The Holly chieftain., 1908-10-09
APATHY OF DEMOCRATS.
A Sample Of Bryan Enthusiasm" In
Colorado.

On August 9, 1908, the Rocky Noun
tain News made front page appeal
| to the Democrats Of Colorado TO send
In contributions, however small, to the
Bryan campaign fund. There has been
great deal Of fuss about this Bryan
fund, the Great Commoner having an
nounced his intention OF keeping 1t
clean and unsullied. No corporation
dollars for him!
The result is as painful as it ia
amusing. Up to the present time (Oc-
tober 2d), the $4,000 Democrats OF
Colorado who voted two years ago,
have contributed the sum of $11, ,570.35
to aid the cause of their peerless
leader-less than IA cents per Demo
crat.
But this is not all. A closer inspec-
ton 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 Geterm-
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 $4,000 by Charles ]. Hughes, Jr.,
Democratic candidate for United
States senator Yet he is corpora
tion man, pure and simple, and has
been repeatedly assailed as such in the
Patterson papers. Thus almost half of
the entire amount realized comes from
corporation candidate and goes mer-
rily into the uncorrupted Bryan fund.
This is 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. FNmer Governor
| Jouu oSDOlut III w youIlhG SohSiA
butes $1,000; T. NJ. Patterson, the mil
Iionaire publisher and friend Of Mr..
Bryan. contributes $500: Charles 8.
Thomas, another former governor,
comes in with $780,; "Honestjohn"
shaffroth, present Democratic candi-
date for governor, gives $500; w. A.
Hill and NJ. s. 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 $10.77O. The
entire amount collected is only $11,-
570.35, which leaves but $S00.35 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.
tions to Pay Expenses of Campaign"
Every Democratic voter was asked
to contribute 81 to the cause of the
Peerless One, yet the sum realized rep
resents only about a cent apiece from
disinterested people, who cannot be
identified in the hurry of the moment
What is true of the Bryan fund In
| Colorado Is apparently true in othel
parts of the country. The list of con
| tributions throughout the country a
large was printed in the News, ant
shows that the Colorado contributions
lead all the rest. Only $s4,097.94 ha'
been realized, in the entire Unite'
States, and from the itemized list 1t
evident that Democratic candidates
past recipients, etc, ETC., are less ger
erous elsewhere than they are in Co
orado.
1t is evident that enthusiasm for th'
Democratic War Eagle from Lincoll
is sadly waning when the Common
People" refuse to contribute, with
chance of having their names printe,
On the front page of the Rocky Noun
tain News thrown in.
And the net result is that with tw,
months effort of the News, with from
page red ink appeals. 1t has induced
only 235 of the Common People" t,
contribute "mites" from 25 cents t
$40 each, making total of $S0O.35, o
an average of one cent per voter. base,
on the last election. II it takes tw,
months to get 235 Common People
to contribute ssOO.35, how long will /
take to arouse the other 1866 Demo
Gratis to the point of digging up quar-
ter to the cause of the Peerless One?