The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-09-17
The Democratic Campaign.

The course of the Democratic State Com.
hittee on Wednesday, in avoiding all ref
erence to the Chicago platform. might be
Justified ostensibly on the ground taken by
Senator JONES, that as it was empowered
to perform a particular function in nomi-
mating a candidate for the Court of Appeals.
1t could not properly go beyond the power
delegated to it by the State Convention.
At least, that was a convenient pretext
for getting rid of an embarrassing question.
The organized Democratic party in this
State, however, adheres to the principles of
Organism with a t~enacity of devotion not
excelled by that of any other State of the
Union, and the evasion of them by the
State Committee, accepted as 1t may be by
Democratic politicians as dexterous and ex-
pedient, will tend to chill the ardor of the
party in the coming State campaign. 1t is
not reasonable to suppose that Democrats
who stood by their party last year firmly
and enthusiastically will now regard with
complacency a manifest concession to those
who bolted from the party last year and be-
came its most virulent enemies. The State
Committee could not alter the fact that the
only authoritative standard of Democracy
Is now the Chicago platform, or Organism.
Opponents of the Chicago platform may
call themselves Democrats, but actually
they have separated themselves from the
Democratic party, and are its implacable
enemies. Like Governor FLOWER and Mr..
WHITNEY, they are Democrats no longer.
The course pursued by the State Commit
tee presages, undoubtedly, the tactics which
will be adopted by Tammany Hall with re-
gard to Organism. 1t likewise will ignore
the Chicago platform absolutely, or fight
ahy of any appearance of directly accepting
and reafirming 1t. For such a policy of
evasion, however, the Tammany conven-
ton cannot put forward the pretext
used by the State Committee, with the
apparent consent Of Senator JONES, the
Chairman of the National Democratic Com.
mittee. 1t will be a convention with full
powers and not q mere committee of a
convention with a restricted function.
Moreover. invariable precedent, requisite
to give Tammany Democratic regularity,
dictates its formal Endorsement" of the
authoritative national Democratic stand
ard, and 1t cannot avoid following the rule
this year without making a new and most
significant departure.
The purpose of such evasion Is well under
btoou ny cNciyuouy' ~ IL W attract 10 tne
support OF Tammany the opponents of the
Chicago platform lost by it last year because
Of Its violent Bryanite canvass. MI. WHIT.
NEY, as is known. has made such evasion
OF the 10 to ] issue, more particularly, n pos.
tive prerequisite to the support of the Tam.
many ticket by the gold men who revolted
against 1t last year. threatening even to
put up an opposition ticket In case of re.
fusal. Thus the situation of Tammany was
made extremely embarrassing, and conse.
quently the whole summer has been an
anxious tim for Its leaders; but at last,
1t seems, they have decided to take the
risk OF satisfying Mr.. WHITNEY and his
gold-bug associates. Their theory Is that
they will gain more by conciliating the
Democratic support lost to them last
year than they will lose from the ex.
asperation OF their earnest Bryanite fol-
lowing In that campaign. The gold bugs
Will bring money much needed for Tam.
manys now exhausted treasury, and they
rely on the poverty of the Bryanites TO
prevent their making an important demon.
stration. Tammany expects to starye out
the Bryanites before the election, even IL
they rush into the campaign with a true.
blue Democratic ticket at its beginning.
IL Will be interesting to watch the ont
come OF this Tammany venture. At pres.
emit the Bryanites declare their 6xed de.
examination to run . square ticket of their
T