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The Commoner,
MARCH 13, 1903.
V
The BrooHyn Eagle Candidly Admits That the
Purpose is to Drive Kansas Oity Platform Demo
crats Out of the Parly and to Frame a Platform
2 hat Will be Acceptable to Orovcr Cleveland.
PPIBJIWompW j.'liliWMHW;iU,U,""Pl
tp The Plan of the Reorganizers.
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The Brooklyn Eaglo, ono of tho recognized
organs of the reorganizers, becomes more and
more frank in its statements relating .to the pur
poses of the Clovelandites. In its issue of March
12 the Eagle describes at some length tho program
adopted by these reorganizers. The Eagle says:
"Those democrats who oppose Bryan and
who advocate the reconstruction of democracy
with Bryanism expunged, are about to carry
that issue into the south and west. Ono of
the principal battlegrounds will be the state
of Nebraska, where Mr. Bryan still retains,
nominally at least, the control of the ma
chinery of his party. v
"Tt is proposed to crush Mr. uryan's in
fluence in his own state and to prevent at
all costs his control of the Nebraska dele-
f'gation to the next democratic national con
vention.
.Tho Eagle explains that "this plan is not only
Essential, but feasible." In order that Kansas
City platform democrats may understand the or
ganized effort to drive them out of the organi
sation and to make the democratic party so much
like the republican party that the difference will
be in name only, it will be interesting to read
what the Eagle has to say concerning the work
now under way by the reorganizers. The Eaglo
explains:
"Mr. Hill's is the executive mind in the
scheme of reorganization. For more than a
year that skillful politician has been building
up an anti-Bryan, conservative, sound money
machine in the democratic party of tho east
to be used as the nucleus of the general reor
ganization movement planned for next year.
Mr, Cleveland gave countenance to the pro
ject in June, 1902,-by appearing on the -same
platform with Mr. Hill at the Tilden club in
this city. Mr. Gorman met Mr. Hill at Sara
toga in Septomber and Mr. Olney met him in
New York in January, both acquiescing in
his plans. New England, New York, New
Jersey arid Maryland, having together ninety-three
votes in the electoral college, were
thus in alliance against Bryan at the moment
lie arrived in New York with his defiance of
the Hill-Cleveland faction. In all of the com
binations by which democratic victories have
been figured in the past, Maryland has been
allotted safe, and New York, New Jersey and
Connecticut fighting ground. Next in import
ance is Indiana. That state has been prom
ised to Hill by ex-Mayor Taggart of Indianap
olis.
"Powerful as this combination undoubtedly
is, it lacks much of control in the democratic
national convention. It is Mr. Hill's hope, if
not his expectation, that most of the dele
gates from the south will desert Bryan's
cause. To pave tho way for a southern al
liance Mr. Hill has been in communication
with prominent gold democrats of North
Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Ala
bama, Mississippi, Missouri and Texas. Tho
results aro definitely known to nobody but
Mr. Hill. It is asserted, however, on author
ity close to Mr. Hill, that every one of the
states named has been pledged to support
his policy of reorganization, Texas leading.
To make this substantial inroad into the solid
south it has been necessary to concede -the
vice presidential nomination to tho south,
assuming, to begin with, that the nominee for
president will be chosen from New York.
"Mr. Hill and his associates are convinced
that the south will in the end respond favor
ably to appeals made through its financial and
business institutions. They concede that Mr.
Bryan is strong with the rank and file of tho
southern voters, but they believe that the
most influential of tho southern leaders aro
against him. Tho candidacy of Chipf Judge
Alton B. Parker of New York, which has
been adroitly pressed in several of the south
ern states, has done much, it is claimed, to
weaken the sentimental hold whioh Bryan
had upon that section in 1896 and 1900."
In tho same article, the Eagle says that a
desperate effort" i3to bo made to carry Illinois
for the reorganizers, while a vigorous fight is also
to be made on Tom Johnson in Ohio. "Tho re
organizers believe," says the Eaglo, "that thoy
can make a clean sweep of tho states of tho mid
dle west if they are able to flrst demonstrate that
an effectivo anti-Bryan allianco exists between
the east and tho south." Tho Eaglo says that
Mr. Hill has been in correspondence with a num
ber of "democrats" in Nebraska and that ho has
determined upon a serious effort to prevent tho
Kansas City platform democrats in that state
from obtaining representation in tho national
convention.
"Referring to Mr. Bryan, the Eaglo says that
"he will riot be permitted to remain in the dem
ocracy as a focus for future dissensions. The
brightest men of tho party have decided to get
him out without more ado." And then outlining
tho platform of 1904, if these reorganizers secure
control of the national convention, the Eaglo says:
"With the disappearance of Bryan, tho question
of reaffirmation of the national platforms of 189G
and 1900 will also disappear and tho democracy
will be free to proceed with reconstruction on
lines acceptable to eastern leaders and to the
commercial and financial interests of tho coun
try." Tho Eagle explains: "It goes without saying
'that the platform of 1904 adopted under these
altered circumstances will uphold sound money,
deal respectfully with the courts and excludo so
cialism. Whatever declarations it may contain
with respect to the tariff, the Philippines and the
internal policy of the country will undoubtedly be
sufficiently statesmanlike for candidates like
Chief Judge Parker, Mr. Cleveland, Mr. Olney or
Mr. Gorman to run upon without stultification."
