New-York tribune., 1896-04-20
THE VARIOUS DEMOCRATIC BOLTS.


1t is not surprising that the Administration
is dishcartencd about the progress Of silver
men in securing control of the National Demo
cratic Convention Its private advices. accord
ing TO Democratic statements apparently Of cx-
cellent authority, indicate n clear majority OF
100 or more for the silver side. and to outside
observers it looks as if the majority might be
larger Meanwhile. the certainty that silver
men will be poweress In the Republican Con-
vention moves Senator Teller to declare that he
does not think 1t proper for him to attend, as he
has avowed an intention of boiling unless the
Convention does he wishes. The difference
between the two parties is obvious. The Re
publican opponents of free coinage are per
fectly ready and willing TO have such silver
politicians see tit go outside by themselves
and be counted. being confident that the plain
people will not be befooled any longer regard
ing their true interests. The Democratic op-
ponents Of free coinage are considering whether
they will bolt and put up another ticket after
the silver men obtain control at Chicago.
1t is curious fact that both sides are threat
ening to bolt the Democratic Convention, OPP
ponents of silver coinage because they cannot
get a majority to make the PLATFORM and nd
vocates Of silver coinage because they probably
will not have two-thrds vote. which is re-
quircd to nominate candidates in Democratic
Convention. This old two-thirds rule. which
was cOntrived many years ago in order 10 give
Southern Democrats an absolute veto on all
the wishes of their party at the North. has
come to be the one thing that plaques them in
their proposed alliance with pro-silver Demo
crafts Of the West majority they can prob
ably get but not twothirls. Unless the anti
silver men bolt before the nomination is reached,
the prO-siver men may have forced upon them
a candidate who will kick away the platform
at once. Just as Mr.. Cleveland did four years
ago The natural remedy for them is TO force
final action on the platform first. and then re-
quire delegates who wish TO take any further
part in the proceedings to pledge their support
TO the platform.
Looking further. it may be doubted whether
the Silver Democrats do not distinctly seek
rupture. in order to rid themselves Of the re-
siraint which their Eastern associates exert.
They have belief that the pro-sver party. II
il could bring together Republican boilers and
Silver Democrats. could carry not only the
South but enough Western States to succeed.
or at least TO prevent the election OF Il Repub-
lican. Then they also count upon the chance
that anti-Silver Democrats, II forced TO put mp
a separate ticket. might carry some Eastern
States. and thus throw the election into the
House But they have not figured closely II
they imagine that result would benefit them.
The recent conventions have shown that the
people in much more than q majority OF the
States are fatty opposed to free coinage and
are represented by Republicans who will sup
port the candidate Of their party.
In any event. final rupture OF the Demo
cratic party does not seem improbable The in
tense personal animosity which the silver men
have shown toward President Cleveland and
his supporters has other strong grounds besides
his course on the money question. Foreign az
fairs make him enemies, the Hawaiian and
Cuban especially. His contemptuous indiffcr-
ence to the wishes of his party has made enc
mics Of the most bitter kind, even among those
who heartily agree with his ideas about coin
age. Most potent Of all Is the feeling that he
has irredeemably disgraced the party by bring
ing upon the country the worst financial disas
ter for half century, and upon the party the
worst defeats 1t has ever experienced, and the
desire to get him driven out Of the party com
pletely, where he can be stgmatlzed as a traitor
to its principles and pledges, Is strong with
many Democrats.