l Union, through its Supreme Council, gave
anticipatory endorsement to the Democratic candidate so early as
February. May 10th the Fusion Populists nominated Bryan, naming,
however, Charles A. Towne instead of Stevenson for the vice-presidency.
Towne withdrew in Stevenson's favor. The Silver Republicans likewise
nominated Bryan, making no vice-presidential nomination. The
Anti-imperialist League, meeting in Indianapolis after the Democratic
convention, approved its candidates, its view as to the "paramount
issue," and its position thereon.

For a time after his able Indianapolis speech accepting the various
nominations, Mr. Bryan's election seemed rather probable spite of
incessant Republican efforts to break him down. He had personally gained
much strength since 1896. There was not a State in the Union whose
Democratic organization was not to all appearance solid for him, an
astounding change in four years. An organization of Civil War Veterans
was electioneering for him among old soldiers. Powerful Democratic and
independent sheets which had once vilified now extolled him. He was
sincere, straightforward, and fearless. His demand at Kansas City that
the platform read so and so or he would not run, while probably unwise,
showed him no trimmer.

Many Gold Democrats had returned to the party. The gold standard law,
approved March 14, 1900, made it impossible for a President, even if he
desired to do so, to place the country's money on an insecure basis
without the aid of a Congress friendly in both its branches to such a
design. There was, to be sure, effort to make this law appear imperfect;
to show that Mr. Bryan, if elected, could, without aid from Congress,
debauch the monetary system. But these assertions had little basis or
effect. Silver dollars could be legally paid by the Government for a
variety of purposes; but outside holders of silver could not get it
coined, and the Treasury could not buy more.

New issues--imperialism and the trusts--seemed certain to be
vote-winners for the Democracy. The cause of anti-imperialism had taken
deep hold of the public mind, drawing to its support a host of eminent
and respected Republicans. The Democratic platform expressly named this
the "paramount issue" of the campaign. The party in power defended its
Philippine policy in the manner sketched at the end of the last chapter,
ever asserting, of course, that so far as consistent with their welfare
and our duties the Filipin