Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-08-31
Fierce Contest Between Two Wings
of the Democratic Party.
A SHARP STRUGGLE FOR REGULARITY
The Result CIouded With Doubt at
This Stage.
RING UP PLACES


VI
OMAHA, August %, 1896.
The fight between the two wings of the
Nebraska democracy, which was first pre-
cipitated by William ]. Bryan in the state
convention at Lincoln. October 4. 1890. Vas
grown in proportions and bitterness from
that day to this When, in the state con-
vention in Omaha in September, 1894 Mr..
Bryan as leader of the silver democrats
surrendered the convention to the Lopulists
and Endorsed most of the popuiist state
ticket, the administration democrats walk
ed out of the convention and formed a
separate and distinct organization. The re-
suit OF this split was the nomination last
fall Of T. J. Mahoney for the supreme
berch by the administration wing and the
nomination of c. J. Phelps by the silver
wing of democracy for the supreme bench
The relative strength Of these two factions
was clearly shown by the vote given these
two opposing democratic nominees. Ma
money received something over $4,000 Votes,
while Phelps, the silverlte, received 10000
odd votes.
The siverites applied to the supreme
court to prevent the administration demo-
Gratis from getting place on the official
ballots. The ruling OF the court in this
case was to the effect that the secretary
or state could not elect Of his own motion,
which OF two certificates should be recog
ganlzation where two factions were con-
tending for the same designation. This
case however, was not formally decided
until June 2 1896. In the case of Phelps VS..
Piper, In which the court says: 1.-The legis-
lature has not provided any means for de-
termining such controversies. Political
parties are voluntary associations for po-
ht1cal purposes. They establish their own
rules. They are governed by their own
usages. Voters may form them, reorganize
them. and dissolve them at their Will. The
voters ultimately must determine every
such question. The voters constituting
party are indeed the only body who can
finally determine between contending fac
tons or contending organizations. The
question Is one essentially political and not
judicial"
The Fight Renewed.
The issues In the present campaign have
intensified the differences between the two
democratic factions in this state. Each
will nominate electoral and state tickets
The gold democrats will call a convention
to nominate such tickets soon after the In
danapolis convention. The siverites are
more emphatic than ever in asserting that
the sound money democrats have no stand
ing as party. and. therefore. are not en-
titled to place on the ballot. The gold
democrats, on the other hand. contend
that they have better right to a designa-
ton the ballot as democrats than have
they quote the decision of the supreme
court above outlined. They also ellege.
and expect to be able to prove. that the
so-called silver democratic convention Is, in
fact, a populiSt convention. And on this
point they will fortify themselves with a
vast array of facts and atfidavits. They
further argue that inasmuch AZ the SUI
pIeme court decided that the voters must
decide this question at the polls, all they
have to do, in case Of new proceedings. is
to present to the court the official report of
the result Of the election last fall on candi-
dates for the supreme bench. These re-
ports give the gold democrats about 5000
plurality over the silver democrats.
The silver wing of the party, upon advice
of its leaders. will within few days after
the gold convention in this state, formally
protest against the secretary of state Civ
ing the candidates of that convention a
place on the official ballot designated IS
democratic candidates. Their contention
Will be that while the supreme court dccis-
lon of last June may have been sound at
that stage of the proceedings. the action of
the national convention at Chic ago in de-
clning TINS perpiexing question ought to be
conclusive to the minds of the supreme
court justices. and that the court cannot
go on interminably referring this disputed
question to the people. In support of this
ground they Will quote as preceden. a line
of cases III the New York supreme court
which justifies the new position thew pro-
pose to assume before the supreme court
Of this state.
War to the Knife.
Chairman c. ]. Smyth of the silver dem
ocrat state central committee said today
that he would oppose with all his might
any effort on the part of the so-called gold
democrats to get a place on the official
ballots this year. He believes that in view
of the action of the national convention,
the supreme court Of this state will finally
determine the question as between the
two rival democratic factions, and he is
not ready to believe the court can con-
sistently disregard Its responsibility in the
matter and remand the case to another
adjudication at the polls.
Chairman Euclid Martin Of the state CEN
trail committee of the gold democrats
laughs at the idea of the slverites going
before the supreme court again in this
matter. He says the sllverites are simply
populists-nothing more nor less; that the
gold democrats of this state number the
OLD democrats who organized the party in
this state and who have the traditions Of
the party from its earliest organizat ton,
forty years ago, in Nebraska. He scouts
the idea Of the possibility that the supreme
court of this state can be induced to re-
verse Its decision of last June.
The gold delegation to the Indianapolis
convention will go to the hoosier capital
expecting to vote for Watterso1 and Bragg
as the standard bearers of the third party
movement. 1t has been the hope of the
gold democrats of Nebraska the past
month that the Candidacy OF Secretary ].
Sterling Morton might meet with general
favor throughout the country, and it was
the expectation that the Nebraska delesa-
ton at Indianapolis would be able to sup
port Morton's candidacy from trst to last
The Secretary, however wrote a letter the
ether day to Euclid Martin, state chair
man. In which he positively stated that he
would not allow his name to go before the
conven ton and requested Mr.. Martin to do
all in his power to induce the delegates to
see to it that his name was not used at In
diaI apolis in that connection.
WattcrsOn and Bragg.
This is unquestionaDly very great dis
appointment to many Of the gold demo-
Gratis here. and in an informal caucus the
other day among the delegates and lead
ing democrats Of this city a very pro-
nounced sentiment was expressed by q
majority in favor of Watterson and Bragg
With respect to this ticket w. D. Nc
Hugh, a prominent sound money democrat
here and q close friend Of j. Sterling Nor
tons, said that he was heartily in favor
Of Watterson and Bragg. II believe" he
said, that Watterson would make a cam
paign that would stir the whole country.
He has faculty of coming words and
phrases that would become slogans all over
the United States. He would break the