Evening star., 1896-04-06
The Most Prominent of Available
Compromise Candidates.
WOULD Be A PLATFORM IN HIMSELF
His Chances if There is No Split
at Chicago.
A POS IBLE ASH

Discussion of the Chicago convention
brings out two propositions, which are
stated with some emphasis:
a. If the gold standard wins, the silver
democrats will either bolt outright, or else
sulk through the campaign.
(2) If free silver wins, the gold demo-
Gratis will either bolt outright, or else sulk
through the campaign.
Obviously, therefore, If a split is to be
avoided, 1t would appear to be necessary for
the democrats at Chicago to write a COM
promise platform. each faction conceding
to the other something for the good of the
party as whole.
But compromise platform will call for
compromise candidate, and where shall this
man be found? Some of the most eminent
Of the democratic managers are weighing
this question with care.
Carlisle Too Pronounced.
Mr.. Carlisle's candidacy-and his letter
will not take him out Of the calculation
calls for an unequivocal declaration as to
money. His position on that subject is thor
oughly well defined. 1t IS assumed that he
would not change it to secure even a presi-
Dental nomination. He stands not only for
sound money, but for all of the administra-
tion's acts in support of the administra-
tion's Interpretation of sound money. His
nomination would indorse the gold standard
and the sale of bonds to replenish the de-
pleted gold reserve. he could not, 1t Is held,
stand on a platform declaring for free silver,
even with that qualifying clause of an in
ternat1onal agreement attached.
Gov. Boies Out of 1t.
The candidacy of Gov. Boies is quite as
definite on the other side. lie himself leaves
nothing In doubt on the subject. He Is for
free coinage at 16 to 1. He will not go 10
Chicago as delegate. even, except upon a
declaration in favor of free silver by the
Iowa democracy. 1t is plain enough, then,
that Gov. Boies could not stand on a plat
form that would answer Tor Mr.. Carlisle.
Free coinage, therefore, or Gov. Boies stands
aside.
Some Available Democrats.
But there are democrats who could stand
on a compromise platform, and their claims
are now being canvassed by their friends.
Gov. Matthews Of Indiana, ex-Gov. Camp
bell of Ohio, ex-Gov Pattison of Pennsyl-
vania and Col. William R. Morrison are on
this list. They are all men of ability ard
democrats of recognized worth. Geograph-
ically, they are well located, living in the
great middle secticn. where the arguments
of both the extreme east and the extreme
west receive respectful hearing. 1t may
be called compromise section, and well
suited to produce compromise national
candidate On a compromise national plat
form.
Col. Morrison the Most Prominent.
The most eminent of these men Is Col.
Morrison, and the politicians are discussing
him with interest today. He has been SO
long in the public eye, and Is SO well
known, it is not q difficult matter to sum
him up as candidate. He stands for tar
iff reform-is the author, indeed of the
policy-he has a conservative record as to
silver, and he served during the civil war
in the Union army. His friends say of him
as those of Mr.. Mckinley do of him, that
he " ould be a platform in himself
The Administration Opposed to Him.
But the mos. interesting point is thought
to be the likelihood that clash may come
at Chicago over Col. Morrison between the
administration and anti-admnistration
men. 1t is matter of common knowledge
that Col. Morrison never goes to the White
House. He and the President are not on
good terms, and there is widespread be-
lief that the Morrison candidacy is un-
welcome to the President. 1t so happens,
too, that prominent among Col MorriSon's
admirers and supporters is Senator Hill,
who is going to Chicago at the head of the
New York delegation, and as such will cut
an important figure in the proceedings.
as compromise candidate? And If he
does, will the administration forces antag-
onize him?
Carlisle Friendly to Him.
A clash of this kind would, it is thought,
very greatly embarrass one member of
the administration. Mr.. Carlisle and Col.
Morrison have always Sustained the most
cordial relations toward each other. They
were N perfect agreement while in Con-
gress together on all public questions, and
when Mr.. Carlisle became Speaker of the
House In the Forty-eighth Congress- po-
sition he attained through the active as
sistance of Col. Morrison-he made the
Illnoisian chairman of ways and means
There is a belief, therefore, that if fight
should be made in the administra tion's
name at Chicago on Col. Morrison, Mr..
Carlisle would not be in sympathy with it.
The two men have remained friends de-
spite the lack of good feeling, between the
President and Col. Morrison, and it is not
thought that their relations are likely to be
disturbed by anything that may take place
VIII