The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-07-15
Vain Political Strategy.

A little more than a year g Mr.. VII.
LIAM c. WHITNEY hurried to Chicago de-
string to resist the tide of silverism
and Populism which was about to sweep
over the Democratic Convention and OBJ
~literate all the time-honored and distinc.
tive landmarks of Democracy. The Cleve.
Ian Administration had at last walked up
to a consciousness Of the fact, long before
obvious to sagacious political observers,
that the silver crowd had secured absolute
control of the convention, inc was deter
mined to shape its platform M nominate
its candidates without regard to the Demo-
Gratis who believed in gold, whose delegates
made up less than one-third of the body.
Mr.. WHITNEY had meditated q trip
abroad for the summer, but he was per-
suaded to abandon the plan and go to
Chicago instead. He had won reputa-
ton as a political strategist at the Dem.
ocratic Convention of 1892, and now he
was exhorted to put his talents into service
to outfiank the arrogant silver hordes.
But Mr.. WHITNEY found that the time for
artful strategy had passed. He was over
whelmed by the Populistic torrent and
tossed contemptuously aside. He was
without influence at Chicago. and returned
to New York politically discredited. The
campaign proceeded and the Bryanite
forces were beaten last November with
out the appearance Of Mr.. WHITNEY on the
field. He was, of course, a gold man,
but he did not make himself prominent.
He seemed to be dazed.
Now Mr.. WHITNEY appears again on the
surface of politics, and he comes forward
on his old errand. 1t is to play the game of
political strategy. His present scheme is
to smother the real and pressing and mo-
mentous issues with Issues fabricated for
the purpose of distracting the attention
of the people from the pivotal questions of
politics which were forced to the front last
year and still dominate the political situa.
ton. He is trying to play petty politics at
a time when the field is held by large and
great politics, to which he seems Indifferent.
When small politicians of the Manhattan
Club conceived the notion that all that
was requisite to enable them to magnify
their Importance in New York was to In.
duce Tammany Hall to "ignore" the Chi.
al platform and hide 1t under fictitious
municipal issues" they relied very con-
fdently on the help of Mr.. WHITNEY in
playing their simple trick. Their plan
was to threaten Tammany Hall with the
loss of all support from the gold Dem.
%ocrats, political and ~pecuniary, unless
1t consented to carry on the munich
pal campaign without referring to the
Chicago platform, under the pretext that
1t raises national issues. with which a
municipal campaign has no concern. As
the control of the Greater New York, with
Its vast political power, was impossible
without the leadership of Tammany, they
wanted some sort of a pretext for getting
back into its fold. "Let bygones be by.
cones" they said to Mr.. SnEEHAN. LET
us forget our differences as to the Chicago
platform and come together as Democratic
brethren on municipal issues purely"
MIR. SHEEHAN received the proposition
with favor. The Manhattan Club coterie
are the money bags of the Democracy
of New York. In mere numbers they
are in a small and incalculable minor.
ity, but in the treasure that Is valuable
on earth rather than In heaven they
are rich. TIL threat that the Tam.
many campaign chest would receive no
contributions from them unless the Chicago
platform was " Ignored" affected deeply
the thrifty Mr.. SHEEHAN. Moreover, no
concession of principle wal asked from Tam
many. They did not expect it to give up
Organism, only to hide it for a few months
Thc concession of principle was altogether
on the side of the intriguing Manhattan
Club gold Democrats. All they wanted was
the semblance of an excuse for turning in to
.elpthc Organized organization to gain con-
troi of the pivotal State of New York, for, of
course, that would be involved in a Tam.
l""n" triumph in the municipal election in
;his chief centre of American wealth and
civilization.
or course, it was a tempting proposition
to Dir. SHEEuAN, and II he alone had had
the decision the bargain would have been
made fast and irrcvocGblc. He would have
gained tho support of the political strategy