The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1895-06-20
THE DEMOCRATIC MOSES.
Whitney Backed by the Administration
for the Presidency.

istratton candidate for president. 1t is
wi.h Mr.. Whitney THAT the conservative
forces of the democratic party hope to
defelt the threatened nomination of Adlai
Stevenson and avert the danger OF q
party split. Grover Cleveland and Will-
lam c. Whitney have not met in more
than two years. and though they have
never quarreled there has been an in
terruption Of the old time friendly re-
lations The two great democrats will
meet in few weeks and talk over the
past and future. President Cleveland
will invite Mr.. Whitney to visit him at
Gray Cables, and Mr.. whitney will ac-
cept Already there is a tacit understand
ing between them, and when they meet
at Buzzard's Bay, the task Of completing
the reconciliation will be a very simple
one. AN that will be necessary is a
warm shake Of the hands and ''how-
are-you." 1t Is scarcely necessary to
add that all the preliminaries have been
carefully attended to by the skillful
hands of Secretary Lamont.
President Cleveland has no third term
ambition. He Is tired of public life. lie
wants rest, domestic peace, the pleasures
of travel, the joy of angling undisturbed
by the cares Of state. He knows as well
as any one does that the only party that
would be willing to place him in nomina,
tion would be q bblting democratic party,
a party that had sloughed off from the
main body because the main body had
declared for free silver. Mr.. Cleveland
knows this bo,ting party could not choose
a half hundred electraa voters.
Mr.. Whitney will not be so much the
candidate of the administration as of
those conservative democrats who want
to avert free silver declarations and the
disruption Of the party in consequence.
In other words. Whitney Is coming for
ward as the choice Of the clements which
believe the party can be saved from
destruction because it is yet worth say,
ing, and the administration is conspicu,
Gus among these elements.
President Cleveland Is turning toward
Whitney as q successor, not wholly on
account Of old friendship or gratitude for
what Whitney did for him three years
ago, but more because he believes Whit
ney is the man to hold THE democratic
party together and lead It to success. AS
the democratic situation is viewed In
this city and by eastern politicians gener-
ally, there Is just one chance to defeat
free-and-unlimfted41 inidependent-of-
all-other-nations silver coinage in next
years national democratic convention.
This channce lies in the direction of
international blmetallism with sop to
the silverites, plank broad enough for
everyone to stand upon, and the nomin-
alton of a candidate In whom the busi'
ness men Of the country will have i'm
plicit confidence. Whitney Is believed TO
be that man, and he has himself boldly
and shrewdly lndlcated the metnod py
which the democratic party may escape
destruction.
IL is Wen KNOWN tnroughout the east
that TINS IS tine pollcy Oh tine republican
managers. The Leading men OF tnat party
thoroughly Understand une programme'
Every possible concession IS to De made
to the silver republicans OF the west In
order to keep bhem In line, but all these
concessions will be In the resolutions.
The candidate will be known OF all men
to stand spuarely and safely for honest
mroney-McKindey, Harrison, Reed or
some other. Percefving this tendency of
the republicans toward harmony within
their ranks, democrats everywhere are
asking themselves and one another:
why should We mot do the same
thing?" 1t is wholly accurate to say
that the leading men of both parties have
no notion OF yielding to the free silver
demand. They look upon that movement
as craze, shlhully nurtured by the
nine owners, and making headway
through the country largely on account
Of the hard times and the prevailing de-
mand for change. They believe this
movement has reached Its Hood and Will
soon recede; that 1t Is even now recedins
before the growth of reason and the ap-
hpttnT hifnee
the country. The great desire of the man
aging men of both parties is to tempor-
re with the silver craze, to mollify Its
supporters, to hold their organizations In
tact, to prevent bolts and splits,
Eastern politicians are now well con-
WINGED that the republicans VIII be able
to do this. Notwithstanding uhe loud
threats OF Teller, carter ana otner MIN
Ing country republicans, It is understood
these are nor erect ana need not De re-
garded as dangerous. AS ruie the sll-
yer Republicans VINO Dark so mucn never
bite when the opportunity comes. In
the hour OF test II is beLeVed these
men Will be tolerably well sattsfied with
some clever Juggling OF words In the plat
form, and that after some grumping
they VIII go home and support the can
didates. There has been somewhat OF
change even IN the silver country since
the price of silver dropped more atten-
tl.n has been paid to gold ginning and
there is not that absolute dependence
upon the white metal that once charac-
terized the mountain states. The demand
for free coinage Is not as ferce In the
far west as some OF the professional agi-
tabors would have us believe.
Besides 1t shoald be remembered the
republican senator's, representatives or
other office holders In those states wish
first of all to maintain them selves. They
cannot afford to permit the republican or
gardzation 10 be swamped or disrupted.
The inrstint CT self-preservation prompts
them to remain loyal to the ticket, state
and national. Their present play, their
game of bluff, is designed to secure con-
cessions In the national platform upon
which they may do that very thing.
II the democratic party Is TO have any
chance OF success, IT must meet tactics
with tactics. The republicans have been
thinking about these things and those
who are not affected by the silver dis
temper believe there is a way In which
democracy may play successful check.
OF course, II the free sllverites sweep
the national convention, naming the cam
didateS and dictabing the platform, the