The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-12-11
Declares That the National
Democrats Must Act
Independently.
Can Neither Join the Republicans
Nor Swallow the Doctrine
of Organism.
Predicts That Many Who Voted for
the Nebraskan Will Return to
the Old Party.

INDIANAPOLIS, IND, Dec. 10.-The
National Executive Com mittee of the Ma
tional Democratic party held its first
meeting since the election at the Bates
House in this city to-day and in the even
ing enjoyed a dinner, with Henry Wat
terson as the guest of honor. The bust
ness of the afternoon was reading of the
accounts of the committee and discussing
the question of organization during the
next four years. The accounts were found
correct with balance left in the treas
ury-not large one, but enough to send
out good deal of literature before the
next Presidential paign come on.
Those present were: W. d. Bynum,
chairman; John P. Frenzel, treasurer, and
John R. Wilson of this city, the latter
holding the proxy of l.. C. Krauth of Kan
sas City; Henry Watterson. w. B. Halde-
man and George M. Dauce, all of Louis
vile; Thomas H. Clark of Montgomery,
Ala, holding the proxy of ]. NJ. Faulk-
ner; A. r. SpeIlman of New Orleans, G.
Foster Peabody of Brooklyn, John z.
Hopkins of Chicago. G. Vey Holman of
Rockland, Me-. F. w. McCutcheon of St.
Paul and William B. Given of Columbia.
Pa, holding the proxy OF John c. Bullitt
OF Philadelphia.
1t was deci ded to hold the organization
intact and to make an effort to extend it
into the States where it had no footing in
the last campaign, as well as to make it
thorough in the States where it now exists.
Resolutions were ADOPTED on the death
of John r. Fellows of New York and C. A.
Ewing OF Illinois.
AT $50 P. NJ the members of the COM
mittee sat down TO dinner in the ordinary
of the Bates House, which resolved itself
into discussion of the future of the
National Democratic party. Chairman
Bynum introduced the speech-making
with a few congratulatory remarks. Mr..
Watterson was received with applause
upon arising, and said in part:
I am in entire sympathy with the movement
which has brought you together here. OF
course there are two courses open to those of
us who are in the movement inaugurated
here at indianapolis. One is alying our
selves with the Repu blican party which
elected the President-the other is to main-
tain our own organization and use it to dis
band both of these party extremes on the one
side and the other. Manifestly we cannot
identity ourselves with the Republican party
because the Republican party is committed
to policy the results of which we can have
no faith in Mr.. Mckinley himself if he is an
honest and sincere man, and l take it for
granted he is, is also committed 10 that policy
In that event we can have nothing in common
with him.
Our movement in the beginning had for its
aim the preservation of the Democra tic party
pure and undefiled. incidentally the result
of our action assisted in the election of Mr.
Mckinley and the defeat OF Mr.. Bryan. But
in our recent position we are to follow one of
two lines, either TO act with the Republican
party or 10 reorganiZe our own party. If we
are to have a Democratic party II must be
organized upon the lines laid down by YOU
gentlemen at your convention in this city
and upon no other believe if we adhere to
this organization that In the next ighteen
months perhaps million and half or two
million OF men who voted for Mr.. Bryan will
have II o other place TO go.
see no reason why in 1900 this organiza-
ton will not be able to dictate terms to the
movement, because If the country is to go year
in and year out between these two extremes
OF seesaw, first up and then down, it is only
question of time when this mobOcracy will he
in the saddle and get hold OF the country In
that case l see the peril which some of us
prophesied during the last campaign. We
cannot stand with the Republican party and
protection, and without protection the Repub-
lican party cannot stand with us.
II has no great leader who can combine
two forces as Sir Robert Peel did in English
politics fifty years ago, when the Liberal
Unionists formed their coalition with the Con-
seryatives. tits only a question of time when
defeat will oyertake the Republican party |
Paternalism is the ia Their of protection We |
cannot follow the Republican party on those
lines, and, therefore, can see no way in which |
we can cooperate with the Republicans as the |
nionists did with the Conservatives |
and l wholly agree with this rganization |
which we have met here to-day 10 perfect 1t |
should be perfected.
We should stand by our guns. We must
work along these lines as long as we are the |
men we are. / believe our strength will in |
crease from day to day.
have just returned from long absence |
and have not yet arranged in my own mind |
any details of the work, but you gentlemen |
have already done SO. But l snail throw N.Y. |
self into ihi work as warmly and as heartily |
as l ever did in any fight in my life.
After little more general talk, the
com mittee went into executive session |
ard the subcommittee reported.