Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 22, Number 12, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 October 1900 — MEN WHO HAVE DESERTED BRYAN FOR McKINLEY [ARTICLE]

MEN WHO HAVE DESERTED BRYAN FOR McKINLEY

George B. Weston, Belchertown, Mass.: “I have voted the Democratic ticket since Franklin Pierce was our President, hut the ‘pull down the flag and sneak home’ policy is too big a dose, and if I live I shall vote for McKinley. Any American in whose soul dwells one spark of national pride who is willing to humiliate his country in the eyes of the world should be stood up and shot.” M. F. Bumgardner, farmer living near Ottawa, Kan.: “Four years ago I was for Bryan. I shall vote for McKinley and the straight Republican ticket this fall: I am satisfied with conditions. I don’t want any change.” J. T. Yerkes, near Ottawa, Kan.: “Four years ago I voted for Bryan. I am satisfied with present conditions and think a change would be disastrous. I notice that all the Populist predictions of four years ago have proven false, and every promise the Republicans made hqs been kept.” Walter Marks, farmer near Ottawa, Kan.: "I was a Republican until four years ago. They got me ‘off’ then, but they can’t do it again. I was convinced two months after McKinley’s election that I had been misled. I have had enough of Bryanism to last me.” H. F. Shively, Lane, Kan., a school teacher, and one of the most effective fusion workers in the campaign of 1896: “I voted for Bryan and the other fusion candidates. I shall vote the straight Republican ticket this fall. One of the causes for my change is the expansion "issue.” Chas. McCumber, Lane, Kan., a farmer: “I voted for Bryan four years ago. I have always noticed that we have hard times when the Democrats are in and good times when the Republicans are in. I am done with the Democratic party.” J. C. Wakefield, banker, Lane, Kan., who supported Bryan four years ago, and who is a man of wide Influence in his community, said: “Of course I shall vote the Republican ticket this fall. There isn’t anything else for a man to do.” B. C. Smith, farmer, near Ottawa, Kan.: “Count me for McKinley and the whole Republican ticket. I was a Bryan man in 1896, but you bet your life I’m cured.” William Archer, near Ottawa, Kan., & well-known farmer: “I have voted the Populist ticket for ten years; I have been a Populist ever since the party was organized. A farmer can’t afford to vote for a change this year. I am going to vote the Republican ticket.” J. B. Whitaker, near Ottawa', Kan., farmer: “I was a Republican until ten years ago. I left the party when I lived in Dakota and identified myself with the People’s party. I have a son who served in the Philippines with Company K. Any man who reads Gen. Lawton’s words to the people of this country in which he said, ‘lf I am killed by a Filipino bullet my death will lie at the door of the Filipino sympathizers In America,’ and then votes the Democratic ticket, he is disloyal to his country. My sons were all Bryan sympathizers in 1896. They are all for McKinley this year.” E. P. Sessions, Ottawa, Kan., undertaker, said: “You may put me doyrn as one of the men who voted for BryaD in 1896 and who will vote for McKinley this fall. McKinley’s administration has been superior in every respect. The people do not need a change.” 0. B. Merrill, near Ottawa, Kan.: “The things toe expected to happen ‘didn’t come about. Instead of disaster we have had good times.”

