The sun., 1896-08-03
COCHRAN FOR M'KINLBY
Free Silver Movement a Con-
spiracy Against Wages.
is FOR A THIRD PLATFORM
And Endorsement of Mckinley
Electors by a Democratic
Convention.

bryan Is CrusndinE Against Honesty naa
the Rights OF Labor. and whoever Does
Not support the Forces or Order Aids
the Forces OF Disorder-For Himself ne
EnIists on tho Side of CIviIizntion-Can.
not Understand Tammany's Attitude In
Crisis Graver than that OF 1890.
The Hon. Bourke Cochran arrived from
Europe Saturday on tho American liner
Paris. He has enlisted for the fight against tho
forces of disorder behind the Chicago ticket and
platform. and for national honor. sound money,
and the rights of labor. His views Of the polit-
ical situation and of the best course that lies
open to the genuine Democracy Of tho country
are given in the following interview held with o
representative of THE SUN:
Q.-what 10 your opinion Of the present polit-
ical situation2
Al regard 1t as the gravest in the history OF
the country. exceeding in Importance the crisis
| OF 1860. The accession movement was but an
attempt to divide this country between two
Governments, each OF them designed to protect
property within the limits Of its Jurisdiction.
Tho movement launched at Chicago is an at
tempt to paralyZe industry by using all the
powers of Government to take property from
the hands OF those who created 1t and place IL
in the hands of those who covet it. This is o
question OF morals as we'll as of politics. No
political convention can issue valid license to
| commit offences against morality, and decline
to follow Mr.. Bryan in a crusade against hon.
esty and the rights Of labor.
Q.-Doyo mean that you will actively oppose
tho Democratic party. or abstain from active
support OF it?
Am II contest for the existence Of civiliza.
tiOn remain neutral WhoevaP
does not support the forces of order aids tho
forces OF disorder. II l can do anything to
thwart a movement, the success of which
would regard an irreparable calamity not
only to this country but to civilized society
everywhere, shall certainly do it,
Q.-What do you think Of Tammanys action
in endorsing the ticket7
Al simply cannot understand II. They
strongly opposed the platform at Chicago on
| the ground that it was an assault on the integ-
rity OF the nation. They decline to ratify It
| even now which shows they have not changed
| their opinion of It. Yet they have endorsed
! the candidate who stands upon it. and whose
| election will mean that the platform which
| they have themselves denounced as singular
combination OF lunacy and villaiuy shall be in
corporated into the statute law OF this country.
Own you support Major Mckinley out
right or do you favor the nomination of an
other Democratic ticket?
Al believe that all Democrats who are so thor
oughly in favor Of sound money that they place
the defeat of Bryan above the interests of any
organization or party should meet in conven-
tion for the purpose of considering the form and
method by which they give the greatest
efficiency to their opposition. For my own part,
do not believe that the nomination of other
candidates for President and Vice-Presidept,
however eminent and deserving they might be
personally or politically, would serve any useful
purpose Nobody believes they could be
elected. and any Democrat whose hostility both
TO Populism and Republicanism would not
allow him to support either Bryan or Mckinley
could show his opposition to both by remaining
at home on election day quite as we'll as by
voting for a third ticket. 1t would be more con.
venient to himself individually and would not
create a visible separation between himself and
his party organization. Nevertheless. it Is very
important in a movement OF this character
that men intending to rupture the party ties OF
a lifetime should be sustained by a sense of
sociaton among themselves That end could
be attained by tho adoption OF platform do
clarng for sound money against extravagant
appropriations; in favor OF economical admin
istration in every department of Government;
in favor OF tariff for revenue only. and
ample for that purpose; against the paternalsm
OF the Republican party and the Populistio
socialism OF both tho Chicago and ST. Louis
Conventions: in favor OF that American liberty
which can be maintained only by so limiting
the power OF the Government that 1t can never
interfere with the daily concerns of law-abid-
ing citizens. The plank of pressing impor-
tancc In such platform is, of course. the cur
rency plank. Now, the mere election OF Mo-
Kinley will be the defeat OF the free-silyeP
movement. The obvious policy. then, would be
to endorse the Mckinley electoCT. snd thus So
cure the immediate success OF the main feature
of the platform. The Democrats who will have
achieved the success of their financial plank
by the election OF Mckinley will yet constitute
an opposition to the Republican party the day
after election based on principles which are
certain to be ultimately adopted by the Ameri-
can people. What is needed, therefore, is not
new ticket but new platform which will de-
clare in unmistakable language the cardinal
features OF the party faith, and which whilo
endorsing Mckinley electors, will provide for
really Democratic opposition to the Mckinley
Administration during the period of It's exist
ence
Q-What is your opinion OF the ultimate out
look2
A.--Everything depends on the manner In
which this campaign is waged. To my mind
there 10 but one test OF prosperity which can be
applied to country and that is the rate OF
wages paid to labor. There can be no prosper-
ty where low wages are paid. There can be no
distress where the rate of wages is high. II can
easily be demonstrated that this whole free
silver movement is a conspiracy against wages.
and II the campaign is fought on this line
have no doubt that every Northern Stato-that
is TO say. every State OF the Union in which 1t 10
practicable TO hold a free election-will be car
ried by the intelligence and morality OF the
American people against the monstrous propo-
sitons submitted to them 10y the Convention
| which nominated Mr.. Bryan for the Presi-
dency.
BROOKLYN LEADS BELFAST.