The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-01-08
THE DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM IN

Democratic party in 1900 contain2 That
question must have presented itself 20 the
minds of many OF our patrons yesterday
when they read the speech Of Col. Bryan,
made the night before at the Jackson ban
quet of the Duekworth Club at Cincin-
nau, and also the interview with Mr.
Richard Croker of New York. Col Bryan
spoke earnestly in favor Of the free and
unlimited coinage Of silver at the ratio
of 1G to l and against the policy of expan-
sion. Mr.. Croker declared that the 1G 10
l silver issue was dead and he announced
that he favored the policy Of expansion.
Col. Bryan is stiu the leader of the ma
uonal Democracy and Mr.. Croker Is the
leader of the Democracy Of New York
city, and perhaps of New York state. and
he undoubtedly speaks the sentiments of
a very large number'of the Democrats of
the country. 1t is evident from the ut
terances of these two men that unless
there are great changes in the Demo-
cratic ranks on the silver and Philippine
questions there will be a lack of harmony
in the next national Democratic conven-
ton.
At present. It looks as if those who fol-
low the lead Of Col. Bryan would have a
large majority in the convention. He GER
tainly expresses the views of the chair
man of the, national Democratic commit
tee, and probably of all of the members
of that committee, but he does not ex-
press the views Of as large a proportion
Of the Democrats on the silver question
as he did IN 1896, There Is a strong and
growing feeling in the ranks of the De-
mocracy against making the 16 to ! issue
a leading one in the next national con-
test Only day or Two ago a distinguish
ed Democrat of Chicago, who supported
every plank an the Chicago platform in
1896. suggested that it would be advisable
to eliminate the 16 to 1 ratio from the ma
tional Democratic platform. The lack of
interest in the West i'm the silver question
is what led him to make the suggestion.
1t may be that Col Bryan and other
Democratic leaders will recognize the wis
dom of the suggestion before the meeting
of the next national convention of the
Democratic party.
The fact is, there is a growing convic-
ton that the silver question will settle
itself in a few years If the politicians
viii let it alone. The steadily increasing
production of gold will settle it, The real
reason why gold and silver have parted
company so widely is that for quite a
number of years the increase in the out
put of silver was far greater than the
increase in the output of gold. Recently
there has been a falling off in the output
of silver and a very great increase in the
output of gold The production of gold
for the ten years Immediately prior TO
$780,, averaged only about 800, 900 a
year. The production increased to $780,
0OO,O 900 in 1891. There has been a steady
increase in the gold output since that
year, and last year it was $3.50 900 900. The
output of gold win continue for a
good many years. At the present
rate of increase it will be only a short
period before the gap between gold and
silver, at the present ratio, will be closed
1t would seem to be the part of wisdom,
therefore, to let the silver question alone
as political issue.
Opposition to a colonial policy in the
Philippines offers the Democratic party a
better prospect for success in the next
presidential campaign than anything else.
In support of that position the assistance
of the toilers of the country can be de-
pended upon. 1t is a position that will
become more popular the more il is dis
cussed. There are tens of thousands of
Republicans who will desert their party
before they will help to establish colo
MES in the Philippines. 1t is true of course
that there are Democrats like Mr.. Croker
who favor a colonial policy, but the num-
Der of them who would leave the party
if it should declare against that policy
is not so great as the number of Repub-
leans who would lend the Democratic
party a helping hand.
1t has been suggested that the question
of the government of the Philippines will
be settled before the meeting of the ma
tional Democrat convention. 1t will be
a long time before that question is finally
settled. The settlement of 1t will have
hardly been begun when the country will
be called upon to elect another President
The silver issue would prevent Republi-
cans who are against the colonial policy
from joining hands with the opponents OF
that policy 1t would seem therefore to
be a mistake for the Democratic party to
make the silver issue a leading one in
their next national platform. 1t is doubt
full if Mr.. Croker and those Democrats
who follow him would give the De-
mocracy hearty support if its platform
contained a declaration in favor of the
16 to / issue but they would support the
party, in all probability, if it should de
clare against the colonial policy, although
they are in favor of that policy.
NOT DESIRABLE SOLDIERS.
Notwithstanding the fact that the negro
regulars fought bravely az Santiago. none
bai