The Saint Paul globe., 1898-03-06

defeated or thrown out, to organize
| bolt of the extreme silver forces. This
plan was followed out to the letter But
| it failed
In the first place the convention re-
jected the silver platform and adopted
one Of its own, in which Local Issues
were made paramount.
The assembled delegates declared ir
effect that the free and unlimited coin
age of silver at the ratio of 16 to
or at any other ratio, had no place in
the administration of the affairs of a
municipal corporation.
The Republican convention reaffirmed
the financial declarations of the St
Louis convention. The bolt Of the sill
Yer extremists did not amount to
much-to nothing in effect-and Mr.
Quincy was reelected by a substantial
majority. 1t is safe to say that three
fourths of all the men who voted for
him were Democrats who have stood
by the party and who will stand by it
in the future. They refused to take Mr.
Williams hint to defeat the Democratic
candidate, and by so doing they dem
orstraJted anew the vitality Of Demo
cratic principles.
The victory won in the municipal
contest demonstrated the fact that the
Democratic forces can unite with eff
feet. and act together wherever passion
and prejudice are eliminated from the
situation. Just now the tendency
in that direction is very marked and
very strong In this latitude.
The failure of the Republican party
to redeem it's pledges; the non-arrival
of the promised prosperity, and the
abandonment of bimetallism have open
ed the eyes of the people to the in
sincerity of the party leaders.
The men who were estranged by the
events at Chicago, in 1896, are desirous
of a reunion of all the forces opposed
to the Republican policy.
They are seeking some common
ground upon which to make the next
stand.
Some suggest change Of the ratio
of coinage values; others believe in
relegating the silver issue to a second
ary position and forcing the industrial
question to the front by a strong de-
claration against trusts and monop-
olies.
All these suggestions indicate a pop
ular interest in the subject which sure
ly prefaces a better understanding.
The first great step to be taken is
to establish the fact that the Demo-
cratic party is not and must not be
the property Of any one man. To make
this quite plain and emphatic, it will
be necessary to dethrone Mr.. George
Fred Williams. This Is absolutely nee
essary, if the Democratic party of
Massachusetts is to take any appre-
ciable part in the approaching nation
al contests. To accomplish 1T is the
prime object of the Jefferson Club
just launched. The work Of dethrone-
ment is to be done by men who have
remained in the Democratic fold
notwithstandin their opposition to
the Chicago platform. A majority of
the next state convention will be in
opposition to his further candidacy
for the governorship and to his fur
ther domination Of the Democratic
party. The convention will reaffirm
the Chicago platform, too. But it will
oust Williams, unless the signs change.
The reasons for this are many and OBJ
vious. In the first place, he has To-
mented discord in the party since he
ingloriously broke in and seized the
leadership. In the second place, the
election returns show that under his
management, the voting strength of