The San Francisco call., 1896-08-07
CALLING FOR HELP.

The silver Democracy at Chicago Knocked
at Hill, hooted at the name of Cleveland,
denounced every conservative leader of
the party, read them out of the ranks, and
proudly proclaimed the intention of play
ing lone hand. Never IN recent history
did any faction of any party in any coun-
try more loftily assert itself to be the
Julius Caesar of politics and set forth more
jauntily to bestride the narrow world like
a Colossus.
Not a month has passed since that os-
tentatious assertion of power, not time
enough as Tom Reed says to ripen a
strawberry, and behold this Julius Cesar
finding itself drowning in the rising food
OF public condemnation, stretches out its
hands to German, to Hill, to Cleveland,
and with wall of agony cries out, .Help,
Gassius, or l sinki' Did modern politics
ever show a more speedy collapse of vanity
than this. or a more striking example of
Cesar forced to confess his mortality at
the very moment he was posing in the at
titude of god2
How long has it been since Democracy,
flushed with rage against American in
dustry, denounced German for opposing
the extreme free-trade features of the
Wilson tariff? How long has it been
since Democracy, in alliance with Popu-
ism, denounced Hill for opposing the
socialistic income tax? How long has it
been since it denounced Cleveland in both
houses of Congress, in State conventions
and in the National Convention? All
these denunciations are matters of recent
occurrence. They are fresh in the minds
of men. Cleveland, Hill and German feel
as yet the sting of them unabated, and
now these men are asked to come forward
to save their traducers and give help to
the boasters who not only beat them with
stripes, but Dragged of it afterward.
Cleveland, Hill and German in their iso-
lation from their party form strange
combination. Hill tried his best to defeat
Cleveland for the nomination in 1892 and
did send to the convention a New York
delegation against him. Cleveland dur
ing the controversy over the Wilson tariff
denounced German as traitor to the peo-
pie who elected him. Hill and German
as rivals for leadership in the party have
been bitter foes for two years. Each there
fore is the enemy of the other two. They
now find themselves set adrlft on the po-
while each is wondering what he can do
to save himself and drown the other two,
10 there comes to them the wailing cry of
the captain of their Democratic ship,
Come aboard and save US.
The whole episode shows not only
the lack of harmony among Democratic
leaders, but the utter want of self-respect
among those who headed the free silver
fight. After denouncing the Eastern lead
ers they now 60 on their knees and beg
help. If there is anything Cleveland, Hill
or German wishes in the way of promise
at this time he can have it. julius Cesar
amid the waves will concede anything to
Cassius. 1t will be in vain after this that
silver Democrats talk of throwing over
Clevelandism, TammanyIsm and the Cor
man machine. They have found already
that they are incomplete mt to manage pol
itics and whichever of the old leaders will
respond to the appeal for help can have
the captains trumpet and take possession
of the ship.