Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 36, Number 122, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 October 1904 — DEFEAT IS BETTER [ARTICLE]

DEFEAT IS BETTER

Than to Have to Apologize For Wall Street President. DISASTER WILL SURELY FOLLOW The Betrayal of the Democratic Party Into the Power of Organized and Predatory Wealth—Thia Is What Mr. Bryan Said a Few Weeks Ago, and He Still Declares That He Hat Nothing to Take Back. Six months ago Mr. Bryan, commenting on the dangers of the Alton B. Parker candidacy, saitj in “The Commoner”: “When the Republicans elect a Wall street man, the Democrats can denounce him and gain recruits by so doing. When the Democrats are unfortunate enough to have a Wall street president, they have to either denounce him or apologize for fiim, and no matter which they do, they have to bear the odium of his administration.” - » * • ■ On March Sth Mr. Bryan issued a letter to subscribers of “The Commoner” in which he said: “I am opposed to a surrender of the Democratic party to organized and predatory wealth. The Kansas City platform is a clear and concise statement of Democratic principles, and failure to reaffirm it will be equivalent to a return to corporation rule.” Those who desire to prove that Mr. Bryan is in earnest in his advocacy of Democratic success on the St. Louis platform, may do so by showing wherein it refflrms the Kansas City platform. * * •

On April Bth Mr. Bryan made a Statement on the origin and purpose of the Parker candidacy, in the course of which he said: “There is no doubt that the corporation interests have an understanding with Judge Parker, for without such an understanding they would not think of supporting him. Tht decision in the merger case shows how Important it is that presidents should be In sympathy with the people rather than in sympathy with the cor-' porations. ♦ ♦ If Judge Parker were nominated by the influence of the corporations and elected with the aid of their contributions, is there any doubt that his appointees would be corporation men? Can the Democratic party afford Jo lemb itself to a movement to so make up the supreme court as to nullify the efforts of the people at reform? • ♦ If Mr. Parker is nominated it must not be as a ‘harmony’ candidate—it must be with the knowledge that he represents the same element, the same influence and the same methods which during Mr. Cleveland’s second administration led the Democratic party through ‘the valley ol the shadow of death. ” * * *

On May 6th Mr. Bryan declared in “The Commoner” -that “the reorganizers are even more hostile to labor's interests than the Republican leaders.” He said that “Mr. Bryan believes that the party can win the only success worth having by deserving it. In his opinion, whenever the party turns its back upon the people, repudiates Democratic principles and surrenders to Wall street, it will not only go down to ignominious defeat at the polls, but will forfeit the confidence and respect of intelligent men." * • • In May Mr. Bryan hired a hall in Chicago and made a speech largely devoted to a protest against the control of the Democratic party by the elements and interests back of the Parker candidacy. He took as his text the New York Democratic state platform. Which was prepared by Senator Hill, and passed the inspection of Judge Parker. Mr. Bryan said that he was “sanguine enough to believe that I can prove to every unbiased mind that Judge Parker is not i fit man to be nominated either by the Democratic party or by any other party that stands for honesty or fair dealing in politics.” He protested “against mortgaging the party to the capitalists to secure an enormous corruption fund.” He said that the scheme of the reorganizers “begins with the deception of the rank and tile of the party. It is to be followed up by the debauching of the public with a campaign fund secured from the corporations, and it Is to be consummated by the betrayal of the party organisation and of the •ountry Into the hands of those who are today menacing the liberties of the country by their exploitation of the producers of wealth.” • ♦ »

On June 20th, 1904, Mr. Brynu attended a mass-meeting In Cooper Union, and spoke in favor of resolutions directed against the candidacy of Judge Parker, which raised the issue, go the resolutions declared, of “whether the beneficiaries of special privileges shall control the government or whether It shall be administered for the protection of the rights of all the people. The duty of the Democratic party is to support the cause of the people and to refuse to follow the leadership of such men as August Belmont, whose record Is one of consistent treachery to the party and loyalty only to predatory wealth.” In the course of his remarks on this occasion Mr. Bryan said: “What is Belmont’s consideration in the Parker candidacy? He is too threwd a financier to invest his money without being sure of the goods If Mr. Parker dealt honestly he would say to Mr. Balmont what he says to others, that bls lips are sealed, and If

