The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-03-22
TEE BRYAN-BELMONT
CpnANHsNEE
CORRE-

/ sPOHDENCE.
The correspondence between Col. Bryan
and Mr. Belmont, published in our dis
patches yesterday. growing out of the in
vitation extended 10 Col. Bryan by the
Democratic Club of New York, Of which
| Mr.-Belmont is president, TO be present at
the dinner to be given by the club on the
anniversary Of the birthday of Thomas
! jefferson, seems to Indicate that there is
TO be very clean cut distinction between
! Democrats who believe in, and those who
are opposed to, the 16 to l idea, in the
| campaign for delegates to the next Demo-
! cratic national convention.
II may be that this difference between
Democrats viii be confined 10 New York,
but the indications are that it will not.
! Sun, there Is no other state in which the
difference viii have SO much importance
as in New York because very powerful
faction of Democrats in that state is
against the Is to l idea of the Chicago
platform 1t is SO powerful that it is
question whether il cannot control the
state delegation to the national convention.
This is not the case in any other state,
although there are many Democrats in
! each Of the states who are against the
silver plank of the Chicago platform.
Il is a question WHITTIER Col Bryan has
benefited the Democratic party in raising
this IS to 1 issue among Democrats at this
time. While II is true that he speaks only
for himself his action, occupying the po-
sition he does cannot but have the effect
of causing the factions in the party to
draw further apart, and of introducing fac
tional contests for delegates to the ma
tional convention wherever the gold Dem
ocrats have the Eeast chance for success.
The effect of these contests will be to
weaken the allegiance of gold Democrats
to the party. 1t may be said that they
would not vote the Democratic ticket any
way If The Chicago platform should be re-
affirmed Some of them would not, but
thousands of them in every state would,
in all probability. because of their strong
party feeling.
Col. Bryan says that he will accept the
invitation of another Democratic organi-
cation of New York to dinner given in
honor of Thomas Jeffersons birthday if
certain conditions are complied with. This
would seem to indicate a purpose on the
part of Col Bryan and those who are in
sympathy with his efforts to be the presi-
dental candidate of the party in 1900,
to ignore Tammany. and attempt to
secure a delegation hostile TO Tam
many to the national convention next
year. Assuming that such is the pro-
gramme, there will be very lively politics
among Democrats in New York before this
year is out. Mr. Croker win have chance
to show how brilliant political leader he
is. Should Tammany succeed in nominat-
ing the delegation to the national conven-
I ton he viii exert very considerable in
| fuence in that body The drawing of the
line against those Democrats who are not
in harmony with the 16 to idea may have
the effect of making the Democratic party
more aggressive, but time alone can de-
termine whether Col Bryan's action will
do the Democratic party more good than
harm.
No one who knows Col Bryan will as
sumo that he had his own chances for a
~ 4SAAA'AAeNeiSN - AN'AAN "iNAi ~ ANAOSS0 "
accept the invitation of the Democratic
Club The effort to rule out Of the party
those who do not accept the Chicago plat
form In its entirety Is not likely to have
much influence one way or the other on
the question of his denomination. 1t is
certain that the majority of the convention
win be in favor of re-affirming the Chica-
go platform, and If 1t appears that he is
the most available candidate he will get
! the nomination.