E. Y. Smith, farmer, near Ottawa, Kan.: “I voted for Bryan and all the other fusion candidates four years ago, but if 1 live I shall Support the straight Republican ticket this year. I haven’t voted the Republican ticket since the days before the Greenback party, but you can coufit me this time sure.” Si Hughes, Populist, Ottawa, Kan.: “The Republican party has done what we Populists have been striving to accomplish, and that was to bring good times. It would not be wise to change now.” , James L. Davis, a lifelong Democrat, Chlllicothe, Mo., who has stumped the state for the Democrats for thirty years: “Mr. McKinley has done nothing more than his duty under the treaty of Paris. For every act in his administration * * * Mr. McKinley had ample authority from precedents established by Democratic presidents who preceded him.” Attorney J. E. Robinson, Fargo, S. D.. who is known throughout the state: “Many Populists who once voted for Bryan now propose to vote for McKinley. We never vote to haul down the flag, and we never vote so as to encourage armed rebellion. The genuine Populist must be a patriot. We voted for Bryan as the honest and able champion of free silver coinage and monetary expansion. Conditions have changed; there is no longer dearth of money. That has been well relieved by the discovery of rich gold mines, which yield an output of about $100,000,000 a year, and by the banking and currency act, which add largely to the circulating medium. The circulation is now larger than at any other time in the history of the country. The McKinley administration has been such as to inspire and retain the confidence of the nations and the confidence of the business world, and the result has been a period of commercial expansion, of trade balances, of thrift and prosperity, such as was never recorded in the history of any country.” Judge E. H. Norton, of Platte City, Mo., ex-member of the Missouri Supreme Court, an old-time Democrat, did not approve his party’s platform on the money question in 1896 and he has not taken up the cry of imperialism in this campaign. He regards it as a false issue and says: “I regard it as a mere blind behind which to hide the real issue, viz.: the free and unlimited coipage of silver at the ratio of 16 to 1. The charge of imperialism is based by Mr. Bryan upon the action of President McKinley, in endeavoring to maintain the authority of the United States in the Philippine islands, by putting down by force the armed rebellion of Aguinaldo. I regard the silver plank in the platform, together with the assailment of the integrity of the courts, as revolutionary in the extreme —as freighted with evil —promotive of disorder and bloodshed —destructive to the best interests of the law-abiding —at war with good government, and an invitation to the lawless to commit unlawful acts with impunity.” J. B. Dozier, District Attorney of Shasta County, Cal., and a leading Democrat of northern California: “The great civilization which we have achieved and our great development is due to the spirit of expansion. I believe the action taken by the government of the United States in regard to its foreign policy is right, just, progressive and proper.” John B. Rhoades, proprietor and operator of the cotton and woolen mills at Aston Mills, Delaware County, Pa., several times chairman of the Delaware County Democratic Committee: “I am still a Democrat but cannot give my support to Bryan. He is a man who is always trying to cause a dissatisfaction between the laboring classes and the capitlists, and in my judgment these two forces should always be harmonious. I consider any man who endeavors to make these two forces clash, is nothing short of a demagogue and not a safe man to be entrusted with the important position of President of the United States.” John Warfen Hardenbergh, Jersey City, N. J.: “Sound money.” Judge R. J. Graham, a well-known lawyer of Ottawa, Kan., was one of the strongest Bryan men of the city in 1896. He served as justice of the peace by appointment of Gov. Leedy and was nominated by the fusionists for the same office a year ago. Judge Graham has campaigned all over Franklin county for fusion. “The only question of Importance to me in this campaign is the question of ‘expansion,’ or as the Democrats are pleased to term It, ‘imperialism.’ On this question I am fully in accord with the present administration and have been from the beginning. We have as much right to own, control and govern the Philippine Islands as we have the territory embraced in Texas or that acquired by the Louisiana purchase.”

