The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1899-05-18

Acting under orders from the Ma
tiOnal Democratic Committee. il is said
a hundred Chicago platform Democrats
met last Saturday night in New York
city and took steps to thoroughly or
ganize the city. and later the State Of
New York, 70 defy Tammany Hall. a
committee of twerty was appointed to
arrange the five bOrOughs systematic.
ally TO work them J r. Brown pre-
sided, and after The meeting said that
a contesting delegation of Bryan and
Chicago platform men will be sent from
this State to the next national cOnven-
ton.
In view Of the foregoing the follow
ing from the New York Times. gold
Democrat in 90, seems very apt
The Southern Democrats care more
for Bryan than fer free silver. They
can give up the Chicago platform,
but Bryan must be their candidate next
year This is the report brought from
the South by men who have good OPP
pOrtunties TO learn the sentiment Of the
people there.
The rank and file Of the Southern
Democrats, possibly, do not know what
this means. The leaders ought TO know
1t means that these gentlemen Of the
South are wiling TO throw party and
principle TO the dogs In order TO demon
strate their loyalty TO the defeated can
didate of 1896. With Bryan as the can
didate the party is fOredOOmed tOdefeat
and their leaders will tell them so If
they tell the truth. Nothing short OF
the most revolving protiigacy on the
part of the present administration would
induce the people Of this country to
elect Bryan President over any candi-
date the Republicans might name. In
announcing their determination TO stick
TO him the Southern Democrats put the
man above the party, and declare that
the qualification Of Bryan 5 vanity and
their desire to express their admiration
for him are considerations paramount
90 the triumph of the Democracy.
AS for the platform, the Democrats
of the South are right in regarding II
as Of no binding force. There is no
test Of orthodoxy or of regularity in fl
deity to platform upon which the
party has once gone TO defeat save only
that every Democrat would naturally
adhere TO those utterances Of the platform
that set forth the established and hon
ored principles of Democracy. There
was nothing of that kind in the Chicago
platform, so that there is no reason why
the Democrats of the South should not
throw it overheard if they choose to do
so. That they are willing TO drop 1t is
an interesting piece of news, for 1t has
been universally understood that the
cheap silver dollar was the god Of their
idolatry. 1t now appears that it is be-
fore Bryan that they bow the knee ana
burn incense.
After one more decisive victory the
Republicans in Congress will be ready
TO take up the work of reapportioning
the Congressional representation OF the
Southern States on the basis Of the
vote as reduced by the various devices
which exclude the blacks from the priv
ilege of the ballot AS the representa-
tion of these States in the Electoral
College will be correspondingly dimin-
ished it will make very little difference
what candidate the Democrats put up
in future Presidential elections He
might be made the perpetual candidate,
80 that the Southern Democrats could
have the pleasure Of voting for him
every four years.