Evening star., 1898-12-22
THE POLITICAL DRIFT
Tendency Among Republican Lead
ers is Toward Agreement.
EFFECT OF Mr.. BRYAN'S VISIT HERE
Sound Money Democrats Aiming
to Regain Power.
FREE SILVER MEN DEFEATED

The short period of the session of Con-
gress before the Christmas holidays was
sufficient to develop the fact that there
some very important political move
ments foot.
AS respects the republican party and the
administration, it has been demonstrated
that the danger of serious division is so
slight as not to demand any consideration
The republican lines are drawing closer
and closer together, and exchange of ideas
since Congress met has developed the fact
that the tendency of thought among re-
publican senators and representatives is
toward q perfect agreement along the en-
tire line of policy, foreign and domestic.
AS to finance and military matters, there
is no division, and what differences of opin-
ion exist to the policy of expansion are
resolving themselves into a compact sup
port of the President
Dfssensions Among Democrats
The democrats, on the other hand, are
threatened with internal trouble of a Sc
rious character The visit of Mr.. Bryan
has gone long way toward bringing about
harmony of action among the democrats in
Congress on the subject of expansion and
the enlargement of the army, but the party
seems to be threatened with trouble over
the financial question in the more remote
future. The gold men of the party feel,
they say greatly encouraged in the hope
OF being able to regain their influence in
the party. They have practically no influ-
ence in this Congress, but expect to have
considerable in the next They will not be
able to regain their influence. however,
without bitter fight at some point along
the line.
Reliable information gives assurance that
men who possessed great power in the
party when Mr.. Cleveland was at its head
are organizing for the purpose of throwing
down the silver issue, and that they are
very hopeful of success. An eastern sound
money man. talking over the situation with
a Star reporter expressed the opinion that
recent developments all but insured The alb
solute overthrow Of the free silver cause.
He said that a careful study of the present
political conditions throughout the United
States would result in very comfortable
conclusion in the mind of any earnest ad-
Vocate of the present gold standard.
Democrats in the Next Congress-.
While it is true he said, that the re-
publicans will not have as large ma ajority
in the Fffty-siXth Congress as they have
in this, yet it is generally understood that
large number of the new democratic rep-
resentatives in the next Congress will be
found to be loyal to the support of sound
money
This, taken in connection with the fact
that in many of the western states the ma
Jorites of the democrats and silver crankS
generally, We're greatly reduced at the last
election, ought to be significant. The fact
that Mr.. ClevelandS friends, and il NAV be
said Mr.. Cleveland himself are again TAX
ing an interest in politics, with the idea of
bringing the democratic party to its senses
II posslpie, Is another strong indication of
the situation. Even in the intermoGntain
ana Pacific coast states the democrats have
SHOWN their disposition to get out from
under the blghting shadow of the Chicago
PLATFORM The defeat of such advocates of
Bryanlsm as Towne of Minnesota Mcguire
OF California, Hartman of Montana and
the assured retirement of Senators Cannon
OF Utah and Allen of Nebraska men who
may be said to have stood most determin-
eoly IN the way of the reformation of the
democratic party on the old lines prior to
the Chicago convention of 90 should be ac-
cepted as plainly indca ting the decay of
organism in the west and the revival of
common sense among democrats even in
that region.
An Object Lesson.
With such men as these out of the wav
the task of disposing of free silver for good
ana all should be regarded as pretty well
ON the way toward fulfillment. The over
throw of Towne Cannon and Hartman,
whose desertion from the republican party
encouraged the development of the silver
1actlon in the democratic party in way to
lead to the Chicago platform is especially
gratifying to the advocates of sound money
and furnishes an object lesson for others
The defeat of Mr.. Allen to succeed himself
in the Senate is significant as demonstrate
ing that the patriotic gold democrats of
Nebraska are numerous and voted to sus-
tam their principles. If Cannon seeks re-
election in Utah, and if Hartman should
try to get into the Senate from Montana
it is entirely probable that there will be
enough democrats in the legislatures of
those states, that party being in control
who are true, to defeat their plans and at
least elect in their stead men who will
not stand in the way of the regeneration of
the democratic party on sound economic
basis. The situation encourages the belief
that there is some honesty and sound COM