The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-03-26
SOME VIEWS AT WASHINGTON
fBY C. A. EDWARDS.)

IOl0nel William j. bryan ba'S A~'-s
mont. the goidbug chairman OF the demo-
cratic club OF New York, is the tax oi
the town in political circles. II IS justly
regarded as the first shot In the hgnt "
a finish between the straight democrats
and the gold element OF the East. knew
it was coming all the time ana nave saiu
so forty times in The Post.
1t is an irrepressible conflict ana VIII
have 10 be fought out on the nuor Oh tne
National convention in 1900. the bAstcrn
contingent OF so-called democracy Is de-
termined to knock out silver In the next
platform If possible and is organizing ils
forces to that end. Their arguments are
that 1t is better to get 80 per cent OIL the
reforms we are after than get none at Az
and that we will get nothing II we persist
in reaffirmng the Chicago platform. IN
other words, they assume that we need
the Eastern vote in order to elect the next
democratic candidate. There is no doubt
that we got great many votes III
the East IL 1896, but they awaited notn-
ing. For all the good it did us we may
dS well lOb HdNt ltitiFNh ahS -
that section of the country.
~
Colonel Bryan was correct when ne
spoke of the East as the enemy's country
He knew what he was talking about and
knew that the East is an "Ephriam joined
to his idols" l do not know, of course,
what the party managers are going to do
about it, but I know what I would do.
have seen enough and heard enough III
the past year to convince me that we may
as well sing psalms to a dead mule as try
to convert the East to an honest belief
in the silver plank Of the platform, and
am In favor of turning 1t out to grass and
absolutely refusing to spend a dollar in
money or an hour of time in that section
east of the Allegheny mountains in the
next campaign. 1t is as solidly republic
can or, rather committed to the gold
standard as anything can be, and there
is no use making faces over the matter;
We must take our medicine. There is no
doubt that there are many good honest
silver men in that country and our 1andi-
they may as we'll be dumped in the At
lantic ocean for all the good they will do
us. The electoral vote of the East will
go to the republican candidate. Why not.
then, put all our strength. all our small
campaign fund all our speakers and all
our energies in the States of Illinois, In
diana Michigan and Wisconsin and win
out without the East or any part of It?
~
So far as Colonel Bryan is concerned he
was right in refusing an invitation to a
Belshazzar feast presided over by a rank
goldbug. Perry Belmont is not only a
goldbug of the yellowest stripe, but he is
also boiler from the democratic party
and has no more right to be presiding at
banquet to commemorate the democratic
virtues Of Jefferson than Mark Hanna.
Would Bryan want to SIT at banquet
board with Hanna as a fellow democrat?
Well he is just as much OF democrat
as Perry Belmont. The boilers from the
democratic party in 1896 In New York and
elsewhere sold their votes as much as any
darby in Brazoria or Fort Bend counties
ever did. 1t makes no difference about
the price paid. The one is as venal as
the other Another thing that caused
Bryan to refuse to accept the invitation
to this dinner was the fact that it is to
cost $40 plate. could have told them
that Bryan would refuse to 20 to their
old supper because | heard him express
himself about Belshazzar feasts when he
was here in Washington not long ago. The
acceptance of an invitation like that would
not only hurt Bryan, but hurt the party
as well. 1t would take out of our mouths
most excellent argument that we have
used with much potency in the past Our
cause is not advanced by $40 banquets and
the sooner our leaders make that fact
clear to the Eastern contingent OF So
called democracy the better it will be for
our party.
The goldbug and anti Bryan wing in the
East are already counting their chickens.
They claim that they can control over
one-third of the votes In the next National
convention, and that as 1t requires Two
thirds majority to nominate, they will
either knock out Bryan or force the silver
men to abrogate the two thirds rule. The
aggregate number of delegates In the next
convention will be ss4 from the States and
about 80 from the Territories, including
Alaska and the District of Columbia. The
exact number will probably be 924. One
third Of this total is sos. The goldbugs
claim that they have already S14 votes in
sight divided as follows. New England
States rs, Delaware 8. Maryland IS, Min
nesota IS New Jersey 30. New York ~,
oregon g. Pennsylvania 81, Washington
s. Wisconsin "a; total sI4.
In addition to these votes. which they
count upon as certain, they are talking
oil making vigorous night to grab the or
sshlzation of the party In the States OF
ONO Illinois, Iowa, Indiana and North
Dakota have no idea that they can get
any votes outside Of the East, but even II
they should get one-third Of the votes Of
me convention. what good would it do
'nem! While It takes two-thirds to nom
mate Candidate IL requires only ma
MAa