172 The Campaign of 1896 



a century ago and exercise at least a limited dis- 

 cretion in casting their votes. In a State like Ne- 

 braska, for instance, it looks as though it would be 

 possible that the electoral ticket on the anti-Repub- 

 lican side would be composed of four Bryan and 

 Watson men and four Bryan and Sewall men. Now 

 in the event of Bryan having more votes than Mc- 

 Kinley that is, in the event of the country showing 

 strong Bedlamite tendencies next November it 

 might be that a split between Sewall and Watson 

 would give a plurality to Hobart, and in such event 

 it is hardly conceivable that some of the electors 

 would not exercise their discretion by changing their 

 votes. If they did not, we might then again see a 

 return to the early and profoundly interesting prac- 

 tice of our fathers and witness a President chosen 

 by one party and a Vice-President by the other. 



I wish it to be distinctly understood, however, 

 that these are merely interesting speculations as to 

 what might occur in a hopelessly improbable contin- 

 gency. I am a good American, with a profound 

 belief in my countrymen, and I have no idea that 

 they will deliberately lower themselves to a level be- 

 neath that of a South American Republic, by vot- 

 ing for the farrago of sinister nonsense which the 

 Populistic-Democratic politicians at Chicago chose 

 to set up as embodying the principles of their party, 

 and for the amiable and windy demagogue who 

 stands upon that platform. Many entirely honest 

 and intelligent men have been misled by the silver 

 talk, and have for the moment joined the ranks 



