Evening star., 1898-10-13
DEMOCRATtC DILEMM A
Unpromising Outlook Even if Republican
Majority Be Overcome.
Divided ON Silver and Territorial
ExPnnsiOn-Positi0n of the
POpulists.

The democrats have very unpromising
outlook to contemplate even if they should
succeed in overcoming the republican ma
jcrity in the lower house of Congress.
Even their possibility of success is viewed
with no little apprehension, as it will evil
Gently mean trouble for them. They are
at variance with their allies in certain
parts of the country and have differences
among themselves which threaten to be-
come irreconcilable whenever they get into
a position where they are compelled to as
sumo responsibilities. In the south the feel
ing between the democrats and popuiists is
very bitter and the democrats are trying
to drive the populists to the wall whenever
they cannot absorb them into the demo-
cratic party. Representative Bartlett of
Georgia, in whose state the populiStS have
been dsastrously defeated by the demo-
Gratis in the election of governor, says that
the populist party in the south is going to
pieces. His explanation of this is that the
reason for the existence of the populiSt
party in the south was that the people
there were dissatisfied with the domination
under Cleveland of eastern ideas in the
democratic party, and that with the adop-
ton of the Chicago platform of 1896 and
the divorce of the gold element in the
party, the southern populists began to re-
turn to their old allegiance, the democracy.
He says that as long as the democratic
by Bryan the populist party will amount
to very little in the south, but that it will
become a factor again if the democrats
show any signs of going back the Chi
c3go platform.
Position of the POpulists.
The populists, who insist upon maintain
ing their own organization. resent this
croachment upon their preserve by the
democrats, and there is no probability that
ict- ala ba 1x-il
cooperate with the democrats in the next
house. If there are enough of them. they
will compel the populists elected from the
west to act with them as an Independent
party, opposing the democrats as We'll IS
republicans. else make break in the
populst party on sectional lines. The west
ern populists, whatever their number may
be in the next House. and silver republi-
cans will insist as condition of their sup
port and cooperation with the democrats
that the free silver issue be kept Squarely
to the front, and that no compromise be
made with the eastern democracy. With
the prospect of there being an eastern
democracy of some Importance in the next
House, this will present a very embarrass-
ing situation in the democratic party. 1t
is evident that if the republicans lose the
next House it will be by a very few seats.
and it is likely to take all the votes of
democrats, populists and silver republicans
to make majority. This is Il compound
which it will be very difficult to mix. The
democrats who happen to be elected from
Maryland, New York. Pennsylvania, New
Jersey and Massachusetts will certainly
not cooperate in this combination to keep
free silver to the front, and the radical
silver men will make no compromise with
this eastern contingent.
The existeace of several factions and a
lack Of harmonious action will be the re-
suit The democrats may try to escape
tfiS situation by obScuTing the silver issue
and making new issue on questions grow
ing out of the war. On these they will
find themselves as hopele ss.y divided. Not
OILY will they alierate their silver allies
by obscuring the silver question, but they
win fail of agreen ent among themselves
on new issues.