The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1912-08-02
place in the hearts of a majority of
his countrymen they are made the
jibes and butts of their fellows.
Mr.. BRYAN AND THE DEMO-
CRATIC PLATFORM

Mr.. Bryan is the author of the demo-
cratic platform, but it is entirely cor
rect to say that no plank OF it was
adopted that did not meet his entire
approval
There was only one plank he offer
ed that was rejected. That plank re-
ceived but one vote besides his own,
and that lone vote was cast by the
editor of this paper, who was a mem
Der of the platform committee. 1t
was the peace" plank, which Mr.,
Bryan said had met the almost uni
yersal approval of nearly all the ma
tons Of the earth. 1t accorded with
our oft-expressed views on this sub
ject, and we were glad of the oppor-
tunity of putting ourselves on rec
ord in its favor.
Members of the senate who were
members of the committee-notably,
Clark, of Arkansas claimed that the
subject had been before congress, had
been gone over very thoroughly, and
had been turned down for reasons
that were regarded sufficient and pa
triOtic, the argument of which will be
found Of record, and to insert this
plank in the platform would be a pal
pable reflection upon the democratic
members of congress, so the resolu-
ton was withdrawn.
With this exception, all the planks
in the platform, as we said in the out
set, if not introduced by Mr. Bryan,
were cordially approved by him
1t is observed that many of these
planks are receiving a frost" by
those who now stand very near to
Mr.. Bryan.
1t was understood in the convention
that Mr. Bryan was very strong in
the northwest, and it is true that
states like Minnesota and Wisconsin
were insistent upon the nomination
of Governor Wilson because he was
Mr.. Bryan's choice. They were equal
ly insistent upon the defeat of Mr..
Clark and Mr. Underwood because
Mr. Bryan was hostile to their aspira-
tons
Here is what one of the leading pa
pers of Duluth, which is supporting
the nominees of the Baltimore con-
vention, says of the platform:
1t is mighty fortunate for the dem
oocrats that this year party platforms
will be given little consideration and
less weight in deciding votes. The
promise is that more than rs per cent.
of the voters will vote for an ideal
lied candidate, without any regard
and indeed not knowing what are his
party's supposed or expressed prin-
ciples.
The platform written for Mr.. Will
son is the most remarkable aggrega-
ton of words and phrases ever issued
by any political party. With it as the
deciding factor, the democrats would
be beaten to a fragile.
If the democrats could make, as
they will pretend to make, the tariff
the deciding issue, they would not
carry much of anything This part
of the platform is decidedly reaction
airy: it is musty with age and par
alyzing with its lack of vitality.
1t not only declares for purely
revenue tariff, but it would have
such a tariff law framed by the old
impossible, grating, job-dealing, cor
rupt process of you tickle me, and
I'll tickle you"
The democrats would have the law
depend, not on reliable data and rec
concentrations from a non-partisan
commission, but by the best deals the
various industries could make among
themselves, which had been the
damnation of most tariff laws of the
past.
A purely revenue for tariff in the
United States, with no incident of
protection. would sweep any party
out of power just as quick as the peo-
pie could get the chance to vote.
The Duluth paper further says:
Indeed the platform is full of abb
surdities, but luckily for the demo-
Gratis, it would not have mattered
much in the voting if it had declared
the moon was made of green cheese,
and the United States must get a di-
rect connection by aeroplane with
this food supply.
Further, it says:
An interesting omission from this
plank, also. is that it makes no de-
mand for free raw materials, a policy
on which Mr.. Bryan has insisted with
out ifs" lands" or butts" and he
has relentlessly scored everyone who
did not agree in this.
Since the Baltimore convention the
New York World has been sharing its
political trundle bed with Mr. Bryan.
1t is somewhat severe in its criticism
of the platform. Here are it's remark
able conclusions:
1. The tariff plank, sound in other
respects, opens with this denial of
manifest truth I'VE declare it to be
fundamental principle of the demo-