Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1896-08-27

list of the Connecticut Democrats who by
or place have, during the last |
twenty years. shaped the partys work |
so as to acquire their title of leaders in a |
State, as well as more localized, sense, |
probably so per cent would be found to- |
day in open alignment against Bryan
1t is. indeed, with the utmost difficulty,
in running over such list, that one can
find an old leader. in any elevated mean
ing of the term whatever. who has not
Joined in the anti-Bryan revolt. It's
strength is also shown by the fact that il
has drawn positively to itself great body
of Democratic politicians, including the
regular Stae committee, and of the few
who are left out a considerable number
are silent on the political fence. Such
Bryan leaders as there are belong, almost
without exception, to the municipal Office
holding class-few of them genuine silver
men, but using the Bryan idea of regu-
larity as n lever of personal ambition for
the occupancy or control of minor offices.
In Connecticut the system of minority
representation in towns and the bi-pnrti-
san plan foisted on many of the cities by
Republican Legislatures have made the
mastership Of local Democratic machines
usually equivalent TO the control of half
the local offices or nearly so. This single
fact explains a certain activity of the
Bryan movement among the Democratic
municipal spoils seekers in certain parts
of the State which has absolutely no re-
lation of principle to Bryan or free-silver
interests save MS it has drawn to itself
u small and scattered number of adj
hcrcnts of him and his dogma. His nomi-
nal followers in this State are not work
ing for him. hut for themselves and for the
local fiesll-pots, together with such fed
eral flesh-pots as might fall in should he
be elected.
The BryHn men, recognizing the i'm
mense odds against them of Democratic
leadership, have already begun the mass
against class" cutlery. They are trying to
belittle the movement as a revolt of
"brigadicrs" against the rank and file,
who. they say. will be heard from at the
caucuses and the State convention. and
turn the old leaders out. In it's i'm
mediate bearings, therefore, now that in
the contest for the State committee the
Bryan men have been worsted. the stua-
tion resolves itself into struggle for con
troll OF the State convention with, in
| general, the lower orders of Democratic
|
| on the one hand, arrayed against the
middle and upper group of voters. most
ct the party's State mechanism, it's in
| telllsence' its wealth, and its newspapers
on the other. A distinction NOT so clearly
marked'is that of the lower orders of the
| Democratic voters of the cities and factory
towns against the rural voters of the same
party. The contest between the elements
| For gNtt,, -
meet u month hence promises to he
most intense and bitter, and the result
more uncertain than it would have beer
nut Tor the enlargement of the delegations
TO the convention from the larger town.
which was adopted by the Democrats {
few years ago, in order to square thei
party with the issue of reformed repre-
scntation in the State Legislature.
But whether the National Democrat
or the Bryan Democrats capture the mex
convention. Il holt from it of the de
feated is almost certain, and the Bryan
men are already preparing for such q re
verse by planning for conference am
for an executive committee, follnwin,
the precedent of the gold-standard Demo
Gratis mt New Haven. The split seem
inevitable and the cleavage likely to h
to the very bottom of the party organiza
ton and involve State ticket Congress
men, and very likely in many district
candidates for the Legislature also. A
nearly all the towns in the State he'll
local elections on the first Monday il
October. we may have at the polls il
many places, month in advance of tn
Presidential election, a Democratic pre-
ludc of party discussions. Moreover, n
matter how the conflict in the convention
results, each town committee in the Stat
must be nest of discord between amt
Bryan aud Bryan men, and the depth an
duration of The schism, in present stat
of affairs where neither side even sus
EeSts compromise, no man can estimate
II is not chimcrica TO suppose that til
Chicago lunacy may even result in som
, radical and permanent rccastings of pa
! ties in this State. 1t is true, at leas
that in their present mood il is hard [
. see how for good while the anti-Brya
. and Bryan groups can get toScthe
i Which of those groups will poll the larg,
+. vote at the next election is questio
turning partly upon the control of II
convention and through il of the cXistir
party organism. But the National Dem
( Gratis, even il thrown ont in the Sta
CbHN'Hlibu, are sure 10 nave lnplr DuliO
y in every voting district of thc STATE.
a The sccrct-ballot law offers little or
o obstacle to the second Democratic tick
n in Connecticut. In fact, should the AM
n Bryan Democrats carry the State co
k vention, they probably would he entitl,
;. TO the name Democratic" nj the head
|, the quasi-oflicial ballots. with the co
Is siderable advantage thereby implie
n while, should they lose the conventio
I. the title National Democratic" cou
81 undoubtedly be used legally. With maj
J. of the requirements of the law still vag
N and complex, the division of the Dem
p cratic party means probably many il
ii perfect tickets which TO insure legal
must have the names of candidates
). all places printed upon them. II is tr
IT that in the Phean-W Walsh case the S
RS preme Court of the State in 1892 dccid
that the Judge of Probate blank" I
not vtiate the ballot. But in that ca
the court exactly reversed its finding
IN the Talcott-Philbrick case of two We,
SIS before, and tribunal which has sin
a. changed its party complexion might
10 verse it's reversal. While it is not pos
a. BILE 10 use the envelope voting law to
a clude or even impede very much I
is National Democrats, the party split m
cause much general confusion in the cou