The record-union., 1896-08-03
GRAVBST IN THE
COUNTRY'S HISTORY.
Exceeding In importance the Crisis Of
1850.
Bourke Cochran's Views on the Politi-
cal Situation.
He Regards the Success of the Silver
Movement as an lrreparable Injury
to the Country and Favors Another
Democratic Convention and New
Platform Declaring for Sound
rloney, But Thinks No Other NOM
nations Are Necessary.

NEW YORK, Aug. 1.-THE Sun" to-
morrow will publish the following in
terview with the Hon. Bourke Cochran,
who returned from Europe to-day:
What is your opinion of the political
situation?"
II regard it as the gravest in the his
tory of the country, exceeding in I'M
portance the crisis of 1860. The seces-
sion movement was but an attempt to
divide this country between two gov
ernments, each designed to protect
property within the limits of it's juris-
diction. The movement launched at
Chicago is an attempt to paralyZe In
dustry by using all the powers of gov
ernment to take property from the
hands of those who created it and place
it in the hands of those who covet 1t.
This is a question of morals as well as
of politics. No political convention
can issue valid license to commit Of
fenses against morality, and l decline
to follow Mr.. Bryan in crusade
against honesty and the rights of Ia
bor.''
DO you mean that you will actively
oppose the Democratic party, or alb
stain from an active support of it?'
In a contest for the existence of civil
liZation no man can remain neutral.
Whoever does not support the forces of
order aids the forces of disorder. If I
can do anything to thwart a movement
the success of which regard as an ir-
reparable calamity. not only to this
country, but to civilized society every
where, 1 shall certainly do it,
hof do tp1y of To Sc,
action in indorsing the ticket?'
Il simply cannot understand it. They
opposed the platform at Chicago on the
ground that it was an assault on the
integrity of the Nation. They decline
to ratify it even now, which shows they
have not changed their opposition to
it, Yet they have indorsed the candi-
date who stands upon it, and whose
election will mean that the platform
which they have denounced as a sin
gular combination of lunacy and viii
lainy shall be incorporated into the
laws of this country
will you support Major Mckinley
outright, or do you favor the nomina-
ton of another Democratic ticket?"
Il believe that all Democrats who are
50 thoroughly in favor of sound money
that they place the defeat of Bryan
above the success of any organiza ton
or party should meet in convention for
the purpose of considering the form and
method by which they can give the
most efficiency to their motion.
For my part, 1 don't believe that the
nomination of other candidates for
President and Vice President however
eminent and deserving they might be
personally or politically would serve
any useful purpose. Nobody believes
they could be elected, and any Demo-
crat whose hostility to Populism and
Republicanism would not allow him to
support either Bryan or Mckinley
could show his opposition to both by
remaining at home on election day
quite as well as by voting for third
ticket. 1t would be more convenient to
himself individually and would not Gre
ate a visible separation between him
self and his party.
Nevertheless, it is very important in
q movement of this character that men
intending to rupture the party ties of
a lifetime should be sustained by a
sense of association among themselves.
That end could be attained by the
adoption of platform declaring for
sound money; against extravagant ap-
preparations; in favor of economical
administration in every department of