Jasper County Democrat, Volume 3, Number 29, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 October 1900 — ATTEMPT TO STEM THE TIDE. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

ATTEMPT TO STEM THE TIDE.

Republicans Are Resorting to All Kinds of Desperate Means.

Chicago correspondence: The Republicans are reaortlng to all kinds of desperate measures to turn the tide that is running to strongly towards William Jennings Bryan and the Democratic party. The latest attempt—and one of the most despicable —to stem the tide Is a direct misuse of the malls. The officials of the Democratic National Comm’ttee have received evidence that Republican postmasters and postal are not only tampering with letters sent from Democratic and delaying the delivery of campaign literature, but that letters and. literature are being returned almost as soon as delivered to the postoffice address of the addressees. Otto poederlein, in charge of the German bureau of the national committee says hundreds of letters have been returned to his department stamped “Unclaimed,” “Refused,” and “Not Found.” Ail letters sent out from Democratic National headquarters are identified as coming from Democratic headquarters by the following printed directions on the envelopes: “Return In five days to rooms 21-26, 306 Wabash avenue, Chicago, Ill.” Although the postal department boasts of its ability to trace addresses from the most meager descriptions, there is, It is said, a on the part of postmasters inallparts of the country, particularly in the doubtful states, to take advantage of every technical error in the superscription. So notorious has become thg. conduct of Republican postmasters in the treatment of Democratic mail mutter that Democratic bureau chiefs have advised do-ng away with return direction! on envelopes used by the national committee. It is generally believed at Democratic headquarters that hundreds of thousands of Democratic documents have suffered at tte ha ids of Republican postmasters.

William Lloyd Garrison,, ex Governor George S. Boutwell and C’olcgiel Thomas Wentworth Higglnsor, aR of Boa ton, and well known to tMe negroees of the United States, have r .ssu>d an address to the colored pejiple, advising them to renounce the Republican party as its national policy of imperialism is dangerous to the future of tie colored race. The address has been given out by the National Democratic Committee. 11. H. Hanna, chairman of (he executive committee of tlr> Indianapolis Monetary convention, is in distress. He has been looking over the political situation and sees that the Republican party is in danger. His chief concern, however, is the permanence and promotion of the gold standard, and for success in that direction he declares, as an “honest non-partisan,” that the Congressional outlook is unfavorable. Of late be has been sending out doleful letters urgently appealing for contributions to save the standard and the party. In one of them he sayy. “Tiere is very great danger of the BryaMtes securing control of the next Congress. There is every reason to expect they will gain three Representatives In North Carolina and serious risk of gaining one in Kentucky, two in Indiana, one in Missouri and one In Texas. There Is possibility of loss in many other districts. But few districts are absolutely safe.” In another one of these privately addressed letters, 11. 11. Hauuu still more dolefully writes: “We kps mode appeals to the general publl • for funds, hint so fur there has been very little response.” The contracted expenses are already large, he says, and each delegate to the monetary convention is asked to secure subscriptions of $25. Disraeli once exposed the political iniquities of an opponent by quoting from a letter which ho described as a “plundeHng and blundering” one. The des<ri]rtlon aptly characterises H, H.Hanna's eplstotatory appealr.. He is learning that there is disheartening apathy in the ranks of Be] üblieaus. Indeed, from the fact that ’here has been Vvery little response” to his appeals, jthere must bo somet dug like positive disaffection If not downright revolt among those he would victimize, it Is only a favored few that have profited by the pions pretenoeg, vacillation and hypocrisy of the I-resident, *nnd the summing up of ids character and acta Is not such as to h rpire enthuoiasm. Besides, it is patent that the “plundering and blundering" IL 11. Hanna makes the gold standard and his "lion-1 estly non-partisan” organlwiflon the excuse for partisanship which la none the les* bitter because It Is veiled. Two great meetings ware held in this city last week, and an indications of the trend of the best j.Ublj« thought and of the revolt from the policy and assumptions of what Mr. Oljuey well characterized as Melt tamtam, their significance can hardly lx? pverestl- , mated. One of the b'gtnSM meetings was addressed by Viator Wellington of_Maryland, who wks chiefly inatrnIKW lilm -on

held under the auspices of the Iroquois Club, one of the leading Democratic organizations of the country, from a social and financial standpoint, and which refused to support Bryan In 1896. The principal speakers at this gathering were Sigmund Zelsler, Judge Thomas A. Moran and S. S. Gregory. All of them are prominent in public life, and as gold Democrats helped the Republican party to victory four years ago. They have not changed tlffiir monetary convictions, but loving the republic mdre than currency schemes they have taken this stand without qualifi_catlon or condition for Bryan. Mr. Zeisler, after referring to his position in the last Presidential contest, declared that Imperialism was now the paramount issue, and said: “I take no stock in the Republican cry of the danger of Bryan’s financial views. But, if I did, 1 would infinitely prefer to see a derangement of our financial institutions than see trampled under foot all the traditions of our country and the breaking down of the Ideals upon which our nation is founded. Shall it be said that we consider our pocketbooks of more value than the Interests of generations yet unborn? Is it right to blot tire stars from our flag and leave but the stripes? Is It right that the escutcheon of our grand repubJlcjßhquld be_ stalnetU and,* tliat should be found a filthy empire on the lines of that of George III.?’’ Judge Moran scathingly referred to the policy of the administration towards the Philippine Islands and the cruelties and injustices Imposed upon thoir people by the causeless war waged upon them. He cited authorities and historical facts to demonstrate that the position taken by McKinley and his advlsers.is not expansion, in the American sense of that word, “but is colonialism and imperialism pure and simple, and as suchlsa violation of our Constitution, <jf the Declaration of Independence a ad of the fundamental principles of American institutions.” In referring to the new attitude of the Republican party and Secretary Gage regarding the gold standard, and their fears for its safey, Judge Moran said: “If it has not been secured the Re-publi.-an party in convention assembled in Philadelphia has put in its platform a bare-faced He. If it has not been secured by appropriate Congressional legislation, the Republican party Js seeking a continuance in power on the proposition that it was faithless to the trust repc-sed in it when it was last given power by the people.” He concluded his speech, as did Mr. Zelsler, by appealing to the people to put forth every effort towards the election of William Jennings Bryan, and so lead back the Imperiled nation to tin, paths of national honor and virtue. 8. S. Gregory, referring to the cry of Mark Hanna and the Republican looters that the sole Issue is one of prosperity and the full dinner pail, denounced such hypocrisy as an insult to the intelligence and patriotism of the American people.

WILLIS J. ABBOT.