The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-04-16


Chicago convention, not only as to the
platform but also as TO the candidate.
There is no question about the council
held at the White. House last Friday
night. Whitney and Cleveland and
Russell Of Massachusetts and members
Of the cabinet wen tower the situation
TO determine what shall be done They
fear that they have waited too long 10
stem the silver tide.
Secretary Morton wants the executive
committee TO postpone the convention
for month, or until Aug. 4. He thinks
that by that time the Populists viii
have held their convention and the free
silver Democrats have joined them.
This show the desperate straits in which
the gold Democrats find themselves to-
day. They would fight for delay il
they dared, or if they thought they
could be successful But 10 follow Sec
rotary Morton's suggestions and ask
the executive committee 10 postpone
the convention for a month would be
a confession Of weakness that might
spur the silver men to greater efforts
TO make sure Of their absolute control
Of the party.
Today the gold men have no assur-
ance that they can control more than
New England, New York and Pennsyl-
vania. They more than doubht Ohio,
and they have no hopes whatever Of
controlling the delegations from Illinois
and Indiana. Chairman Wall of the
Wisconsin state committee promises TO
deliver that state TO the gold men, and
they hope TO control Minnesota. But
Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri and Kansas
are as hopeless as the farther west, and
so are the southern states. They have
already lost Alabama at the primaries,
and viii at the convention this week,
unless they can make a trade with
Johnson, the free silver candidate for
governor.
Hoke Smith is making a fight in Geor-
gia, but ex-Speaker Crisp has the people
with him. There will be go delegates
in the convention and the gold men can
count only 2S9 delegates as safe for gold
if the unit rule prevails. They hope
for 102 more from Kentucky, Ohio, West
Virginia and Minnesota. That would
give them only 400. or less than a ma
jority. They therefore talk of abolish
ing the unit rule, with the hope of pick
ing up districts in silver states where
the administration may control by the
use of the patronage. If they do this,
they think, they can divide all of the
and also break into the west. But if
they break the unit rule. the silver men
viii break the tWo-thirdS rule, and
sweep the board. The gold men fear
that they will not be able 10 block the
convention, and compel a compromise.
The conferences here with the presi-
dent have been as to how they could
break the unit rule and secure delegates
from silver states, or how they could
buy up whole state delegations. II is
proposed that the gold men in Alabama
shall say to Johnson, when the state
convention is held, day after tomorrow,
that the party must be united; that the
election of a governor is more import
ant than the instruction of delegates
TO Chicago. and that they shall unite
on the state tickle and divide the dele
gates 10 Chicago. II they succeed with
that plan in Alabama, they hope to fol-
low it elsewhere in the south. They
will also utilize the shouters for Whit
ney, who, by the way, are all in silver
states.
A prominent western Democrat said
Of this Whitney boom at is the most
shrewd one in the whole campaign. Mr.
Whitney has no idea of securing the
nomination. He knows he could get il
the empty hOnors of a nomination this
year are not worth what it would cost
him. But Mr.. Whitney is not averse
10 being talked about as a very popular
man, and he has a number of followers
whom he uses well while Secretary OF
the Navy, and still helps in a substan-
tial way, and they are shouting for him
They are all in silver states this year,
in the south and in the west. and he is
willing to have this boom used 10 Sc
cure uninstructed Democrats who can
be manipulated al Chicago You will
notice that Brice, Gormaa and other
silver men who are declining 10 go 10
Chicago as delegates two months ago,
are not talking that way now. They
feel the necessity of some desperate
politics 70 prevent the Democratic par
ty going TO silver, and they will be at
the convention. II the unit rule is
broken Carlisle can divide Kentucky. !
and as a candidate he may hold all the
delegates to gold. Brice can divide |
Ohio, and Palmer and Gable can divide !
Illinois. Then the administration can !
call on the federal oficeholders in every |
southern state and western states TO /
put on the clamps to secure d part of I
the delegations from each. That is I
the only hope of preventing the silver I
men from capturing the Democratic |
1t is conceded that the administration |
IS opposed to the nomination OF Morri- /
son, not because Morrison is a silver /
man, but because he is popular with the
INSTRUMENTATION Democrats. II has
been a question as TO where Colonel |
Morrison stood on the financial platform
He has not talked for the public ear
He has been ike 'Brer Rabbit" and he
lies low on the question. But Morri-
sons closest friends say that he Is not
A free silver man any more than is the
president.
One of the colonels intimate friends
said; The silver men are very friend
Y TO Morrison and he will have their
support for the nomination, even II
hey know he is not in favor OF free sill
rer. They believe that the presidency
5 not enough 10 tempt any man TO a
platform that he cannot conscientious
Y support. Cleveland accepted the
nomination four years ago on plat
orm purposely made hostile TO him.
Silver men think that Morrison viii do
he same. but that, unlike Cleveland, he
: honest enough TO abide by the plat
orm. But they are mistaken. There
ire men who will not accept nominal
ion on a platform he does not support.
'olonel Morrison viii not. He cannot
Ifford to Do SO. especially in year
when there Is no hope Of election He
annot barter his convictions for the
mpty honor Of a Democratic nomina-
ion and take the stump % advertise
himself as ready for Office under any
nd all conditions. The silver men VIII
make arlistake Il they nominate MORT
on on a is 10 I platform He viii not
cceot such a nomination