tie did ao he would not be Mr. Belmont's candidate,'*- : -' •T~— : —-_»_<'■> ■ ■ Mr. Bryan went to the St. Louis convention. The Kansas City platform was not reaffirmed. Judge Parker was nominated-, and on July 13th he declared through “The Commoner”: “I have nothing to take back. I have nothing to withdraw of the things that I have said against the methods pursued to ad .-ance his candidacy. It was a plain and deliberate attempt, to deceive the party. The New York platform was vague and purposely so, because the advocates of Judge Parker were trying to secure votes from among the people who would have opposed his view's had they known them. * • The nomination was secured. therefore, by crooked and indefensible methods. * * I shall not misrepresent the situation, or appeal for votes for the ticket on false grounds. A Democratic victory will mean very little, if any, progress on economic questions so long as the party is under the control of the Wall street element. * * The labor plank as prepared by Judge Parker’s friends on the sub-committee was a straddling, meaningless plank. * ♦ The nomination of Judge Parker virtually nullifies the anti-trust plank.” » ♦ ♦ In the last issue of "The Commoner,” dated October 14th, Mr. Bryan quotes the Boston Herald as “frankly" stating that a victory for Parker at the coming election means a defeat for the element in the party which wrote the platforms of 1896 and 1900. Mr. Bryan seemingly accepts this statement as correct, and raises no question as to Its accuracy.

♦ THESE FIGURES ♦ < POINT A MORAL ♦ ♦ In 1896 there were 74,654 vol- ♦ ♦ untary transfers of real estate ♦ ♦ in Indiana, the value at proper- ♦ ♦ ty transferred ae stated in the ♦ ♦ deeds being $72,133,637. In ♦ ♦ 1903 there were 103,809 volun- ♦ ♦ tary transfers, showing a value ♦ ♦ of property transferred aggro- ♦ ♦ gating $133,061,415. The num- ♦ ♦ ber of voluntary transactions ♦ ♦ increased about 50 per cent, ♦ ♦ the value of property trans- ♦ ♦ ferred about 90 per cent The ♦ ♦ average value of the pieces of ♦ ♦ property transferred in 1896 ♦ ♦ was $965, in 1903, $1,281. ♦ ♦ The number of sheriffs’ ♦ ♦ deeds In Indiana in 1896 was ♦ ♦ 1,712, in 1903 820, a decrease ♦ ♦ of more than 50 per cent. The ♦ ♦ value of the property sold un- ♦ ♦ der the hammer in 1896 was ♦ ♦ $1,673,330; in 1903, $709,651. ♦ ♦ These figures are from the ♦ ♦ report of the state statistician ♦ ♦ for 1904. ♦ ♦ A vote for the Democratic ♦ ♦ ticket is a vote for 1893 to 1896 ♦ ♦ over again. ♦ ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Republic Speaks for Itself. Contrast Republican policies with opposition policies. It is order against confusion; definite purposes against vague proposals; sound record against a chronicle of folly; broad policies uniform throughout the nation against haphazard policies different in different states —protection in West Vir glnla, free trade In Texas; gold in New York, free silver In Nebraska. All the world knows what the Republican party has done and what it means to do. The nation Itself —prosperous, powerful, with growing prestige and spreading influence —Is present and mighty proof of the wisdom and the righteousness of Republican statesmanship. How fortunate for a party which when questioned about its conduct of the republic can produce as its chief exhibit the republic itself.—Senator Albert J. Beveridge.

4 W THE VITAL ISSUE <» ♦ IN A SENTENCE ♦ <t> Collier's Weekly Prints the Fol- ■> <«> lowing from a Reader: Milwaukee Ave., Chicago, 111. <i> —Gentlemen: Please stop your ♦ ♦ booming of Parker. I have <> been ruined once by that party ♦ and have not forgot it yet. J. <s> No campaign text book, no <$ document, no speech could be <9 stronger. And this Chicago ♦ ♦ man was only one of millions <> ♦ ruined by Democracy and free 4 ♦ trade. —Logansport Journal. ♦