Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1910-10-05
JUST LIKE 1896
William Jennings Bryan's Article in
the Commoner

clasSed as "insurgent republicans"
were in 1896 making vigorous at
tacks upon democrats and charging
them with ''fomenting envy and dis
content" Now that these gentle
men have found il necessary to pro-
test against the manipulation OF their /
party, and through their party of
their government, by the special in
terests, they understand something /
Of the feelings Of the faithful demo
Gratis who, in 1896, battled against
the effort of pI ivate monopoly to Oh |
tain firm foothold in the councils Of
American government. Indeed, the
attacks made upon inSurgeant re-
puhlicanS by the organs Of the
special interests are in language al
most identical with the attacks that
were made upon democrats during
the campaign Of fourteen years ago.
Tske, for instance, the September
l6 issue of the American Economist
under the headline, "Fomenting
Envy and Discomfort" This organ
of the tariff barons says that the
efforts of the western insurgents ap-
pear to be directed solely to creating
feeling OF discomfort and dissatis-
faction among the people with the
new tariff law and with everybody
who had anything to do with placing
that law on the statute books ;" also:
IF there ever was time in the his
tory of this country when large
bodies OF men were engaged in
fomenting the spirit of envy, dis
cord, and dissatisfaction among the
people, the present is that time"
The American Economist must
know that republican insurgency is
merely representative OF the larger
insurgency that is going on among
the people. The consumers OF this
country need not be preached to in
order to stir them in revolt against
the republican tariff They are al
ready in revolt against that tariff.
In 1908 they were in revolt, and to
such an extent that republican
leaders were forced to write into
their national pli torn a promise tC
revise the tariff. After the people
had given power once more to the
republican party, and on tariff re
vision pledge, party leaders revised
the tariff upward and then insulteC
public intelligence by pointing GU
that the party had not pr omised tC
revise it downward. And now tn,
republican party, faithless as usua
to its trust, is face to face with al
outraged constituency, and the dis
satisfaction is so widespread tina
even so Stalwart republican as MIR
Watson, of Indiana, announced a few
days ago that the election of a demo
cratic house in 1910 was among tn
probabilities
Whenever q man, a small body c
unon, vi ldTRc OOuleS Ol men pTOVeS
against the impositions which specia
interests seek to put upon the pub
- lie, and plead for justice to the pee
pie for whose benefit governmen
has been organized. they are charge
: with "fomenting the spirit of envy
y discord and dissatisfaction.
9 There is an abundance OF discor
u tent, to be sure. but the insurger
republicans are not responsible fC
:. it. The evidences OF that discor
>, tent shown on every hand anon
u the masses of the people have stirre
~ these insurgents to action, and the
10 are making desperate effort to say
their party from utter destruction
. 1t is coming to be the general opil
- ion that their well-meaning effor
20 were too long delayed, that the han,
y, writing is on the wall, and that I'll
a. party which has SO long pursed ar
u nourished the trust system is to |
. required to surrender the power
~ has so grossly abused.
Those attending the meeting
Al