Evening star., 1895-09-03
What It Meant in the 1892 Demo-
cratic Platform.
PATFERSON'S EXPLANATION VERIFIED
The Part Played by Mr.. Whitney
at That Time.
IT WAS A "VOTE GETTER"

The contribution of Mr.. Patterson of
Colorado to the current talk about the
meaning Of the financial plank of the last
democratic national platform Is considered
interesting and important, and many poll
ticians accept 1t as an uncolored state
ment of fact. The gist of Mr.. Patterson's
statement is that although the word free
as applied to the question of coinage in
the platform was rejected by the commit
tee on resolutions, Mr.. Bayard of Della
ware, Mr.. Villas of Wisconsin and Mr.. Nc
Pherson of New Jersey, all members Of
the committee, and all recognized in the
convention of 1892 as representatives of
sound money, proposed friendship for sill
yer and voted against the insertion of the
word free" only because they feared an
injurious Interpretation might be put upon
it in popular discussion in the east. They
declared that the plank as drawn was
strong enough, and that it guaranteed
everything. without the word free that
the silver men desiI ed and were asking.
Mr. Patterson was a member Of the COM
mittee, and confesses that the rejection of
the word free made him, despite the as
surances of Mr. Bayard and his friends, as
a friend of silver doubtful of the result,
and impelled him subsequently to abandon
the democracy and support the populstic
presidential ticket. But more trustful
stood upon the platform in authorized ex-
pectation that national democratic success
would mean something substantial for the
white metal
The Party Situation.
Mr.. Patterson's story finds value In the
fact that 1t is thought to be borne out by
the party situation at that time. The de-
mocracy was out of Office, and nobody on
either side dreamed that a tremendous
revolution was impending. General Harri-
son had given the country an excellent ad-
ministration, and had been renominated
The democracy was full of fight and hope
full. but it's leaders recognized the neces-
sity of putting their best foot foremost at
every stage of the proceedings A good
platform was as necessary as good can
didate The party was divided. both as to
silver and as to the tariff. The conven-
tion. with a most difficult job on it's hands,
put its best phrase-makers on the platform
committee. The duty of these gentlemen
was trying in the extreme. They labored
long and earnestly, but after all, made one
conspicuous failure The full convention
turned them down on the tariff plank. The
plank that they reported was denounced as
an evasion In the interests of protection
and the convention by large majority
substituted for 1t the most extreme low
tariff plank ever adopted In this country.
The money plank passed muster, but only,
as Mr.. Patterson asserts. after an earnest
and q protracted controversy in committee.
Every phase of the situation was discussed
because every vote In the country was at
that time thought to be important How
will this read in the east? how in the
south: how in the west? were questions
which. according to Mr.. Patterson, the
platform committee wrestled with while
preparing the deliverance ON money.
MIR. Whitney's Part.
The part Mr.. Whitney is reported to have
taken in the discussion is also thought to
square with all of the probabilities and
with many of the actualities. Mr.. Whitney
was not member of the platform COM
mittee, but he Was so conspicuous in the
business of the convention as Mr. Cleve-
lands leading representative that his ad-
vice on all disputed points was eagerly
sought. He was consulted about the money
plank. and he Is quoted as favoring a COM
promise offered by the silver men, which he
denominated vote getter" He differed
with Mr.. Bayard, Mr.. Villas and Mr.. Nc
Pherson on the subject, but could not move
them, and at last went with them. But
Mr.. Patterson says that, eastern man as he
was and advocating sound money, Mr..
Whitney wanted the financial plank in the
platform to be a vote getter.'
This attitude of Mr.. Whitney as to money
does not differ from fis attitude as to the
tariff. He was bending his energies toward
securing the nomination of Mr.. Cleveland,
and everything else was Subordinated to
that. The reporting of the protection plank
of the platform did not disturb him. He
was willing that it be adopted, and that
Mr.. Cleveland should stand upon it. He
made no protest when that plank was re-
jeeted and the free trade plank put in its
place. He accepted that, and his candidate
was nominated on it, Why, then, the ques-
tion is asked should he have been stick
Ter as to the money plank? His one object
was to secure the nomination of Mr.. Cleve-
land. who, all Of the Cleveland men
We're then contending, was platform m
himself. Nor was this mistaken judS-
mNlt: for. as a matter of fact the cand-
dave, In his letter of acceptance and in
his other campaign utterances, did set up
views of his own.
Finer Work Needed Next Yenr.
Will as fine work" be necessary in 1896
as was executed in 1892? Finer, the poliri-
Clans believe. The finest may be necessary.
Silver in 1895 Is to run the gauntlet in con-
vention that the tariff did in 1892. Every
word of the financial plank in the next
democratic national platform will weigh a
ton. and will have to be me st carefully Sc
lected.