The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-06-13
VIEWS OF DEMOCRATS.
Committeeman Express Themselves on The
Next National Platform.
SILVER, ANTITRUST, ANTl-MlLlTARISM
Agree on the Three Issues. Though
Not ms 20 Their Political
i"por'"gcc'

has been asking members of the demo-
cratic National committee what should be
their party's battle cry in 1900, whether
tree silver or down with the trusts"
or both? The answers OF those who have
replied up to date are;
While only one replled-trom Maine, the
home State OF Mr. Bryans running mate
in lS96--says drop silver" all OF them
agree in giving the trust question a prom
inence it never has had in the platform of
their own or any other party. With one
exception all who speak freely suggest that
some other issue viii divide promlnencel
equally with free silver Some say anti
militarism" OF "anti-imrerialism" will be-
one OF the issues, but all emphasize ;heI
antitrust question.
Just one committeeman says natly: The
This one exception is Alexander Troope OF
Connecticut
Half dozen of the committeeman are
either non-committal or refuse to be quot
ed. They are George Fred Williams of
Massachusetts, d. j. Campau of Michigan,
b. b. smalley OF Vermont Frank Comp
bell of New York, l.. D. oBrien OF MIN
nesCta, j. G Dudley OF Texas.
statement from Thomas Cahill, Ma
| tiona. committeeman for Illinois, can not
be obtained because he is no. IN the city
and can not be reached by telegraph HIS
attitude, however is pretty well known,
The committeeman who say free silver
must have first place IN the platform,
although. generously combined with the
questions OF "militarlsm' an SO on, are
| Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska. Arkansas and
Indian Territory which latter does not vote
for president All the Others either put
the trust question hrsl ar lay much stress
! lpon issues produced Nv the SpRneh war
The signed statements OF the committee
nca received by the rimos Herald are in
part as follows:
Thomas c. McRea, Arklnsas--If my
| cri; itn of the National democratic Coz
vent on were asked, / shcul say IL should
reafflrm the Chicago platform and in ad
| dltitn denounce trus s. imperialism and
| extravaganza. The necessity .or he free
coinage of silver Is greater now than 1t
was in 1896. because as we have more
taxes and larger National debt to pay,
We need more redemption money with
which TO make payments
| j. j, Dwyer, California No man can tell
where We will be in 1900. Predictions
therefore must be based on IFS II the
| fhlllpprhe war is sun IN active progress
IN lSOo' or II the president and mis- pre-.
torlan guard are then actively engaged
in carrying out their conspiracy to steal
Cuba; and especially II both these foreign
| questions remain unsolved, there will be
but one issue ana that will be imperial
ism. In that event, the democratic party
VIII Immediately declare against imperial
ism. The platform viii be the constitu-
! ton, the declaration OF independence and
he tan
tons viii be sidetracked' In the absence
OF foreign Issues, the battle viii be on the
same lines as IN 1896 ! do not think the
anti trust issue VIII he allowed to obscure
the silver issue. If will be fight Of de-
mocracy VS.. plutocracy, with the financial
question In the forefront
Adair Wilson Colorado-ln my opinion
there is no doubt that IN the next preSi
Dental campaign the money question VIII
be the leading issue, AS II was In the last
and that bimetallism, the restoration OF
silver coinage at a ratio OF 10 10 ] VIII
be the battle cry OF the democracy. The
democratic party has always opposed trusts
and possibly, IN view OF recent events
in It's platform OF 1900 pubic attention
may be more forcbly called to THIS ques-
ton, but in no such sense MS to supplanl
the financial Issue. The former Is in iacl
embraced In the lattcr-ls only the natural
outgrowth OF the present financial policy
Of the government II You wish to destroy
an evil you must strike at It's source
Hence TO strike at the trusts and restore
bimetallism. The paramount issue In 1900
viii be the same as 1t was in 1896
Alexander Troope ecitcui-Person-
ally I favor the Chicago platform Of lS9t
as the paramount issue Ia the campaign
OF 1900 The vote for Bryan in Connect
cut and New England in my opinion VIII
be largely increased In 1900 and The issue
instead Of being international blmetalltsm
and Independent bmetalllsm VIII be be-
tween the single gold platform as advocated
by the republicans and the chicago plat
form. 1t Will be fight TO the finish
Clark Howell, Jr Georgia-untll new
platform is made We should stand by thu
old platform. except, OF course, on suci
: questions that might arise out OF condi
lions which are new and which were no
under consideration OF the time of thu
meeting Of the last National convention
, and even on such questions | doubt thu
! propriety Of the National committee takin'
the declaratory position In advance of thu
8 conventions in several States The tw'
! questions which are now uppermost ar
imperialism and the concentration Of cap
, ital in trusts and combine AS to the lat
/ ter question, the general attitude Of tn
r party is already well defined in the Ma
tional platform and there is little doub