The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-04-19
He Hopes to Save Illinois Democracy
from Wreck on the Hinrfchson-
Stevenson-AIteeId Rock.
HIS OBJECT A SELFISH ONE
SECRETLY LAYING ROPES FOR THE
PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATION..
His Chief Fear Is that Gresham May
Pians-Bryan TO Cleveland.
special TO the Indianapolis journal

Special to the Indianapolis journal.
WASHINGTON, April 1s.-All eyes are
turned to Illinois, where, on the 5th day
of June, the silver and the anti-silver ele-
ments OF the Democratic party will meet
in battle. If the silver men carry the con
vention. and is to / platform is adopted
similar free-silver wave is expected to
sweep al over the West and Southwest, and
the irreconcilable conflict in the Demo-
cratic party will have begun. The success
of the Stevenson-Altgeld- -Hinrichson COM
bination in Illinois will mean the immediate
meeting of conventions in Indiana, Iowa.
Kansas Missouri and all the Southern
States and the subsequent election of free
silver delegations to the national Demo-
cratic nominating convention next spring
Hence the convention called for Springfield
on June promises to make history for the
Democrats.
Col. "Bnp' Morrison, tile president of
the Interstate-commerce Commission and
avowed candidate for the bootless nom
inaton for the presidency in 1895, has al
ready gone out to Illinois to stem the tor
rent if possible. Colonel Morrison left
Washington days before Mr.. Cleveland
wrote his letter. Time was when Colonel
Morrison was absolute dictator of all
southern Illinois, where the free-silver SEN
timent is strongest now. He will work with
all his old-time energy to defeat the pro-
gramme for a free-silver platform. His
friends in Washington concede that he has
on his hands the fight of his life. Mr. Nor
rison is practically making the presidential
nomination campaign. If he is defeated,
and the Springfield convention consists of
free-silver delegates, then Mr.. Morrison
steps out of the contest for the presidential
nomination, for he recognizes that free
silver platform at Springfield in June
means free-silver delegation from Illinois
to the national convention, and in that
event he will not permit his name to go
before the convention. If, on the other
hand, he can defeat the free-silyer men in
this battle he will have won his fight in
Illinois and will have thus established all
over the country record on sound
money which, taken with his tariff
record in Congress will easily entitle him
TO whatever glory may fall to the standard
bearer of the Democratic party in 1896 Mr..
Morrison's defeat next June of course
means Vice President Stevenson's success,
for free-silver delegation from Illinois to
the next conventiea VIII mean Mr., Steven
sons nomination.
Mr.. Morrisons friends in washington are
not enthusiastic over the assistance which
they might be supposed to expect from
President Cleveland's letter. and they open
ly express their dread lest Controller of the
Currency Eckels First Assistant Postmas-
ter-generaI Jones or any other high admin
istration officer from Illinois should not go
out into the campaign. The administration,
they say, is so intensely unpopular in Illi-
nos that the mere appearance of any of
its representatives will be productive of
told injury. The rumor that Secretary of
State Gresham proposes going into the State
o,o1I~- olo y q
time Mr.. Gresham has ever appeared on the
stump in Illinois as a Democratic speaker
and Morrison Democrats expect only the
gloomiest results from his presence. Indeed,
it is intmated that one of the reasons for
the visit of ex-Representative Cable, who
is the Illinois member of the national com
mttee, is to prevent the coming OF any of
the administration people, and above all
Secretary Gresham, into Illinois. Mr.. Cable
holds the exceedingly difficult and delicate
position of being a friend of both Mr.. Nor
rison and Mr.. Cleveland, which two states
men, it is we'll known, never speak.
President Clevelands 5 friends are not con-
cerned over the speculations OF Mr.. Morri-
son boom and the Matthews boom with
preme indifference. They maintain that Mr..
Cleveland is to-day, after years of constant
criticism by the ablest political leaders in
his party, easily the strongest man of his
party and that he wi will eventually a whip his
tariff issue. They recall that, in
1887, Mr.. Cleveland was leagues
ahead of his party, but that, instead of
turning back to meet the party he COM
PEELED his party to come 10 him. And they
predict the same mastery in this Instance,
conceding that this time, like the time be-
fore, the presidency will probably be lost
in the interim.
Meanwhile Mr.. Morrison's friends claim
to feel hopeful, if not buoyant. Under the
appointment of delegates arranged by
Chairman Hinrichson. in the call for the
convention Cook. county, which includes
Chicago, will be entitled to between seven
hundred and eight hundred delegates. This
substantial group of votes will be practical
ly in the hands of ex-Mayor Hopkins, who
is in full accord with Mr. Morrison. Mr..
Morrison himself hopes to save something
from the general wreck of the party in the
State, so that there seems some reason
for the belief of the Morrison men that if
their leader cannot wholly defeat the pur-
pose of the convention and turn 1t into
sound-noney meeting he can al least pre-
vent the adoption of uncompronlsing 16
to 1 silver plank and adopt instead some
well-sounding, meaningless silver platitude
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