Evening star., 1897-01-08
Bryan to Speak at'the Chicago Ban
quet.
PRESERVING FREE 4 SILVER ALIGNMENT
Governor AItgeIda5 70 Lead in the
MayoraItya = Campaign.
THE UNFoRGIvING REGULARS
pecial Correspondence Of The Evening Star.

Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.
CHICAGO, January 5, 1897.
Illinois has a number Of eminent demo-
cr9ts who think the future of the demo-
cratic party is going to be determined
within the next few days. And they think
the determination will take place in Chica-
go. The occasion Is Andrew jackson day.
Democrats in other parts Of the country may
be quarreling and celebrating January 8,
but the Illinois impression is that these
events elsewhere will not make political
history, as they will in Chicago. They as
sumo that the whole Mississippi valley is
going to be Influenced by what takes place
The correctness Of this assumption is yet
to be demonstrated, but there are condi-
tions which give it force.
There will be two celebrations Of Jack
son day. The gold standard democrats will
renew their fealty to traditional principles
The free silver wing will celebrate the
virtues Of Old Hickory as a friend of the
masses, and will draw the parallel between
his warfare against the United States bank
and their present struggle against the
money power. The gold democrats will
nave select observance Of the day. At
one time 1t looked as though they would
western democracy. which claimed to have
held the true party faith inviolate in re-
pudiating the Chicago ticket and plat
FORM The voting for Mckinley was
mere incident in that fight for the true
faith. The gold standard democrats were
ready to forgive their erring brethren, who
by reason of erring in such large numbers
have kept control of the party organization.
Ihe1r overtures for reconciliation were not
met halfway and then they started out
by themselves to have a celebration which
would be an awakening of old-fashioned
democracy The committee which went to
NyoC h fofl l11
of Secretary Olney and other distinguished
men. So Franklin MacVeagh, exARepre-
sentative Ben Gable, ex-Mayor John p
Hopkins, perhaps Controller Eckels and
the occasion to themselves Senator John
NJ. Palmer may not be able to attend.
In a Queer Position.
The men who do sit at the banquet table
and drink to the memory of Jackson may
wonder why they are there. Most of them
have decided that the tariff policy OF the
Mckinley administrator is going to keep
them from further affiliation with their
late allies. With this feeling their own
future is big interrogation mark
The free silver democrats have also trou-
bles of their own. They are divided about
the future. After the election some of
them are earnestly in flavor of forgiving
the past and lettfng the gold deserters
come back. They did not intend to give
ILLS CLASS 1IOHt SedtSS yet WOuIu nave Deeu
willing to set aside a row Of seats not too
far back. They recalled that democracy
was always strt ng as the party of the op-
position. and thought this might form a
ments which had drifted apart. Some of
them were willing to let the 16 to / ratio
be buried with other dead issues of the
campaign. Possibly4nstead of two Jackson
had not Gov. A1tgeTd interposed his veto.
He would have 7ne fellowshiping with
geld democrats-'party traitors" he called
the movement in favor Of it showed that
the regular democratic organization was
split into two factions, led by outgoing
Hinrichsen, respectively. Mr. Hinrichsen
is one of the three democrats elected to
Congress from Illinois, SO his own future
is secure. The struggle between him and
is the elimination OF a contest which was
going On at the time of the Chicago con-
Venion, and which was with difficulty kept
under cover during the campaign Its out
come is not important in a national sense,
because neither Hinrichsen nor Altgeld
would dare go contrary to the influences Of
the masses In the party, who tolerate only
such leaders as stand up for the ideas by
which the masses are moved. They may
move from free silver to socialism. and II
they do both Altgeld and Hinrichsen Will
move with them.
A silver jackson Day.
These personal differences will not be per-
mitted to mar the jackson day demonstra-
ton of the regular or silver democrats.
Words of encouragement and advice, il not
of wisdom. are promised from William J.
Bryan. The hope Is to make the occasion
the means of further propagating the Ideas
which Mr.. Bryan represents as the basis
for future political action. The democratic
senators In Washington who solemnly de-
cided after the Atlanta lecture that Mr..
Bryan was not available for leadership in
1900 may be right. but the rank and file in
the west has not yet got around to that
opinion. It cannot be gainsaid that the
time and place are well chosen for ques-
tioning the existing order of things and
again Offering the panacea Of the Chicago
platform. Chicago is under the weather.
commercially and industrially. More men
are out Of work than during any winter
since 1888. The bank failures. while the
logical outcome Of bad banking methods
and in no way due to public or party poll
tics, have added to the distress and dis
content. 1t is probably true that IL anoth-
er election were to be held today the 1900
majority which Chicago gave Mckinley
general causes affecting the whole coun-
try, the city has suffered from special
causes. In time these local and peculiar
conditions will disappear. and Chicago will
go forward with the rest Of the country in
the gradual restoration of prosperity.
For the present the depression has to be
taken into account In judging the vital
ity which it gives to the issues on which
the campaign was fought The democrats
who supported these issues and still up
mold them have numbers at their back and
IN themselves there is strength SO great
that they easily keep control Of the party
organization.
Mr.. Bynum's Delusion.
The delusion Of Mr. Bynum and others
associated with him IN the national demo-
cratic party. that After the Christening of
defeat they would,ko In and take the or
ganization. is dispeiled As to the western
states. The Chicago Jackson celebration
is meant to destroy it Entirely. and the con-
dittons are favorable to this result Lo-
cality Is the strongest factt0n, and the DO
litical discussion throughout the northwest
Is likely to take its tone. from the sentiment
shown here. BryaH is going to exhort his
followers to keep 4he Organization and to
keep up the fight ). a
1t Is the hope of the local democrats that
they may secure tangfbl$ results soon. The
state administrator ofSsSnlinois passes out
OF their hands, but the municipal govern
ment of Chicago lis almost within their
reach. The electt,n Of q mayor comes
within three montlas. The republican Tam
many machine in ITS desperate plunge to
elext Alderman M3ddensUnited States SEN