The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-12-23


1t is asserted that there is a strong move
ment in Democratic circles to bring TO the
front Senator German of Maryland, as
the Democratic candidate for President in
1900. There as undoubtedly considerable
talk of German. but il is not sufficient to
justify the opinion that the movement in
his behalf is strong enough to demand
serious attention. A good many Demo-
Gratis question the wisdom of keeping Col.
! Bryan at the front as the leader of the
/ Democracy, but they have not the control
| OF the party machinery. The members of
| the national Democratic committee, as far
as they have been heard from favor the
denomination Of Col. Bryan. Some OF them,
and possibly all of them. may change
their opinions before the meeting of The
| national Democratic convention but at
present they have no intention of doing
so. Only a day or two ago Senator Jones,
the chairman of the committee, said that
Col. Bryan would be nominated in 1900
and that the platform would not differ
greatly from that of 1896.
No doubt the talk of Senator German
comes from the Democrats of the East.
The New York Democrats especially are
not partial to Col. Bryan. Mr.. Croker
does not regard him with favor and 1t is
doubtful if ex-senator Hill does. 1t is
believed that Mr.. Croker, and those who
are in sympathy with him have been
quietly working for some time past to get
Col. Bryan out of tho list of presidential
candidates. And if reports are to be cred
tied their efforts have not been confined
to the Eastern states.
+ A New York paper, a few days ago,
published interviews with a number of the
most prominent Democrats of that state
on the question as to whether they Thought
the silver issue had much vitality. All of
them expressed the opinion that the sill
Yer issue was dead. The fact that Col
Bryan cannot divorce himself from that
issue may be the chief reason for the al
legged movement in favor of Senator Cor
man. If the Democratic leaders of New
York are right in the opinion that there
is no life in the silver issue, 1t would be
folly to make that issue the leading one
in the Democratic platform in the next
national contest. While that issue may
not be dead, it is certain that il hasn't
as strong a hold on the public mind as
it had two years ago.
Whether Col. Bryan will have a chance
for the nomination of his party for Presi-
dent in 1900 will depend upon whether the
Democratic leaders think il advisable to
fight another campaign on the silver is
sue. If that issue should be thrust aside,
and new issues substituted Col Bryan
would not be a presidential possibility.
His position on the colonial policy ques-
ton is all right, but so is that of other
Democratic leaders, who are not SO close
ly identified with the silver question.
There is no doubt that Col Bryan has a
great deal Of personal magnetism, and is
popular with the masses of the people.
Indeed he inpresses favorably men of all
classes. 1t is even said that Andrew Car
regie has announced his purpose TO sup
port him for President, if he should be the
Democratic candidate for that office on
a platform which contained nothing about
silver, and which carried a strong declara-
lion against national expansion in the di-
rection of the Philippines. AS already
stated, however, Col. Bryan could not
be candidate on platform that did not
make the free coinage of silver the lead
ing issue.
If it is true that there Is a movement
TO make Senator German the presidential
candidate of the Democratic party in the
next national contest the fact will become
apparent in very little while. Although
the campaign is yet long way off, prep
arations for it will be begun very soon.