The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-02-01
SPIRIT OF The PRESS.
MR.. BRYAN AND MR.. CROKER

MIX. BR4 AkN AND Mh IhcNEII.
Atlanta Constitution.
Mr.. Bryan's letter to Mr.. Willis J
Abbott, of the New York Journal, with
respect to the attitude of the New York
Democracy is a very timely document
and will do a great deal of good. For
one thing. it is in the nature of mes
sage to the Democracy of the whole
country, and is intended to put the mem
bers of the party on notice that another
effort is to be made by certain so-cailed
Democrats to sacrifice the principles o
the party to certain questions of eXpe
diency.
AS the Constitution has stated time
and again, these sacrifices are nothing
new in the history of the party. The
most conspicuous occurred when the
party surrendered to the conspiracy
which resulted in the denomination
Grover Cleveland in 1892. The SUD
cess of the party on that occasion was
in the nature of the worst defeat ii ha
sustained in the whole course of its his
tory. It's candidates were elected. bu
its principles were ANONYMOUSLY de-
featcd at every turn, and dragged i'll
the dust. Thousands of voters, dis
gusted at the betrayal of their party
joined the Populists, and the condition
% me national Democracy in 1894 was
pitiable in the extreme.
The party had declared for a tariff for
revenue only The political traitors
who had charge of the tariff bill brought
in measure which produced a deficit OF
S40,000,000 year; and the President,
elected by Democratic votes, violated
the law and opened the treasury TO the
raids of the gold syndicate, and entered
into secret and midnight bond deals-2ll
of which had been arranged for before
his election.
To all intents and purposes, the party
was destroyed. 1t had surrendered to
the New York Democracy as a matter
of expediency, and the New York De-
mocracy imagined that it was sitting up
with its corpse. But, as always hap
pens in emergencies such as this, the
common people came to the front III the
Democratic States and took charge of
the party. False leaders and traitors
were kicked out before they were aware
Of it, and in 1896 at Chicago, the Demo-
cracy committed itself not to new prin-
ciples, but to a new satisfactory dec
laration of principles.
1t is this new declaration that seems
to be Objectionable to the New York De-
mocracy, so far as it is represented by
Mr.. Croker. Mr.. Bryan's letter is both
a declaration and challenge. He
makes the situation very clear; he raises
an issue which Mr.. Croker will be COM
PEELED to meet sooner or later, and the
sooner he meets it the better for the
Democracy of New York.
We have said that Mr.. Bryan's letter
is a challenge. The remark should be
| modified. The letter is a definite re-
ply to Mr. Cookers challenge. Mr..
| Croker declared that the issue of is to !
| is dead, and he took ground with the
| Republicans in declaring for expansion.
| He has set himself to antagoniZe the
| Chicago platform and the national par
| ~ as far as he can safely do so; but he
| does not shut the door behind him. He
| is too shrewd politician 20 do that.
| He declares that the silver question is
| dead and that the people have rehuked
| the Chicago platform; still, if the ma
! tional party thinks and declares other
wise, Tammany will fall into line and
make as big a fuss as anybody.
| This being so. Mr.. Croker has no bust
ness to be making declarations calcu
! lated 20 antagoniZe the national Democ
| racy. Tammany is very importan
part OF the organization, but the nation