Omaha daily bee., 1899-06-10
,tR. linRMAN,S FnRECASr.

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presidential aspirant. He is an adroit
politician and if he lived in New York
or illinois he would stand a good
chance of being nominated for the
presidency. AS IL is he Is not likely to
obtain any very considerable support.
Mr.. German has given out what he
thinks will be the platform of the
democracy IN the national cam
paign of next year. He says in
regard to silver that it attracts
less attention than the questions
of imperialism and the trusts and
together upon a platform which will
relegate silver to the background. Mr..
Germans idea is that war on the trusts
should be made the leading issue by the
democrats, with anti-imperialsm next
in prominence. The Maryland states
man undoubtedly would like to have
silver dropped, but he knows this will
not be done. The men VINO will control
the next democratic national convention
have already proclaimed that the Chi.
cago platform will be reaffirmed and
that the battle of the standards must
be fought over again. Moreover these
men propose to renominate Mr.. Bryan,
who is as earnest now in his advocacy
of the free coinage of silver at 16 to 1
as he was three years ago. His
nomination will make tree silver the
paramount issue regardless Of the plat
form. No declarations the democrats
may make hostile to Imperialism and
the trusts will divert popular attention
from the silver issue with w. J. Bryan
as the party's standard bearer. Un-
doubtedly Mr.. German understands
this and therefore he can hardly be
hopeful of democratic success next
year, however vigorously that party
may denounce Imperialism and monopo-
listic combinations.
AS to war on the trusts, the demo-
cratic leaders have already shown that
they have no practical plan for dealing
with them. Mr.. Bryan mas suggested
none, but has talked vaguely about a
remedy 'co-eXtensive with the federal
government" asserting that it is futile
for the states to attempt to suppress
trusts. Mr.. Altgeld has told the democ-
racy that there Is nothing in mere de-
nunciation of the combinations, that the
people want to know what can be done
to break up the monopolies. Unless the
democratic leaders evolve some practi-
cal plan the party will gain few votes
by simply railing against trusts. Mr..
German says: "Imperialism and mill
tarism are issues Of such magnitude
that it is difficult for the average mind
to this, also, the democratic leaders fail
to make any clear and definite state
ment of what the policy of the party
would be if placed in power. Possibly
a democratic administration would
withdraw our troops from the Philip
pines and leave the islands to the con-
troll of the natives, but the party will
not dare go before the country with
such a proposition.
The democrats like Mr.. German, who
are anxious to have the party return
to it's old faith and principles, must
wait. Their efforts to attain this are
commendable, but they WIN not be able
to accomplish their purpose next year.
The party must experience at least one
more defeat under its present leaders in
order to convince it of the folly and
futility of its present attitude. All the
indications are that next year the de-
mocracy will be more Overwhelmingly
beaten than three years ago.