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THE ENEMY UNMASKED
Under tho hoadlino, "Tho Enemy Unmasked,"
tlio Johnstown (Pa.) Domocrat prints tlio follow
ing editorial:
Tho voto on seating Mr. Guffoy in tho national
committee served tho main purpose of those who
insisted on forcing tho contest to a show down.
It dourly soparated the sheep from tho goats.
While ostonsihly tho voto turned on the techni
cal point that, while stato committees wero
empowered by the itogor Sullivan resolution to
fill vacancies in tho national committee, no
power was conferred upon them to create va
cancies, as was dono by tho committee in this
stato, tho roal Issue was between roaction and
progrosB, tho reactionaries winning simply be
causo tho national committee docs not now ro
fioct nor has it over reflected tho progrossivo
sontimont of tho country. Tho national com
mittee hns boon callod a Bryan committee, but
it was novor so. It was not a Bryan committee
In 189G; it was not a Bryan committee in 1900;
It was notoriously anti-Bryan in 1904; in 1908
It was but nominally with tlio Nobraskan, and
now in 1912 it openly roveals its truo quality
by a voto of 30 to 18 in favor of James M.
Guffoy and of all for which Mr. Guffoy stands.
Mr. Bryan knew precisely what ho was about
in forcing tho issuo. Tho reactionaries tried to
koop him from undertaking what they assured
him was certain to bo a losing battle. But thoy
might as well havo sought to induce him to
foroako his wifo or to disown his children. Ho
roalizoB in tho cloarost manner that tho demo
cratic party can not bo truly progressive whilo
dominated in greater or less dogreo by a reac
tionary organization; and ho found tho Guffoy
issuo ready to hand .as a test of the quality of tho
great committeo which can make or mar the
fortunes of domocracy.
It is doubtful whothor Mr. Bryan hoped at any
timo to win in this particular contest. Certainly
some of those most closoly concerned in making
it woro anything but sanguine. But they wanted
tho issuo tried out and thoy did not doubt that
Mr. Bryan would stand with them in tho face
of inevitable defeat. Ho did not flinch. Ho
recognized tho vital character of tho situation
and with characteristic courage and integrity of
, purpose ho threw down tho gage of battle and
facod tho onomy with a power and a determina
tion undaunted by tho ond foreseen. -
And now ho will carry tho issuo for final
sottlomont directly to tho people. A majority
of tho national committeo stands for Guffey and
for Guffoyism, but do a majority .of democrats
do tho same? That Is the question. And every
man In tho national committeo who stood for
Guffoy and for Guffoyism must give an account
of his stewardship to tho democrats of his stato.
Ho must dofond his action as best ho may. He
must show tho honest democrats whose suffrages
ho has betrayed that a technicality is more
sacrod than any principle and moro to bo con
sidered than tho wolfaro of tho party itself Ho
must show his constituents that in wounding
the honest domocracy of Pennsylvania he was
not at tho samo tlmo inflicting a deep hurt on
tho party in tho nation and in "vindicating" Mr
Guffoy ho was not at tho samo timo buttressing
the position of tho Roger Sulllvans, the Don-nelly-Ryans,
tho "Jim" Smiths, tho Boss Nu
gents, tho Charles P. Murpheys and other traders
and trafflckors wtjo havo used tho party as
merchandise and who euro no more for its prin
ciples than thoy do for tho ordinary decencies of
political life.
Probably for tho first time since 1896 Mr
Bryan now has the enemy within the national
organization completely unmasked. Some who
had successfully masqueraded as his friends in
tho past are now Been stripped of their disguise
and properly aligned. No possible professions
which thoy can now make will servo to offset tho
damning fact that they have given Guffey a
clean bill of health and havo dono all they
could do to enthrone Guffeyism in Pennsylvania
over tho protest of more than 300,000 loyal
democrats. Yot some would describe that as a
bad day's work which W. J. Bryan undertook
when he cast in his lot with Mitchell Palmer
and courted tho "humiliation" which tho Macks
tho Taggnrts, tho Sulllvans and the Stones ad
ministered when thoy rallied their cohorts to
tho Guffoy standard and carried joy to tho hearts
?,' tt ?nnolly-RyanB, the Dewalts, the Gri ms
tho R liters and tho Brennens in Pennsylvania
and other states. vuuui
The outcome is likely to show that on tho
contrary it was one of the best day's work Mr
Bryan ever performed. It was first of all an
honest day's work. It was done with courage
With sublime intoerr tv nf nnvnnDQ .t: ,.?r;
Wlnn in o l,ii, iL-V A'. 7,l'u.' "ltu '"J
.... w ..ifall iueu, wun indifference to
Kk IBK
The Commoner. ,
immediate results, with characteristic faith
in tho ultimato good. And today those
who havo made themselves responsible for
Guffoyism stand naked before tho people, re
vealed for what they are. There is no chance
for apologies, explanations or disguises now.
The deed is done. Its meaning "is understood.
Its possibilities are apparent. And Mr. Bryan
has seized the fiery cross and will carry it from
shore to shore in the determination to rouse an
honest and a progressive democracy to purgo
itself of an element which co'rrupts and defiles.
WORK OP THE INTERESTS
Editorial in New Philadelphia (Ohio) Times:
Notwithstanding the effort on tho part of tho
reactionary element and, the political agents of
tho "interests" to belittle and humiliate William
J. Bryan, he will bo a factor to be reckoned with
in tho coming democratic national convention.
Tho adherents of progressive ideas in govern
ment headed by the great commoner will havo
a voice in making the platform and naming the
candidate for president. The rank and file of
tho party will never submit to a surrender to
Wall street and Standard Oil interests, and a
nomination dictated by those interests will be
repudiated at tho polls as decisively as was the
nomination of Judge Alton B. Parker in 1904.