W. A. Paulson of the New York Life insurance Co., New York: “Republicanism stands for all that will benefit trade, commerce and the industrial welfare of the entire country.” Morgan Green, cashier of the Bank of McKenzie, McKenzie, Tenn: “I will cast my first Republican vote this fall for McKinley and Roosevelt and the straight Republican ticket. I have voted the Democratic ticket for thirty years without a scratch, and have always given liberally to the campaign fund. I voted against Mr. McKinley four years ago because I believed that the gold standard would take away what ivoney was in circulation. This was what my party said would be thd re- > and I believed it. Mr. McKinley we: elected, and all have profited by no result. The gold standard retored confidence and opened the mills, wrnaees and shops and farms. I do <ot propose to experiment any more. ’ am going to vote for the policy that rospered us under Harrison and McKinley. From this day I am an allwool, yard-wide Republican.” Jay Williams, leading attorney, Md.: “I could not vote for Wm. J. Bryan in the presidential ■ nipaign of 1896. I have now the ••ame reason for declining to vote for Mr. Bryan. His letter of acceptance u:d oft-repeated declarations on the subject show his desire to give us free silver at the ratio of 16 to 1 just as soon as he can. I have been pleased with the present administration, with he progress we have made under it, with the present splendid financial •ondition of this country.” W. S. McChesney, Sr., vipe-presl-lent of the Mexican Veterans’ Association and postmaster of Lexington, Ky., under Grover Cleveland, will support McKinley in the presidential race this year. Mr. McChesney has been a consistent Democrat for years and was !ed to take this step by Mr. Bryan’s attitude on the question of “imperialism.” He says: “The soldiers and honor of jur country should follow the flag. No patriotic citizen can fail to support the party that Is for the prosecution of the struggle to the end. We veterans are for fighting it out when we begin. When the Philippines are brought under control and the honor of the flag vindicated it will then be time enough to talk of the kind of government they can have.” John F. Moors, Fall River, Mass.: “I am a sound money Democrat and an anti-imperialist. Let the nation dream great dreams, let it seek high ideals, but let it not forget that the rule of 70,000,000 people is a mighty responsibility, not to be idly entrusted to a young man with hallucinations, who always appears with a cure-all. Do not Bryan’s managers smile as he changes his bait and draws into his net the anti-imperialists?” John F. Vaile, Denver, Colo.: “It is manifest that the present Democratic idea is not bimetallism, but inflation, with fiat inflation preferred. True bimetallists look to the smelters and (he stamp mills, and not to the pulp mills, for money material.” W. H. Bright, formerly of the Daily Times, Portsmouth, 0., who has been an active Democrat for many years: “Prosperity.” Col. James Matlack Scovel, of Philadelphia, the veteran of many a Democratic campaign: “The administration is all right. Bryan is a demagogue.” John Gregor Olson of Fort Ransom, N. D., one of the brightest young Scandinavians in the country, has abandoned the Bryan cause. Mr. Olson is a teacher and farmer and is an Influential member of the community. Prosperity and expansion. J. E. Defebaugh, editor American Lumberman, Chicago: “Mr. Bryan is well suited to the party and the principles which he represents. His prophecies, and even his absolute assertion of four years ago, have been proved false, but he learns nothing. He would subject the Supreme Court to executive influence wielded by himself; he is the apostle of every financial fallacy; he is the champion of every fooMsh or dangerous dogma; he would be the promoter of business and social anarchy. Such principles, such a party, and such a candidate, I cannot support.” Ex-Assemblyman Lyman W. Redington, of New York, a bred-in-the-bone Democrat: “The Philippines are legally the property of the United States and any of its natives opposing our sovereignty are rebels. Hence I; maintain that legally, morally and; commercially our Philippine policy j must be maintained and the Democrat- i ic party defeated in the campaign." S. L. Smith, mine owner, Detroit, Mich.: “Four years ago I thought! Bryan was sincere. Now I think he; has proven himself an arrant dema-, gogue. I am a Democrat and Mr. Jas. H. Eckles, President Cleveland's! Comptroller of the Currency, has ex- j pressed my views to a nicety.”

C. M. Kimbrough, of Muncie, Ind.. general manager of the Indiana Bridge Company, one of the leading manufacturing institutions of the state: “Bryan’s insincerity. Believe in letting well enough alone.” » Judge H. H. Trimble, one time Democratic candidate for Governor of Iowa: Favors sound money, believes in expansion and says that there is nothing to Bryan but talk. While Governor Roosevelt' was speaking at Victor, Colo., and the interruptions, hoots and shouts for Bryan were frequent, a tall, brownfaced man arose, walked to the platform, faced the audience, raised his hand for silence, and said: “Four years ago I voted for Bryan. I have been a champion of silver for a long time. I believed in the doctrine, but I tell you now I am done with It all. This year I vote for McKinley and have done with you cowards and curs.” There was not a hiss, jeer or shout in derision. The man, in reply to the Governor’s question, said his name was Foulke, that he lived at Victor; and then left the hall. William Crotty, Burlington, Kan., farmer and stock raiser: “Bryan’s election would be disastrous to the business interests.”