The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-05-29

Lead, the Silver Men May Do Away
With the Two-Thirds Majority Rule, in
Which Case the Gold Democrats VIII
Hold Another Convention and Call it
Regular.
New York, May 28-The Evening
Posts Washington special says: The
hopeful tone of Assistant Secretary
Hablin's statement to our correspond
ent about the probable sound-money
victory at the Chicago convention does
not inspire the forecasts made by many
Of the sound-money Democrats here.
The impression, indeed, is pretty gen.
eral that the convention will contain
small majority of silver delegates,
and the hope of the sound-money lead
ers now rests upon the possibility that
a. handful Of these men may at the elev-
enth hour come TO appreciate the peril
Of the party, and move over TO the 9TH
er side, not from conviction necessarily
but as the sole alternative of seeing the
old organization buried past resurrec-
ton.
The conditions have called forth
3
silver leaders generally sympathize
with the position taken by Mr.. Vest
in his speech IN the senate the other
day, in which he frankly avowed his
readiness to bolt in case the administra-
ton should attempt to control the action
Of the convention AS the administra-
ton element of the party will surely
be represented there, and IN consid-
cradle strength, the president and Sec
rotary Carlisle wifi, of course, be &C
cused Of directing everything which is
done on that SIDE, so that an excuse
Tor bolt viii be ever conveniently pres
ent with the silver men who may be
looking for one. On the administra ton
side the peculiar situation presents #
self of a lection whose unofficial ele-
ment is urging it to bolt as its only
consistent course, with its leaders and
managers persist in declaring that ii
will not bolt under any circumstances.
But this is a mere refinement Of terms
There IS not a prominent man in the
branch Of the party TO which the presi-
dent Belongs who could afford to sup
port the ticket nominated at Chicago
If it were placed on a silver platform,
or even on one with a loose plank. 1t
may be technically true that these gen.
tlemen will not head a bolt They viii
not vote the Republican ticket, which
at the present hour threatens TO be as
unsatisfactory as the Democratic: but
they may be trusted not to stand by
and see their party left without a can
didate for whom those Of its members
who are true to its best traditions can
vote. There is a middle course which
viii accomplish all the ends desired,
ND rfx-a 49,.
ating an acceptable ticket on a gold
standard platform, to which no stigma
Of partisan ''irregularity' can attach.
The Democratic party is as strongly
bound TO the two-third rule in making
its nominations for president as to any
other article Of discipline If neither
faction at Chicago has a two-thirds ma
jority, the struggle will, for a while
resolve itself into a simple contest of
endurance. Should 1t appear that the
gold standard delegates are in a major
ity, however small, at the outset, they
can afford to stand out till the crack
or doom If need be, to raise their num-
Der to the necessary two-thirds. On the
other hand, should the silver men be in
control, their leaders will-if they carry
out their present aVowed intention-try
the expedient of abolishing the two
thirds rule and nominating by a bare
majority. This would be so serious a
violation of party precedent that the
gold standard men would feel justified,
and would unquestionably be upheld
by the best authorities on party disci-
pine, IN refusing to participate further
IN, or be bound by, the action of the
convention. Their withdrawal at that
Juncture, after extending an invitation
n ay-l,v IL
adhere to the Democratic two-thirds
rule to join them, would leave the orig
inal convention free to go on with its
work OF wrecking the party, and at the
same time assure any second convention
which the advocates Of the two-thirds
rule may hold against successful ASA ult
on the ground OF 'irreguiarity." The
withdrawing faction would be, indeed,
IN a party sense, the more regular
of the two; for there IS no rule, and no
precedent in the history of the Demo
cratic party, which would forbid a con-
venlon TO sit forever and a day wait
ing for a two-thirds vote. and on the
other hand the two-thirds rule has
abundant justification for its existence
having resulted in a highly respectable
series OF nominations up 10 the time
when the POpulist gang got possession
of the party.
1t VIII be seen. from what has been
said here. that it may be possible for
the gold standard Democrats to escape
the terrors of ''boIting'' at Chicago and
yet hold d convention of their own and
nominate such a ticket, on sucfh a plat
form, under the prestige Of the party
name, as viii command the cheerful
support of the intelligent, patriotic
Democrats at the polls the country over
For the Information OF those readers
who do not understand al the deli
cate shades OF Interpretation but by
politicians upon conduct in a convention
ii should be explained that to bolt"
is, technically speaking. TO sit in con-
ventOn, take part in its deliberations
and its votes, and then. when the op-
posing faction has gained the upper
hand, 10 60 OF and refuse TO De bound
by the conclusions reached in regular
order. To refuse. however. at an ear
Her stage 10 permit the violation Of a
long honored precedent Of the party on
a question Of rules and procedure. would
be regular" in every sense OF the word. |
and put the violatorS in the attitude of
usurpers and TevOluuonists.
From what can be gathered in con-
versation with leading silver Demo |
Gratis, the political workers on their
side are nightly impressed with the
sugesuogn OF minimizing Senator Teller !
(Rep. Cold Tor president, and Senator
Daniels Den. Va for vice president.
The head Of this ticket. they think. |
would catch a lot of silver Republi- |
cans who are believed 70 be only watt |
ing for chance 20 vote for silver can
didate trained IN their own party school |
while its Tail would act as a draE-net
for Southern ex-Confederates. They
scoff at the idea that this hybrid ticket /
might meet the fate Of she Greeley /