The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1907-1917, 1914-01-08
a Former Friend
Editor COmmoner.
Editor COmmoner.

mOner from the date Of it's
first issue.
Having seen it stated and not de-
MED that Mr.. Bryan had declared in
1908 that Rather than support a
gold standard Democrat on a gold
standard platform, I would join an
army for the invasion of my own
country and the destruction Of my
house" [ did not follow Mr.. Bry-
an into the Parker camp, thinking
that consistency in him would lead
him to support Thomas e. Watson.
Mr.. Bryan's desertion of his old
time friend at the critical moment
in the Baltimore convention, in view
of his overweaning ambition for
office and the antipidal political posi-
tions he has taken. Is it any wonder
that the friends of Mr.. Clark firmly
thought that he, Mr.. Bryan, was
sneakingly seeking the nomination
by producing deadlock and adroitly
leaving a loop hole Of escape by a
declaration that he would not sup
port any candidate whose nominal
ton depended upon a certain ele-
ment Is it not a fact that the poll
tiCal pendulem swung beyond his
reach making his treacherOus act
consideration desert his old time
friend Champ Clark and go over to
Woodrow Wilson who had antago-
nized all the political principles that
Mr. Bryan had championed in all
these years. No one but Mr.. Bryan
knows and can answer, but all others
can have opinions.
Mr.. Bryan's support of a currency
III hot will hO
try a gold standard for fifty years
aid perpetuate a banking system that
has been denounced by the Demo-
cratic party ever since the days of
Thomas Jefferson will go far toward
convincing doubtors of his sincerity
and that the Hon. Champ Clark was
the victim of misplaced confidence
and lost the coveted prize by perfdy.
When a private citizen and can
didate for office, Mr.. Bryan severely
criticized the plutocratic element of
his party for having banquets at $50
a plate, and to demonstrate to the
dear people how nicely it could be
done, he ordered it and presided
over banquets where the leading men
of his party sat down and Toasted
sumptuously on $1.00 plates.
Mr.. Bryan in the columns of the
COmmoner and with loud voice de-
clared that he was in favor of put
ting the Violators Of the Trust Laws
behind the bars and decorating them
in stripes, but since he has been pro-
NOTED to the Secretaryship Of State
he has been as silent as the tomb
on that mode Of punishment, not
withstanding that hundreds of new
trusts have sprung up and the old
trusts that excited his ire are still
doing the same old business at the
same old stand in peace and pros
perity.
Mr.. Bryan clings tenaciously to
the cheap and popular beverage,
Grape Juice, at his public dinners,
but the Dollar Plate has gone glim-
mering and his foreign guests are
fed on such costly edibles that $12,-
10000 is barely enough for their en-
tertainment, and he must needs lee
ture to keep from drawing on his
accumulated wealth for his public
functionaries. This must be so for
Mr.. Bryan says SO as an excuse for
leaving his post of duties to meet
current expenses.
Mr.. Bryans income is variously es-
timated at from $4,000 to $50, 1000
annually The average income of
the laborer, according to government
reports is less than $500 per year,
hence Mr.. Bryan'5 annual income eX-