will Bryan get the new
votes in 1908 which will fill any large
part of the gap created by the loss OF
the populist and the silver republican
ingredients OF his supporters in 1896
and 1900? The electoral vote of 17O
which he had in 1896 dropped to 15s
in 1900. Can any Of his friends give
any good reason for assuming that hi
, will receive as many as loo votes IL
1908? One reason why his vote was
less in 1900 than it was in 1896 wal
that the country knew him better il
1900. The country is still better &C
, quainted with him in 1908 So far q.
the country can learn he has drop
ped none of the follies which rolled
up the big votes against him in eacf
, of the two canvasses in which the
; people passed upon him and hi
policies, land he has invented one Of
two mischievous fads since then. The
country knows that his views on silver
, have not changed since he champione(
, the 80 cent dollar in 1895 and 1900. A
banquet in London in 1906. in re
Spouse to q remark Of Whitelaw REID
regaring the prosperity Of the United
States. Bryan retOrted: "HOw mucl
more prosperous would the United
, States be il its finances stood upol
, two legs instead Of one?" And the II
to / hallucination which clung tt
him as recently as two years ago he
has not shaken off since, and he show
, no desire to ever shake it off. Unde
! the mask Of pretended defense
Bryan's platform of 1908. which HI
wrote himself. repeats the attacks OF
the United States courts which III
made in 1896 and 1900. As rein
lforcement to all hts old crankeries HI
has recently invented the monarchia
folly of government ownership ant
? operation Of the railways. To th'
reasons for opposing Bryan which ex
listed in 1896 and 1900 he has adde(
some new reasons within the past TIVE
} or three years. All these things vii
be brought to the attention of ever,
, one of the country's IA, 200, 600 O
voters by his democratic and republi
can enemies during the present cam
paign. What assurance has Bryal
that he will be able in 1908 to dimin
D ish that majority of 1877 in the cleo
, tOral colla0A which WAS rolled n,