The record-union., 1896-08-02
THE DENIS. AND POPS.
ARE
TRYING TO COMBINE.
Arthur McEwen on the Situation
Interesting San Francisco Gossip.

temptation of the merits or demeritS of
l6 to l to the practical question of
whether the silver forces of the country
can be united or not. The Democrats
hope SO, and the Republicans hope
otherwise. But all men who have to do
with politics on either side say conf
IDENTIFY that a modus vivendi with the
Populists will surely be arrived at: that
the Democrats will not be such lunatics
as to throw away their chances of the
Presidency by refusing an accommoda-
ton with the hill tribes who have
come down to the plains making signs
expressive of a warm desire for peace
and union. The various schemes for
sharing the electors so that in case of
success Bryan will be sure of the whole
vote, leaving Sewal and Watson to
shake the dice, as it WERE are discussed
with animation; but it is generally felt
that one Vice-Presidential candidate
would be immeasurably safer than two.
A Democratic leader spoke for nine
tenthS of his party here when he said to
me yesterday:
You can't accomplish things in poll
tics without compromise. The Populists
have held out their hand to us, and it
would be madness not to take it. They
are right in saying that they have come
more than halfway, and that it is not
reasonable to ask them to come far
ther. If after the Populists' indorse
ment Of Bryan the silver vote is not
consolidated it will be our own fault.
We shall see soon how much capacity
for leadership Bryan and the managers
OF his campaign possess. 1t is obvious
to everybody of sense that the right So
luton, the only one likely to be salts
factory all round, will be the with
drawal of Sewall. The Populists won't
have him, and we must have the sup
port of the Populists. Watson would
be perfectly satisfactory to the Democ-
racy, and that being the case, a school
boy can see that Sewall should be
dropped. Who the deuce is Sewall,
that he should ask the Democratic
party, the silver men of the United
States, TO hazard the Presidency for
his sake? He was nominated for his
barrel but now his barrel is filled with
dynamite that may blow Bryan into the
sky The old gentleman is obstinate
about this thing, naturally. Nobody
likes to own that he is a hoodoo, but
that's just what the changed situation
has turned Sewall into. The National
Committee, and more particularly Bry-
an, feel delicacy. of course, in request
ing him to come out and be crucified on
cross of Populism for the good Of the
cause, but business Is business in poll
tics as we'll as on Front street. / think
our Democratic State Committee should
hold a special meeting and pass reso-
lutions respectfully requesting Sewall
TO resign and make a great patriotic,
self-sacriicing hero of himself And I
think the party in every State where the
silver sentiment is predominant ought to
do the same thing. I'm convinced that
there will presently be action of this
kind, and mass meetings to the same
end, also, If the old man proves mulish.
The longer he delays the hari-kari the
harder it will be for him to draw the
sword across the abdomen of his am
bition. With Sewall out of the way and
a clear field for Bryan and Watson,
they will sweep the country"
A great hostility to poor old Mr.. Sc
wall is growing up in the Democratic
breast hereabout- Already he is being
cursed with a. virulence that Is more
than Populistic. But as an offset there
Is joy at the increasing certainty that a
sound-money Democratic ticket will be
put up. That, it is taken for granted,
viii divide the gold vote, and so damage
Mckinley. A Democrat, who Is going
to cast a straight Republican ballot this
year, gives another view of that feature
of the contest
Though" he said, 'T mean to swal-
low Mckinley and protection myself in
order to escape the calamity Of free sill
Yer, / know many gold Democrats who
can't screw themselves up to it. Their
intention is to stay away from the polls.
a separate ticket would get their votes,
but that would be no loss to Mckinley
Where a real Democratic, anti-silver
ticket would hurt the Bryan lunatics
would be IN gaining over those men
and they are very numerous-who from
habit and a more CT less vague sense of
party loyalty would vote the only
ticket in the field that had the Demo-
cratic label on 1t. That's why we
should have a third ticket. 1t would
catch lots, too, who can't bear to vote
for a Republican, but are just doubt
ful about silver-we'u scare mulhtudes
of warriors before November-and at
the safe side. A third ticket will be a
mighty bad thing for the Bryanftes.
OF course every intelligent gold Demo-
crat viii make his vote count for all 1t
IS worth by putting it in for McT<in-
ley"
There never was such breaking UP
OF the political ice since the Demo-
Gratis held their three National Conven-
tons in 1860. Bolting seems to have
become a rrpLlar pastime. What a
man was politically Is usually but a
slight indication of what he Is now.
Everybody sound tells me that within
the circle of his personal acquaintance
he knows many Democrats who are for
Mckinley and many Republicans who
are for Bryan. A Professor at the State
University, VINO has been a Mugwump
since Mugwumps were. informs me
that the faculty has voted pretty solidly
for Cleveland right along, and have be-
come toleuably good Democrats on ac-
count of the tariff issue. But now"
he said, we're all Mckinley men. We
know something about economic sci
ence, you understand, and something
likewise OF the worlds economic his
tory, and we can't be expected to coun-
tenance this free silver nonsense"
While the Professor was discoursing
TO me on the blind and dishonest ignor-
ance OF those who did not agree with
him, George Altman. the stage man.
happened along. He had just returned
from trip of hundred miles or so up
the coast He has always been Re
l.. T