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About The Conservative (Nebraska City, Neb.) 1898-1902 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 22, 1900)
J3fc\ > & . ! 4 Conservative. A DEMOCRATICTKETKOSPECT. EDITOU CONSERVATIVE : I feel that I must congratulate all democrats upon the victory achieved at the polls on November 6for'.decenoy and true democracy. In the defeat of Bryan the republicans are to be commiserated for populism has already turned its back upon democracy and is again re turning to its haunts amid the miasmic swamps of republican corruption and bigotrywhere it was bred. It is a source of pleasure to every true democrat to look back over the horrid nightmare of the last four years and feel that not one democrat of those we hadTlearued to love for their'integrity , patriotism and devotion to justice , hns been tainted by the"noxious exhalations of Bryan. There is no call for "reorgan ization " .of democracy. The simoon of populism has swept over the land. De mocracy bent to the blow and now that nothing is .left of that'awful scourge ex cept low rumblings in the mountains of Colorado and "Montana , the democratic parly arises at once. Even our enemies , the republicans , have been forced to honor the steadfastness of all our lead ers to the honor of our country. Un.ui | tIy.Crlticlsc ; l. Bryan has been criticised unfairly be cause he made his bed with Oroker , Alt- gelt , Allen , Jack Ohinn and their ilk. The truth of the matter was he had no choice. Not a solitary democrat in the Union with a reputation to lose ever bent a knee to the egregious egotism of Bryan. None but those whose reputa tions , if lost , would be an undisguised blessing , could afford to associate with the peerless prevaricator of the Platte. The nation has had another lesson that no man can pronounce himself "it. " The republicans neither in 1896 nor in 1900 faced democracy. It was Bryan pure and simple. No allegiance to democracy was asked. "Any old thing" went if allegiance to "Bryan" was as sured. His monumental egotism actually imbibed him with the concep tion that his remarkable individuality was sought by the nation and he needed no party. All the campaign method needed was for him to show himself to the waiting throngs. Such conceit is without parallel in the world's history and there is no God-given ratio capable of express ing it. Wlmt Bryan has Done. Those who think Bryan was a friend to democracy should ponder , and if pos sible , conceive what greater destruction he could have wrought had he been an enemy. In 1890 by au accidental landslide that covered the whole state of Ne braska , ho was elected to congress and because he received the support of popu lists commenced his career of fusion. In 1892 he conceived his return to congress / A-- * depended upon fusion and with charac teristic egotism and selfishness com menced his attack upon democracy , not considering for one moment any result except his own success. In the democratic state convention at Omaha when the whole state was afire for Cleveland he attempted to force upon us a silver plank and fairly launch ed himself upon his career of disintegra tion and destruction. At that time we had full control of every branch of the general government. From the Hud- sou river to the Missouri and between the great lakes and the gulf ( the very heart of our empire ) there were but four states in the hands of the republi cans. The great fight for tariff reform had been fought and won. Then came the onslaught of the Bryan mob upon Cleveland. They joined the republicans in vituperation and abuse until even the cheek of Billy Mason was suffused with a blush of shame. They loaded the tariff bill with the in come tax and other weights until it sunk beneath a war of popular disapproval. The name of democracy when branded with the mark of the Cain of populism became a byword and honest democrats hid their heads in shame and the nation has trampled into the dust the infam ous conglomeration of political vagaries known as Bryanism. Democracy IB Shorn of Power. Democracy is shorn of all semblance of power in every branch of the general government. Thirteen democratic gov ernors , including those in the great states of New York , Illinois , Wisconsin and Indiana , have gone down under the storm of indignation that arose when the monster of repudiation and national dishonor raised its head bearing the stolen robe of democracy. North of the seceded states Bryan has saved from the wreck four moun tain states whose combined population is less than half of that of Nebraska. Could any less havoc have followed a campaign of bombast and class preju dice ? Today democracy stands purged of all this foul humor that has been inject ed into her system. In the next demo cratic convention not even a Nebraska hybrid will have the temerity to even hint at one of the thousand vagaries massed in the one word ' 'Bryanism. " "Great is tammany and Croker is its prophet" like all utterances of the peer less prognosticator has sounded the downfall of that engine of corruption. In the presence of the great defeat of alleged democracy the tears refuse to flow. T. M. S. JAMES H. ECKELS. James H. Eckels delivered an address last week before the Young Men's Christian Association of the Fourth Presbyterian church , Chicago. In part he said : 1 'If I were a preacher I would take for my text to night : 'Am I my brother's keeper ? ' This question has remained unanswered in scripture in order , I think , that we may all answer it for ourselves , and it is always answered in the affirmative. All the work that is done by the charitably in clined , by the religiously inclined , and that is done for the good of others , is done for the good of all. This is what helps and improves society and makes better men and better women. The home and school associations are sup posed to have a beneficial influence on the boy and girl. The church carries forward this work toward the higher Christian life. The school develops from the standpoint of practical life , supplementing the teaching received in the home not always , I am sorry to say , carrying on the religious instruc tions of the home. That something which is left out by the school , is sup plied by the Young Men's Christian Association. The greatest good accom plished by the institution is in teaching the young man to look out for his best advancement , not only with regard to his own interests , but in connection with the development of those around him. No factor is more essential in a young man's faculties which fit him for a business position than his character. Business men want to know , not only that he is honest in his work for them , but to what extent he is truthful , moral and upright toward his fellow man in his life apart from his position. If the individual is upright and truthful it is safe to say that the aggregate will be also. You must work up from the in dividual to the aggregate , not from the aggregate to the individual. The Young Men's Christian Association and such organizations , therefore , ought to have the assistance of the church. There must be a kindred feeling bet ween them. No organization , I would venture to say , has been so beneficial to the church as the Young Men's Christian Association. ' ' Business afford to men can help these institutions in a selfish way , as they make the young man a better clerk. The church should assist them as they decrease crime and drunkenness. For it seems that the country needs nothing so much as good citizens. Building up character in school , college and church is the best way to make good citizens. All must bear in mind that which is a potent fact , namely , that good does not not always come from generosity , as many generous people do little good ; nor does it come from virtue , as virtue is not always beneficial to others ; nor from scholasticism , as scholastic men are not always much good. But that in which this institution does good is in building up of character according to the example of Christ. And that work will continue to increase and spread as these institutions multiply. And as it continues , more and more strongly will come that affirmative answer as to whether we are our brother's keeper. Chicago Times-Herald , ' Y
