Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-09-03

TO the Editor Of the Dispatch:
Even Homer mods" The recent ut
terances Of Judge Willett and Senator
Morgan have stirred the political waters
10 their depths In Alabama, and the news
comes THAI at no time in twenty years
has the antagOnism between leaders in
the party been so sharp. Friends Of
both OF those gentlemen admit that they
made mistakes which men of their expo
rience and ability ought not to have
made. Those who seek to turn the
hearts OF the South from Mr. Bryan are
going the wrong way about the compile
ton OF their undertaking. The South
voted for the Chicago platform, and for
Bryan as ono of its Incidents, because
it had largely lost faith in the old leader
ship. because it is loyal to the Demo-
cratic ticket, and because 1t had faith in
the principles promulgated at Chicago
Unlike the North and West, the South
votes for the platform and not for the
men-party loyalty may have lost some
Of It's binding effect among us but It is
still the strongest principle Of political
action. The South voted for Greeley VINO
had been one Of the most bitter Of her
foes, and had done as much as any other
one man to preciptate the war which left
her PROSTATE; whose paper had endorsed
and approved all the measures which
made reconstruction a period bitterer
than death 10 her She voted for Nc
Clelan and Hancock. She has long re-
signed the hope Of seeing one Of her own
sons in the White House, and therefore
must vote for some one of those formerly
opposed TO her. She has grown accus-
toned to hearing her candidates boast OF
former hostility 10 all that she held dear
and sacred.
Why. then. should she turn from Bryan
on learning from Judge Willett that he
tried TO compass the defeat of Crisp? She
has many times condoned and forgiven
far worst things than this. Nor will the
South refuse TO support Mr. Bryan upon
proof that after Mr. Cleveland had signed
the repeal Of the Sherman bill. ne de-
clared that the Democracy was sod TO
goldbugs and corporations such ex-
pressiOns have fallen from the lips Of
many southern leaders still high in the
confidence OF the party and their people.
These are some Of the charges that are
expected to lose Mr. Bryan the support
OF the South i'm the next national conYen-
tlon. but / repeat, the meeting at Sara
tOga has wasted it's labor in collecting
the proofs, and will appeal TO the South
IN vain. lt is not that the South is so
oeeply enamOred of Mr.. Bryan, though
ne has commanding and engaging per-
sonality, but she has been disappointed
grown weary Of devotion 10 abstract
principles. She has been told so often
| that political cOnScicntiOusness Is out of
date. ana the rule Of practical politics"
seems 80 deeply fixed upon the country
that she is almost hopeless. and Is impa
tient with all those who ask her TO lose
another idol.
Look at her State legislators. They are
all Democrats. Of course. but men more
diverse I'm views and different I'm practice
could not be chosen from a dozen OPP
posing parties in another section. From
the Socialist to the adOrer Of the ma
chine: from the old greenDacker TO the
new gOldbug; from the gentleman OF the
old South TO the fresh leader who can
barely sign his name and eats with his
knife: the mantle of Democracy covers
all. and under this men cannot demand
strict consistency from others, II they
expect consistency at home.
4 politician is now expected TO say
more than he believes. and TO promise
more than he performs. n NUMBER OF
Democratic newspapers and DemOcrI lc
leaders still insist that the trusts mus!
be denounced as enemies or the people
when we meet in national convention,
and they are even willing to ignore the
claims Of free silver for this purpose.
II some of them will draft the plank
they would like, and submit II 70 eXaHl-
nation. the beginning OF practical work
mieht be made. Would they simply say
"the trusts must 60" or would they make
Il unlawful for any man, or set or men,
with more than a certain sum 70 go INTO
business? They must know that the SUI
preme Court is apt TO pass upon sta
iute whether demanded by a convention
or not. and they surely would not get up
a lot of heroics to capture votes ana theh
foil the nope Of the voter?
What Is q trust2 In the past q hulnueI
of men or firms have pooled their interests
and paSged all their assets, HaDiiltleS,
and business into the care OF trustees
hence the name. Each stockholder IN the
associated firms received STOCK IN lhe
trust for his stock in one or the assoc
ciated companies. and then the trust was
rerdv for business. These alone are trbst
In lie eve OF the law; these alone Woulu
he affected by legislation against tue
trusts. Ask one of these would-De au-
thors Of "a party platform what would ne
put down by the attack he advocates, auu
h. viii easily and arly begin with "Ihe
Standard Oil, the Sugar trust anu Ihainy
more But IL happens tnat these are
NOT trusts now: they have been Ieorsan-
ized and are now plain corporations I'M
der the law Of New Jersey.
So with all the late trusts, except, per-
hans one which hcsitateS 20 become
Main cornoratiOn because ITS business
secrefs are vauable-the silver smeiters
pod If the National Democratic Con-
veution wrote into It's platform a deClar9-
zion AGAINST trusts IL would be Dlahk
INFLAMMATION against the dead, or else an
1+rir'nt ~ catch the votes of those who
have not heard that all tho trusts OF real
strength have already sheltered them-
selves from the rain.
Governor Aitgeid Is IN favor OF rele-
caring silver to the rear and making war
on rr1ste. on expansion. and on the con-