The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-11-17

WIN wants 10 lead again. wifi be easily
| ACCOMPLISHED. and, II possible, gold
man Will be put forward In his stead.
Whoever Is n winner will, In all prob
ability. be the Speaker OF the succeed
ing House II the Democrats have ma
iority. and thus Tammany and its gold
aliles. ~ they should win would be In
position TO make great fight In the con-
vontion.
According 10 the report the leadership
now lies between David a. De Almond.
of Missouri. and J. -. Richardson. Of
Tennessee, with a bare possibility that
Mr. Bailey may redeem himself and slip
back into his former place. AL three
Of these have stood for silver: hence all
three may be cast aside. Judge De
Almonds boom was in the personal
charge Of Mr.. Jones. Of Virginia. and
was indirectly steered by former Cover
nor Stone. Of Missouri, who supposed
that his Vice-rresidential aspirations
would be furthercd by having warm,
personal friend In the Speakers chair.
Major Richardson. coming from bor-
der state though an ex-COnfederate, IS
almost as much I'm sympathy with the
North as he is with the South, While
no followed his State I'm IT'S support Of
thu Chicago platform and is himself
free silver man. he is in no sense an ex-
tremist Mr.. Croker prefers Mr.. Rich
ardson 10 Judge De Almond because Of
this very fact but It is barely possible
that man yet unheard OF may be
chosen. II n good man Of that kind can
be found the New York delegation Will
throw its strength 10 him
Our readers will recall that more than
twelve months ago we expressed the
opinion. and cited facts to back # up
that the New York Democracy was get
ting ready to make itself felt in the next
Presidential campaign. and It was ma
turing well defined plan TO overthrow
the silver leaders and to bring the party
back TO its old time moorings This
was indicated by the side-tracking Of free
silver in the New York city election. and
In furtherance OF the plan free silver
was ignored In the late State campaign.
II IS true that the Democracy was de-
foated but when comparisons are made
with the contest Of 1896. the Democrats
scored a great triumph, in bringing back
thousands Of voters who forsoOk the or
ganization In that memorable campaign
and refused to aid in electing Mr.. Bryan
to the Presidency. The New York Demo
cracy IS now in splendid fighting trim,
and Mr. Croker will not neglect his OPP
portunity 10 get a grip upon the national
party.
OF course Mr. Bryan and Mr. Jones and
Mr.. "Coin" Harvey and Mr.. Tillman and
Mr.. Altgeld and men Of that school are
going TO do all they can to keep free sill
YER and Organism TO the front, because
II free silver is retired. these gentlemen
will be retired with it. We may expect
therefore, that there will be hard
fought contest between the forces Of
Croker and the forces Of Bryan, but with
tho North and the West to back him.
and with the result Of the last election
"a an object lesson. Croker undoubtedly
has the advantage over Colonel Bryan.
Croker is now in the lead Of an agrees
sive army with victory written upon its
banners, while the Bryan forces are dis
couraged by defeat, and are leading, as
they know, a forlorn hope.
We do not admire Mr.. Cookers politics
Politics is his profession and he goes In
for that which will win. But there is no
more astute politician in this country OF
in any other country than Richard
Croker, and it is most significant that
he is now trying to eliminate free silver
from the next contest. Croker knows full
well that there is no possibility Of sue
cess If the party shall repeat the pro-
gTamme Of 1896. that the only hope Of
success is in discarding Organism and
In rallying the forces Of Democracy
around the time-honored standard