The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-01-04
PLATFORM MODIFICATION
ACTIVITY OF PRONOUNCED SILL
yERITES DUE TO CROKER.
WANTS CHICAGO PLATFORM TONED DOWN
He Says Good Toning Down viii Garry Ne"
York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland J
and West Virginia Jerry Simpson -.
Says Bryan viii be Elected 1900. -
washington Post.)


lhe out-and-out free silver men have
been remarkably active during the hoh-
day recess in arranging for their Con
gressional campaign of next year. All
these arrangements have been with
view to having pronounced free silver
men in command everywhere and in hav-
ing the Chicago platform adopted word
for word and line for line in every State
and Congressional district.
The arrangements have been made
with a view, almost solely, to the cam
paign of 1900. The leaders of the min
ority have deliberated concerning a pro-
per running mate for Mr.. Bryan AID
Representative Bailey has been on a
visit to Mr.. Joseph G. Sibley in Penn
sylvania. Mr.. Bailey refuses to talk a
bout his mission to Pennsylvania, but
another prominent Democrat of the
House, who is thoroughly in touch with
the situation, announced yesterday: Mr.
Sibley viii be candidate for Viee-Pres-
ident, and will be nominated in 1900"
Mr.. Sibley, as is well known, is radi-
cal free silver man, has sufficient wealth
to furnish "sinews Of war;" would be
acceptable to the mass of Bryan sup
porters throughout the country, partic-
ularly the West and South, and would
give the East representation on the tick
ct.
The same policy has been pursued re-
speeting the next Congressional com
nittee. 1t seems to be the purpose 70
put in charge only radical free silver
naen who are entirely in touch with Mr..
Bryaa. Representative "Buck" Hinrich-
sen, of Illinois, who is most spoken of as
chairman of the Congressional commit
tee. is close friend Of Mr. Bryan, the
two having been reared together. and
rejects the Nebraskan's financial views.
IN DISREGARD OF TAMMANY.
This activity of the silverites is an eff
fort to take the bit in the teeth and
commit the party unequivocally or the
financial topic. 1t is more significant be-
cause it is a movement to disregard SoEae
suggestions that were thrown out to the
minority leaders by Richard Croker, Of
Tammany Hall, during his recent visit to
Washington, looking to a modification of
the Chicago platform. Those sugges-
tions have been disseminated among the
Senate and the House Democrats. and
have not been cordially received. Mr..
Croker urged upon the party men near
to him the prospect of sixty-three elec-
torial votes in the next Presidential cleo
ton if his plans were followed out. New
York. New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland,
and West Virginia, he argued, could be
redeemed to the Democracy if the prin-
ciples of the platform were made so
moderate that Eastern Democrats could
support it. In such a case it would be
worth while to undertake an aggressive
campaign both next year and in 1900 in
these Eastern States which voted for
Mckinley.
The hostility to Mr.. Croker's attempt
to inject himself into national politics is
stimulated because it means a back
ward step from the stand taken at Chi
eago, because it might hazard the
chances of Mr.. Bryan, and because it
would probably mean the disintegration
of the fusion forces. The radical free
silver advocates say if the matter of
platform were yielded to Mr.. Croker and
he were allowed free hand to under
take a vigorous campaign in the Eastern
States named, it would not be long be-
fore he would also wish to dictate the
candidate for the party in 1900.
POPULISTS WILL NOT LISTEN TO
MIR. CROKER.
Representative Jerry Simpson, the pic
turesque Kansan, who assumed the lead
ership of the Democratic minority for
while during the extra session, said yes
terday concerning the attitude Of The
Populists: IF the Democrats show
disposition to take a step backward and
let in the 'goIdbugs' that they spewed
up at Chicago by a modification of their
platform, the Populist party will take
independent action. And if they NOM
mate an Eastern man that is not fully
in accord with the free silver movement,
in my opinion, the free silver Democrats,
the free silver Republicans, and the
Populists will nominate Bryan and elect
him. think the country is ready for a
revolution of that kind, and if the Demo-
cratic party is wise it will keep step with
the progress of the people, and instead
of modifying the platform make it still
p,aro radical