The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-07-09
DEMOCRATS GOING
TOWARD M'K|NLEY.
Representative Men Dis
gusted With the Chi
cago Stand.
WATKINS, POND, BISHOP.
With Others They Are Out.
spoken Against Silver as the
Single Issue.
WANT A sOUND-MoNEY PLANK.
Marcus Rosenthal Declares He Will
Certainly Vote for the Ohio
Favorite.
WANT A soUND-MoNEY PLANK.

Although the Democratic Convention
now in session at Chicago has not yet
adopted platform or named candidate,
the indications are conclusive that strong
16 to 1 silver plank Will be placed in the
declaration of principles of the party. and
that the Presidential nominee will have to
stand firmly on this platform.
Already many strong gold Democrats
are crying out against what they do not
hesitate to call the suicidal policy that has
been foreshadowed in the proceedings at
Chicago, and some have gone so far as to
declare outright for Mckinley. gold and
protection, while others, more partisan
and less patriotic, have announced their
intention of remaining passive during the
campaign, and of refraining from voting
at the election in November.
There is a promise that there will be a
large detection from the Democratic ranks
owing to the attitude of the party on the
financial question, and that the voting
strength of the Republicans will be aug
mented proportionally.
a. A. Watkins. formerly chairman of
the local Democratic committee of 450,
was odtspoken against silver, its advo-
Gates and its evils, and broadly intimated
that events at Chicago might compel him
to cast his vote for the nominee of the Re-
publican Convention, which is before the
country with platform in favor of protec-
ton and gold.
1.-The nomination of a observation-disclosures
candidate at Chicago will simply mean
defeat for the Democratic party" he be-
gan. al don't think it possible for the
nar, 10 nv ~ al
silver candidate or one favorable to the
free coinage of silver.
''I think such nomination on the part
of the Democratic Convention will drive a
great many Democrats into the ranks of
the Republican party. In my limited &C.
quaintance I can count up twenty-five
stanch Democrats who have declared
that they will remain passive during the
campaign if they don't go over to the
other side.
'They can't carry on the campaign" he
added, Every effectively without the
sinews of war, and they will not be forth
coming in this campaign as they have
been heretofore.
81 am of the opinion that the 300 gold
men will nominate a candidate on gold
platform and that we will have a repeti-
ton of 1860, when the Democrats split up
at Charleston. the Northern faction
naming Douglas and the Southern faction
Breckenridge. We will have two wings of
the Democratic party opposed to each
other, and the result will De the election of
Mckinley.
81 shall not vote for Presidential can
didate on platform indorsing the free
coinage of silver at any ratio. 1t is a
heresy, the same as was the greenback fad.
Many will remember Vallandingham and
Pendleton. They were prominent Demo-
Gratis of Ohio, but they were buried in
their attempt to carry out a green back
policy. Silver is a similar heresy that
will carry down politically those who ad-
vocate it
al have never failed to vote for Demo-
crat all my life, and have always sup
ported the Democratic ticket, but the
party has changed so much that there is
now nothing left of Democracy but the
trademark.
al shall not take any active part in the
campaign. One strong principle of the
Democratic party has been its opposition
to class legislation, and most assuredly
the free coinage of silver as advocated is
claas legislation.
"Many Democrats express themselves
similarly to what I have said, but they
don't like to leave the party: yet they
can't stay with it under the circum-
stances"
"shall you vote for McKinleya" was
asked.
II am not prepared at this time to say,
but circumstances may arise that might
compel me to do so. At present 1 can
only say that / have determined to remain
passive"
Il regard the declaration for silver at is
to as great misfortune to the party"
said ex-Supervisor James Denman 81
have done all could, both in the conven-
ton at Sacramento and elsewhere, to
avert what seems to me a disaster, but
we must do the best we can. have been
Democrat forty-five years, and 1 certainly
shall not vote for Mckinley.
''The people have gone wild over silver,
and there are comparatively few Demo-
cratic gold votes. A number of Demo-
Gratis will refuse to support silver, but there
will be more disguised Republicans who
will not vote for gold. This silver ques-
ton places the Democrats in a peculiar
position. T ey have been fighting against
the protective system. which makes richer
those already rich, and now they have to
choose between high protective tariff and
free silver. Although many declare they
will not vote for any free-silver man,
nevertheless when the election day comes
| believe few will vote for Mckinley.
ut looks to me-" continued the ex-
Supervisor, lapsing into prophecy, "as
though Teller would be the nominee of
the convention, and ! believe Teller could
be elected. The Populist vote will decide
the contest, and if the Democrats put up a
man who will draw the Populist vote the
Democratic nominee will be elected The
Democratic and Republican parties have
long been pretty evenly matched, and the
100000 Populist votes are sufficient to
turn the scale either way. If the Demo-
Gratis put up Teller or even Bland they
will get the Populist vote and elect their
man. If they do not the Populists will
put up man OF their own, and that means
McKinley's election.
"a number of conservative oold narno-