The Eagle further ventures tho statement
that "Mr. Hill is fond of mystery and ho makes
the most of it in his dealings with the south. He
hopes to secure the greatest possible secrecy
with respect to his campaign against Bryan, in the
south and west Tho success of his plan will
greatly enhance his power in the democratic par
ty and make him a formidable candidate if he
decides to enter the lists. That detail cannot bo
settled, ' however, until Bryan is no longer a
factor in tho party, for with Bryan in the saddle
even as the head of a small minority faction, the
nqmination of Hill or any other democrat of his
type would be likely to disrupt the democracy."
It will not be difficult for democrats to un
derstand what the purpose of these reorganizers
is with respect to the democratic platform when
they are told that that platform will be so ar
ranged that it will be satisfactory to men like,
Grover Cleveland. These reorganizers, however,
make the mistake of thinking that Mr. Bryan is
the issue. Even though Mr. Bryan could be driven
from the democratic party, even though Mr. Bry
an were dead, these reorganizers would yet have
to contend with democrats who believed in demo
cratic principles as reflected in the Kansas City
platform long before Mr. Bryan was ever heard
of and who would be found fighting in defense of
those principles regardless of Mr. Bryan's position.
It is strange that these men who are gen
erally given credit for Doing shrewd politicians
fail to recognize tho fact that Mr. Bryan is but
ono of the humble spokesmen of men who aro
sincerely committed to the principles set forth in
the Kansas City platform. If these politicians had
only Mr. Bryan to contend with it would not be
difficult for them to accomplish their purpose.
But they either do not know or they overlook the
fact that there are hundreds of thousands of dem
ocrats in this country ivho are just as devoted to
the principles of the Kansas City platform as Mr.
Bryan could possibly bo; and oven though theso
men could completely destroy tho individual
against vhom thoy aro pleased to direct their
shafts, they would yet bo required to face tho
gerat army of Kansas City platform democrats and
engago in a desperato struggle with thoso demo
crats before they could destroy the principles of
tho party.
Tho Commoner has quoted at length from the
Brooklyn Eaglo merely for tho purposo of inv
pressing upon Kansas City platform democrats
tho importance of immediate and thorough or
ganization. These reorganizers need not flatter
themselves that they are to have a monopoly on
tho fighting. The challengo they have thrown
down has been accepted by Kansas City platform
democrats. Tho issue is well defined by tho
Brooklyn Eagle when it says that if tho reorgan
izers win, tho platform will be framed to suit
Grover Cleveland; and it will' bo the duty of every
domocrat who remembers tho disaster which
Grover Cleveland's second administration brought
upon the party to buckle on the armor and en
list for tho fijght until the end of the war.
Kansas City platform democrats should or
ganize in every precinct in the United States.
There is no time to bo lost. In tho language of
one of the greatest of Americans, "The war is
Inevitable and lot it come. I repeat, sir, lot it
come."
The Commonor desires to encourage tho for
mation of democratic clubs in every precinct and
to aid theso clubs in tholr work a form for con
stitution will bo sont upon application and The
Commonor will publish from time to time sugges
tions in regard to subjects for debate.
DO NOT DELAY! ORGANIZE NOW!
The .secretary of every club is requested to
report tho organization to The Commoner, notice
of which will be given for the information of
other communities. .,
JJJ
Drawing the Line.
The old democratic party of Tilden and.
Cleveland is extinct outside the east and
south. In its place is a popullstic and social
istic aggregation which is animated by a blind
hatred of property and corporate wealth and
by an unreasoning discontent with social con
ditions and social order. This aggregation is a
menace to tho financial and Industrial stabil
ity of the land, and so long as it exists every
man of sound ideas and every man who owns
property in any form will ally himself with
the republican party if for no other reason
than the instinct of self-preservation. New
York Commercial Advertiser.
The above, from the New York Commercial
Advertiser, shows how the republican papers aro
drawing the line between .the protectibn of human
rights and the worship of Mammon. The demo
cratic party has never attacked property. It is, on
the contrary, the best friend of honestly acquired
wealth, for it distinguishes between honest wealth
and predatory wealth. Republican organs like
the Commercial Advertiser are endangering legi
timate accumulations by confusing them with tho
enormous fortunes which are being secured by
force, or cunning, or favoritism. The democratic
part' as now organized puts manhood before
money, but It also protects all wealth accumulated
without a surrender of manhood.
'
Just as soon as the special session adjourns
Mr. Quay will go fishing for tarpon In Florida
waters. Between tarpon jaunts Mr. Quay practicei
by fishing for suckers in Pennsylvania, which may,
explain his success as a tarpon fisherman.
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