Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 22, Number 10, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 October 1900 — WISCONSIN DEMOCRATS ABANDONING BRYAN [ARTICLE]

WISCONSIN DEMOCRATS ABANDONING BRYAN

Charles H. Schweizer, LaCrosse, Wis. Formerly chairman of the Democratic City Committee and city attorney: "I have never been a Republican and I have never been and am not now in accord with Mr. Bryan and his platform. Being convinced that Mr. Bryan’s election would result in disaster to the country at large, presently or ultimately I must refuse to aid or lend comfort in any way to doctrines which are so pregnant with evils. Nor can I find in the issue of imperialism any real excuse for supporting Mr. Bryan and impliedly endorsing his financial and Populistic heresies, an issue raised to distract the attention of the voter, and especially Gold Democrats from these fallacies the dangers of w’hich were so thoroughly exposed in the? last election. The best interests of the country demand at this time the defeat of Mr. Bryan and his principles. I feel, therefore, that It is my duty to exert what little influence I may command in opposing his election, and to cast my vote as my convictions dictate, for McKinley and Roosevelt.” John Johnston, cashier of the Marine National Bank of Milxvaukee, formerly the Wisconsin Marine Bank, the oldest banking institution in the West, and Alfred James, president of the Northwestern National Fire Insurance Company, both leaders of the Wisconsin Democracy, have declared for President McKinley. Messrs. Johnston and' James have always been stalwarts of the party. They declare that many other Democratic business men are going to desert the Democratic party before the campaign is over. Mr. Johnston said: “Yes, lam a Republican, for the present, at least. In 1896, when Bryan . was nominated at Chicago, free silver was made the issue of the campaign. I w r as opposed to free silver then, and have been ever since the issue was first presented to the American people. I think, were legislation enacted author* izing the free coinage of silver at the ratio of 16 to 1, the country would soon go to ruin. I am a stanch advocate of expansion. I am thoroughly convinced the acquisition of foreign territory in the manner outlined by the present administration will redound to the business interests of this country.” Sylvester Hartmann, the well-known grocer of Green Bay, Wis., who for years has been a stanch Democrat, returns from his European trip an uncompromising Republican and advocate of McKinley and Roosevelt. While

Mr. Hartmann has always been a sound money man and was forced to bolt the Democratic national ticket Im ’96, it \fran not until his recent visit to the old country and because of what he saw and heard there that he determined to cut loose altogether from the party of Bryan. “While," says Mr. Hartm&nh, “I love the Fatherland as the place of my birth, I must now as an American citizen place the interests of the United States first. I am not a politician, but if the people of foreign countries see in Bryan’s election a cutting off of this trade from our merchants and manufacturers, then it is easy to see with which party the best interest of this country lie*.” Mr. Hartmann knows of two other business men of Wisconsin who went over to Europe Democrats and came back Republicans. One of them is a well known Manitowoc merchant, the other lives in Port Washington. Mr. Hartmann believes that more Germans will vote for McKinley this year than did in '96, as they are all strongly against tbe upsetting of either the monetary system of the country or trade conditions. Jf. Winkler, German, Scott P. 0., Wis. Chri3 Bammel, German, Adell P. 0., Wis. Gottlieb Suengler, German, Adell P. 0., Wis. Robt. Schultz, German, Adell P. 0„ Wis. Fred Melcher, German, Random Lake, Wis. Fred Dannes, German, Adell P. 0., Wis, Ernst Sider, German, Scott P. 0., Wis. Gottlieb Hilger, German, Adell P, 0., Wis. Henry Capelle, German, Adell P. 0., Wis. John Goetsch, German, Random Lake, Wis. Robt. Viersig, German, Adell, Wls. Claire B. Bird, attorney, Wausau, ’•-v" “We must look to the Republican part. - administer safely the practical affairs of the government. The Democracy has gone in its decadence so far that it has been swallowed by the Populists.” George Schweizer, cashier German American Bank, LaCrosse, Wis. Prof. J. T. Sims, principal of the Mosinee (Wis.) High School, is a candidate for the Republican nomination for superintendent of county schools. Mr. Sims was an enthusiastic Democrat two years ago.