New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-03-01
DEMOCRATIC TACTICS.

Mr. Croker pitches Bryan and his silver
Issue overheard Readers Of The Tribune will
not be surprised. as they have been warned Tor
some months that this was the line Of tactics
made inevitable for Eastern Democratic leaders
by the course OF events. Bryan and the others
who have made themselves ridiculous before
the world by insisting that there was no I'M
provcment in business or in the condition OF
the people were forced into that attitude by
logical necessity. They could not make n re-
spectacle excuse for sticking to the silver issue
II prosperity had arrived without free coinage
or any monetary change. But to pracuchi
leaders, and particularly those who have some
relations with actual business, that attitude Is
impossibly ridiculous and they are forced 10
hunt for some position which Will not leave
them contemplate in the eyes Of those who
earn money or pay money or make money III
trade.
The Croker solution. also. Is just the one point
ed out months ago as inevitable for Eastern lead
ers like him. THE poor We have always with
you." and also monopolles, or what the millions
have been taught 10 think monopolies. Appeal
to the poor against the more successful, TO the
millions against the actual or supposed abuses
Of combination, is an attractive line OF policy
for several reasons 1t connects itself with
lot OF sincere and justfable hostility to abuses
OF combination, which IS likely IN ill-rcgulat-
ed minds to sop over into indiscriminate hatred
OF all combination. 1t appeals 10 class preju-
dices which are not confined TO any sec
ton, but nfame the followers OF Tillman In
South Carolina, and Waite in Colorado no less
than those OF Altgeld In Illinois or the Anar-
chsts OF New-York. Escaping the Gripping
sectional limitation which makes the silver
issue perilous to the party, this line of tactics
has the advantage of boundless indefnteness.
for neither speaker nor nearer will know what
Is meant by a trust or monopoly. nor which
may be excepted as harmless and blameless,
IL any. nor what can practically be done by
anybody to get rid Of those which do mischief.
Committing nobody to any definite thing. the
Croker policy goes just as far as possible TO
excite and invite all the dangerous elements Of
society and all the forces which most threaten
civilization and government by law.
Mr. Croker knows that 1t IS wicked and
unpatr.otic policy-so profoundly unpatrlotlc in
cutivatlng hatred against Government and law
that morally it may without exaggeration be
termed reasonable. SO do all Democratic
leaders who expected TO adopt It as means
Of escaping division on the silver question at
the East II is a dishonorabe escape. 1t Is
deliberately sacrificing the welfare and safety
OF the country for the sake Of better chance
10 get office and plumber. But IN the light OF
past events 1t may be expected that consldera-
tons Of public duty good morals will not
restrain those who have adhered to the Demo
cratic party through all It's past. Men who are
considered respectable and even worthy OF
honor Will be found accepting Cookers plan as
the way to &c: rid OF the silver Issue" and
will save their consciences with the notion
that they are only doing evil that good may
come
1t IS not In the least certain that any good.
however limited or remote can come from this
attempt to avoid Democratic division. The
fanat!cal spirit which is behind Mr.. Bryan con-
trois fewer voters by far than II controlled a
year ago. bat it probably holds In tight grasp
as large n part of the Democratic organ
lzation. and Of the possible Democratic delega
tons to future convention, as It secured in
1905. Then the Administration and all its off,
claIs were In the way; they are out Of power
and largely dlscredlted In Democratic eyes as
traitors to the party in the last campaign. The
influence Of the Sound Money Democrats In
various States il much reduced for the same
reason The organization in Eastern States
was then soldly against Bryan and free sill
yer, and now it Is not. The millions Of IL
Informed Eastern voters. who then knew or
cared little about the silver issue. have been
taught to vote for free silver as part OF their
Democratic religion. The bulk Of those who
still stand by the party In Western and South
ern States is likely to be as determined and as
faDatcal as ever. all the more because Il seeks
to ostracize and punish those who left the
pnfty in 1896 Mr.. Croker and his plan may
contr.ve to bridge over divisions in this or that
State this year. but It is not at all clear that
Tammany Hall will be treated with more re-
spect in the Democratic Convention Of 1900
than II was In that Of 1895.