Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1896-07-15
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From Our Special Correspondence
WASHINGTON, D.. c., July 10, '08,

WASHINGTON, d.. u, July 10, '96.
Well, the Democratic mountain after
much labor. has brought forth two
very diminutive mice, in the shape of
ticket aud platform. And such a ticket
and such a platform There have been
crazy quilt political platforms adopted
before, but it is no exaggera:ion to say
that the platform adopted at Chicago
is the very worst specimen of ITS kind.
1t bids for every kind and class of dis.
gruntled voters, and does it very
clumsily at that. The free coinage of
silver is, of course, its cornerstone.
Only last year the country was told
the south was practically unanimous
in wanting the tax on bank currency
repealed, and now a convention domi.
mated by southerners and w~esterners
of the Tillman and Atgeld stripe de-
clares that all paper money shall be
issued by the United States govern
ment.
The tariff plank of the platform was
made wobbly for the express purpose
of catching the votes of the Republican
protectionists of the silver States, and
is about on a par with the tariff for
revenue" plank of the Hancock plat.
form.
The plank favoring a constitutional
amendment to allow the imposition of
an income tax was a sop to the popu.
lists.
The plank ~denouncing appeals to the
Federal Courts in local affairs was in.
tended to catch the professional labor
agitators of the Debs stripes.
The civil service plank, although in
effect contradicting itself, was put in
to make the practical politicians" be.
lieve that a clean sweep would be made
for their benefit, If the Democrats
should win.
The plank against a third term was
put in for pure cussedness to add to
the discontinue of Mr.. Cleveland, al
though it is probable that the belief
that Mr.. Cleveland was the most un
popular man in the United States was
also q factor in its adoption.
The plank favoring legislation which
will prevent the making of contracts
stipulating the kind of money in which
obligations shall be paid was put in to
fool those who have no better sense
than to believe such legislation posi-.
BILE under our present constitution.
The plank indirectly attacking the
national banks vas put in to tickle the
populists.
The plank denouncing large appro.
p%riations by Republican Congresses
and demanding a return to simplicity
and economy was merely a bit of bun.
combe inserted for use among the ig-
norant.
The ticket named to run on this plat
form is in keeping with the nature of
The platform itself, and with the an
aTchist'populistic tendencies of the
controlling element in the convention.
so far as the Republicans are concern.
ed, they are delighted with the ticket
and platform, which are Just about
what they would have made them had
they been given the task of thus adding
to the certainty of the election of Nc.
Kinley and Hobart.
Secretaries Carlisle, Lamont and
Herbert are in Washington, but they
all declined to be interviewed on the
work of the Chicago convention. That
they dislike it is certain, but whether
they or any member of the administra.
ton will take any public step to accen.
tuate their dislike is very uncertain.
Mr.. Cleveland favors a bolt and some,
not oil, of the members of his cabinet
are of the same mind; but their action
will not be determined upon until it
can be ascertained how much support
an independent Democratic ticket upon
a gold platform a count upon getting.
The prediction is made by Democrats
who ought to be familiar with the
sentiment of their party that there will
be no other Democratic ticket put up,
and that the boiling will be conflnd to
individuals who will vote the Demo-
cratic ticket, that being the most Ger.
tain way to defeat the dem pops.
People in Washington who know
Gen. Bradley I. johnson, who is now
in Cuba as a newspaper correspondent,
were not surprised when the tele-
graphic news was received that there
was a probability of johnson fighting
a duel with a hot headed ex Spanish
officer. In fact they wouldn't be sur
prised at any sort Of trouble that John.
son might get into. He is one of those
men who have a knack for getting into
trouble and for making trouble. John
son is a lawyer, but his real occupa-
The Worlds Fair Tests
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