Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-06-19
BRYAN or s 0LT.

From the Inter Mountains Geographic
advices today it is learned that George
Fred Williams of Massachusetts is au-
thority for the statement that if Bryan
is not nominated by the democrats in
1900 his friends will bolt the national con-
v%ention, and run that gentleman as an in
dependent candidate. Coming from a
man whose name is intimately associated
with that of Bryan, as a prospective run
ming mate, the declaration is not without
a great deal of significance to the demo-
cratic party. 1t indicates that the pos
eibility of Bryan's defeat has been can-
vassed by his friends and a course of
procedure outlined should such an event
occur. His friends would scarcely go to
the extreme of making a public threat, Sc
long in advance of the convention. that
they will withdraw from that body and
act independently of the regular organi-
cation, did they not fear complication
that nay upset the plans they have laid
for 1900.
Doubtless, this fear has lead up to the
policy of trying to placate the opposition
to Bryan within party lines by retiring
silver to the background and selecting
some other question for a paramount is
sue. But while the Bryan men have
shown a disposition to make bimeta1lism
merely a secondary proposition in the
campaign Of 1900, in order to reunite the
gold and silver wings of the party in his
support, another movement is on foot to
guard against an anti-Bryan majority
being seated in the national convention.
Ex-Governor Stone Of Missouri is said to
have prepared a resolution for the con-
slderation of the national democratic
committee which meets in Chicago to-
morrow, declaring that ''only such dele
gates as come from states in which the
democratic convention endorses the Chi
cago platform will be seated as regular
delegates in the national convention"
In other words, it is proposed to make
the endorsement of the platform Of 1896 a
test of party fealty and the price Of
III SIN III IL ICAl idllOIAdl COL
vention. Under this sort of an arrange
ment the delegates sent by the regular
democratic state conventions Of New York
and other commemorative of the east
would be excluded, while those selected
by a dissenting minority would be admit
ted under the test proposed by the ma
tional committee. In this "a the Bryan
men might be able to secure a clear ma
jority in the convention and re-nominate
their favorite.
1t is doubtless believed that if the gold
wing Of the party refuses to accept the
candidacy of Bryan, after silver has been
placed in the background by the silver
wing which he represents, it can be kept
out of the convention entirely. Rather
than take chances on the defeat of Bryan
in the convention his friends perfer to
read his enemies out of the party, and
dispense with their suppor at the polls.
Viewed in the light of the tons
made by Mr.. Williams, and the proposed
recommendations of Mr.. Stone at tomor-
INV = vic, IL lochS DIS II the Bryan
men are not as sure of their political foot
irg as they would have the public believe.
Ii forced to bolt the national convention.
on the one hand, or forcing their party
opponents to bolt the ticket. o. the other
hand, as the price Of Colonel Bryan's
leadership, and compelled to make the
campaign without the support of the a.
Oo0 900 silver men in other parties. who
co-operated with the democracy in 1896.
the followers of the boy orator of the
Platte will doubtless have hard shedding
before them when the time to count the
votes in 1900 shall have arrived.
me contention or the silver republicans
and populists last year. that the silver
parties ought to continue the policy of CO.
operation, without snirenderlng their
opinions on other issues. WouId have
greatly simpliied the situation in 1900.
But the Bryan democrats absolutely and
unqualifiedly sat down on a policy OF This
kind, and refused to entertain any over
lures looking to a fusion of the silver
forces for the future. TIL y are now con-
tsonted by conditions which the silver