The people of the country have grown restless
under the political and commercial oppression
of the "system" and demand a radical change;
not merely a change in party name, not merely
a change from republican to democrat, nor from
democrat to republican, but an actual .change of
pollcios and methods.
Tho great principles of democracy advocated
by Bryan for the past fifteen years have become
great living truths that are justified in the minds
and hearts of the people of this nation and they
will not down, because time and experience have
demonstrated beyond dispute that they are
eternally right.
The seeds of progressive ideas sown by Mr.
Bryan fifteen years ago have taken root and
their influence is today a potent factor in both
the democratic and republican parties. It must
be understood that William J. Bryan is the
pioneer progressive of this nation and is
recognized as a world leader of progressive
ideas. He has stood in the front rank with his
face turned toward tho enemies of representa
tive government fearlessly and bravely fighting
for the interests of tho common people. Of all
tho great statesmen and leaders among living
men today, Bryan towers above them all. We
wish to take this opportunity to say, Bryan and
Bryanism are not dead.
FOLK MAKES A POINT
The message that Governor Folk carried to
the Jackson Day banqueters at Washington was
worthy of a man coming from the state that pro
duced Thomas H. Benton.
He warned democrats that the proposed new
central bank would not only consolidate the pri
vate financial energy of the country but that
its advocates also contemplated transferring to
Its keeping the financial affairs of the United
States.
It was to escape such an arrangement as this
that the democrats in the days of Jackson, Van
Buren and Benton established the independent
treasury. A later generation la not likely to
undo that work altogether.
As Governor Polk points out, many of the
reforms contemplated by the monetary commis
sion bill are needed, but if the price to be paid
for them is the abdication by government of
control over its own money matters we shall
have to endure existing evils for a long time
What is wanted in the new centralization of
the money power is not less but more public
regulation and responsibility. The monetary
commission's bill concedes too much to the
bankers and too little to the representatives of
the people. St. Louis Republic. eHeniatlves of
IN NEBRASKA
Louis Lightener, a young Columbus lawver
in niaVe S0t s,ought th0 sreat ur of attend
ing the national convention, and there "annnkw
and voting the sentiments of tho amSSSd
democracy of my district and my state but if
"i?11?1! bM the wish of the majority that I h6
called to that duty, then I promise that my vote
YOTJTUM 12, NU&BEB
S
upon every question of principle ihall be j
harmony with the progressive viewg enunciated
by the democracy of Nebraska during the past
fifteen years, and in complete accord with the
declaration of the Denver platform. As" to tho
candidates for president, I shall vote for that
one whose record shall show me that he has
been and is earnestly devoted to the cause of
progressive democracy my own definition of
progressive democracy meaning the kind which
Nebraska and Nebraskans have proclaimed and
made manifest in all the nation." Albion
(Neb.) Argus.
FIGHTING THE JOCKEYS OF PRIVILEGE
Editorial in San Francisco Star: The
courageous, stubborn, unyielding fight of Wil
liam J. Bryan against the agents and jockeys of
privilege and corruption in the democratic party
endears, him to tho hearts of all true demo
crats. Ho is still the fearless and the peerless leader
of the real democracy of this country.
The rank and file of the party look to him and
trust. him as they look to and trust no other man.
They are not interested in the nominal success
of the party under monopoly leadership; their
interest is wholly centered in the triumph of
the principles for which the party is supposed
to stand and of which Bryan is the greatest
living exponent.
They will not follow the leadership of the
traitorous John M. Guffey, of Pennsylvania, nor
of any national committee, nor of any national
convention which is dominated by such men or
which seeks alliance with such men.
It may as well be understood that no demo
crat can be elected president in 1912 who is not
actively supported for that office by William J.
Bryan; for the democrats who three times
forced his" nomination for president are in
earnest and will not bo fooled or jockeyed by
the domesticated wolves in the democratic fold.
The republican party represents special privi
lege in this country, and all supporters of privi
lege belong in that party and should be driven
into it, or at least driven out of the democratic
party. ...
There is not room in this .country, nor in any
country, for the two parties of privilege, and
if the country is to be governed by the agents
of privilege it is better that the governors should
be avowed enemies of the people republican
lions than skulking wolves, in sheep's cloth
ing, masquerading as democrats.
The foregoing suggestions are prompted by
the manly fight made by Bryan in favor of
Congressman Palmer, a democratic democrat,
against Guffey, a monopoly tool, as national
committeeman from Pennsylvania, and the com
ments of some so-called democratic papers upon
the alleged "squelching" of Bryan by the com
mittee's vote.
Bryan need not have said a word in. defense
of his loyalty to principle above every selfish
consideration, but he did truly say:
"No friend of mine need be told that I am
much more Interested in the things for which
we are struggling than I am for office." ' '
THE HYDRA SPITS IN UNISON
The United States supreme court not long ago
decided to make a hydra out of the Standard
Oil company. Now we notice that the Standard
Oil company has suddenly raised the price of
oils. How can the Standard Oil company do
that if it is actually competing in the market
with other oil companies? The answer Is
simple. It is not so competing. The trust is
still in existence and still quite as powerful as
over. It has changed its form, not its nature.
The several heads are spitting out their venom
in unison. Charleston (S. C.) News and
Courier..
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OHIO DEMOCRATS
J Democratic Progressive league,
Tnnrv at ColumbUS "
No 61 0 ll i' S .Pene( headWrters
J?,?: I,11 Harrison building, Colum
bus Ohio, secretary of the league W
W. Durbin in charge. Mr. Dwbta fle
sires to get into communication with the
that tdhm?.CratS h approve of e work
that the league has undertaken.
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