The Taney County republican. (Forsyth, Mo.) 1895-1992, 1899-04-20
MISSOURI AND NATIONAL DEMOC-
RACY.


The unsettled conditions aud con-
fiicting purposes of the national De-
mocratic party are nowhere else so
interesting in state affairs as in the
Democracy of Missouri. This State
has leaders worthy of note represent
ing every one of the contending fac
tions, aud unless the signs of the pre-
sent time are very deceiving, old Mis-
souri, will have much to say in the
next national convention, as she did
in the Chicago gathering in 1896.
The free silver movement, with q
ratio of 16 to 1, was nominated as the
vital issue of the 1896 campaign by
Mr.. William J. Stone in his speech at
Washington park, Kansas City. Mr..
Stone was the first Democrat, of pro-
minense enough to attract attention,
to declare for that issue as the domi-
nant card of the Democratic party In
the last presidential campaign. 1t
was he, also, who engineered the
Pertle Springs convention so as to se-
cure a declaration for this policy and
instructions for Mr.. Richard p. Bland.
Remembering these facts. we must
not refuse to believe that Mr.. Stone
may again be potent factor in the
national affairs of his party.
But the ex-governor is not the un-
disputed leader of his party in Mis-
souri,, much as he has tried to secure
that distinction and that advantage.
He simply represents the faction that
is in favor of expansion, aud the re-
tention of free silver as All old "f1ame"
that can not be "shaken" without
making trouble. Ex-Governor Fran
els is equally strong with the less in
fluential fa ction that believes in sound
money. and in this position he is
carrying OH an interesting filtration
with Boss Croker, of Tammany Hall.
Mr.. David Ball, Of Pike, stands for
unalloyed Organism, and Mr.. Dock
cry has been so busy making friends
with every body within arms length
that he has not taken the time to de-
fine his position absolutely. So far
Mr.. Stone has the best of the situa-
tion for he managed to get tho last
state convention to adopt a platform
conforming to his views, but that was
nearly a year ago. and he might have
less sway now under similar clrcum-
stances.
Here in Missouri, where ex-Gov-
ernor Stone is known, his presiden-
tial ambitions are little more than
amusing. Yet stranger things than
the nomination of such a man for
president have happened in the De-
mocratic party, and one of the
strangest of these-the adoption of
the silver platform-was traceable to
Stones initiation. If the next ma
tional convention resurrects free sill
yer and puts it up as the banner on
the bandwagon, of course William j.
Bryan will be the standard-bearer.
If other issues are given equal pro-
minence, Stone may be struck by
lightning. If silver be subordinated
to other issues, it seems inevitsble
that some Eastern man will secure
the nomination.
Presidential conclusions arc still
distant, but the game of politics is al
ways interesting. even in its prelimi-
nary moves. Missouri is to be some-
thing of battle-ground; that much is
certain. In this instance, of course,
the game is played simply on its
merits as party politics. The finish
of the bi-party contest is SO clear
even now that there can be no doubt
of the final result. The Democracy
can not figure out any combination
that will beat the popularity of Pre-
sident Mckinley and the record of
his administration.-K. G.. Journal.