The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-03-10
BRYAN IN 190OP
From the New York Sun.

From the New York Sun.
The discussion in Tammany circles Of
candidate for the presidential nomina-
ton to be supported at the next Demo-
cratic national convention in opposition to
Mr.. Bryan may be said to be interesting
rather than important. The arguments
for the adVisability of Mr.. Augustus Van
WyCk are that when he ran his unsuc-
Cessful campaign for governor of New
York last year he took pains to avoid
giving offence to the straight and rcgu-
lar Democracy by refusing absolutely to
express himself on the silver question:
and that he commended himself TO south
ern favor by serving during the civil war
on the Confederate side. The clrcum-
stance that ne was unable 20 carry his
own state so lately ms 1895 Is, however, an
rremovable stumbling block; and of
course, his policy of hedging on the Issue
which most Of all fires the Democratic
heart. could not be repeated in n national
canvass. lie would be compelled to con-
fess exactly where he stood in order TO
escape from becoming the laughing stock
of the whole Union.
O.
Moreover, Tammany has proved by It's
recent proceedings that It is no longer
primarily and distinCtively an organiza-
ton for political purposes, but rather
machine engineered for the furtherance
of money making schemes of its leaders.
Consequently even the little influence IL
had before in national Democratic politics
has been lost to IT.. Wherever else the
Democratic party goes for a candidate I'm
1900, ii may be assumed positively that
the last place in which it Will seek him
will be the ranks of Tammany. 1t will
not make Tammany and its methods a
national issue. Nor is the suggestion of
union upon Mr. German by the Demo-
cratic opponents Of Mr.. Bryan reason
| able probability. Mr.. German has DEM
onstrated that he cannot carry his own
state of Maryland. but has been COM
PEELED to see it pass over to the Repub-
licans under his leadership of the De-
mocracy. Such a man is not likely to
commend himself to practical politicians
as possible candidate for president.
The Democratic opposition to AIr. Bry-
an, therefore, has not yet been able to
| lay out any programme with a plausible
chance of being carried out successfully.
| The nucleus of il must be Tammany, nee
essarily, but never before in its whole
| history has Tammany been so complete
| ly disCredited in this city, this state. and
| throughout the Union as IL is now. If the
Democratic party suffered Tammany to
| direct it's national policy and name its
! candidate, it would be in an even more
| desperate case in 1900 than it is at pres
| ent. Moreover, the Democratic national
| convention will know very we'll that
| Tammany will be obliged to support the
| party whoever the candidate or what
ever the policy and that therefore, its
| feelings in the matter are not worth con-
| sideration. The Democratic party in 1896
| attracted to it about a million Populist
votes by adopting the Chicago platform
| and nominating Bryan, and the necessity
o., s,,1,, - II
er than the forlorn hope OF bringing back
to the Democracy states which have con-
| tnued since then to stand by the Re
publcans. will influence and determine the
| judgment of the practical politicians in
| the convention. So far, therefore the po-
stion of Mr.. Bryan as the logical can
didate of the Democracy in 1900 seems to
| continue impresnable.