Evening star., 1896-06-25
Political Confusion.

Yesterdays political delivera noes show a
curiously mixed state of affairs. and one
adding to the promise that the Chicago
convention will be the most exciting meet
ing of the kind in recent years.
The New York democrats send their dele
gates to the convention a platform
which, in effect. indorses the financial
plank OF the st. Louis platform. The
phrasing is neatly done. but behind that is
the real meaning. The republicans declare
that the present gold standard must be
maintained until an International agree
ment. which they promise to promoee. can
be secured to free silver coinage. That
is what the New York democrats, in SUBJ
stance. declare. That is what they want
the party in national convention to declare.
Suppose the party In national convention
should declare that Would not the cur
rency question be eliminated from the
campaign? And what would be left upon
which to make a campaign? The tariff,
and Mr.. Flowers reminder of the Force
bill? Saddled as il is with responsibility for
the Wilson DILL. could the democratic party
make a campaign with a straight face on
the issue of a revenue tariff? Mr.. CIeve-
land fares curiously at home His financial
course is indorsed. and yet it is declared
Il
the Sherman law. wherein it was promised
that the efforts of the government should
be directed to the establishment of a safe
system of bimetallism. should be kept The
failure to keep that pledge the silver men
charge up to Mr.. Clevelend. Their indict-
ment of him is founded upon the allegation
that after knocking the sole remaining
prop from under silver he refused to sug-
gest or to countenance anything else de-
signed in siyer'S behalf
In Ohio General Warner presided over the
democratic convention. 1t was his first
participation in democratic counsels for a
number of years Hs left the party on ac-
count of the Cleveland financial influence
He returns now that 1t gives assurance of
throwing off that influence. But, democrat
as he again announces himself to be, he
counsels against the nomination of any of
the old party leaders for the Presidency.
His candidate is Mr.. Teller. who as he
once did. has just left his party on account
of silver. General Warner is going to
Chicago to urge upon his party the advisa-
biltty of taking Mr.. Teller
But from Kansas is heard a note Of a
different kind from Senator PETER. Mr.
PETER is ardent silver man as is Cen
eral Warner or Mr.. Teller. He left the
republican party because he considered that
1t was the enemy of silver. AS Mr. Teller
has just done, Mr.. PETER sever ed the affilia-
tlons of d lifetime out of his devotion to
silver But he does not favor Mr. Teller for
silvers candidate for the Presidency Such
a nomination. he considers. would divide
silver's strength and cause the battle to
be lost. Silver must find it's candidate In
the populist party. and silver democrats and
silver republicans must support him. Mr.
PETER names no names." but presuma bly,
he knows the way through the bulrushes
to the Moses
These are but samples of the perplexing
and contradictory problems with which the
democracy will have to deal at Chicago.
1t will be told that a free silver deliverance
will cost it the east. This will be met by
the assurance that a straddle, or a gold
deliverance, will cost 1t the south and west,
where 1t lives and breathes and has it's
being. Mr.. Teller will be held UP as the
one man essential to success. Nominate
Mr.. Teller and the fight is lost will be pro-
claimed on the other hand. Who shall
deliver the democracy from this confusion