The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-01-13
Dc1ocRAcY
As it is To-dny-Gcnuinc Article C
sPuzzlins Quantity. ~

Fulfilling Quantity. ~
New York sun: l. is impossible to
tell, SO connecting are the definitions
OF It By men who profess 10 dcscribe
and represent the genuine article.
In Congress, undoubtedly, 1t is free
silver at iG to !. for Organism dom!-
mates absolutely the Democratic minor
lty. The Democratic coalition or fu-
sion with the Popullsts and s!lverIte
Republicans. continues unbroken. They
are all members OF the same political
family, political brethren. A few OF
the Democratic representatives. frori
the. city of New York. more par,cu.
larry. are supposed 10 be gold men In
The innermost recesses OF their hearts,
but they dare not divulge their secret.
and they Will be with the party next
year. whether 1t agrees with their pr!n-
pies or deiics them. Practically,
therefore. the whole lot are Bryanites.
free.s!lverites and social radicals. !.
outside OF Congress, the great and
representative leader OF the Democrat
cy Is William J. Bryan, and the indi-
cations are overwhelming that he will
be the candidate OF the party for Prea.
iuent In 1900. In the southern states,
where alone the Democratic party
showed signs OF real vitality at the
last election. It may be assumed that
me delegates elected TO Its next nation
al convention will be for him solldly.
Bryan declares that the l6 TO l issue
Is very much alive. and will be thrust
forward again by the Democratic party
no flo ITO, .
the treaty OF Paris, but Is opposed TO
carrying out Its terms. being Mortified
by the bugbear that by so doing we
should Violate the Declaration OF indie
pendence. that governments derive
their just powers from the consent OF
the governed. though, OF course, In TAX
Ing the new territory we should be only
following the examples OF jefferson,
and the Democratic party In the ac-
QUESTION OF territory from Mexico, and
In Its olu-time proposal to purchase
Cuba from Spain without consulting the
Inhabitants on the subject.
Richard Croker, OF Tammany Hall,
expresses directly contrary opinions
on both subjects as being the true blue
sentiment. He calls the l6 to | pues-
ton. rs outlined In the Chicago plat
form. n decidedly dead iSsuc"-kicks 1t
aside as humbug and nuisance. on
the other hand. he makes expansion an
essential Democratic doctrine, pro-
claimed and upheld since the time OF
JEFFERSON. Every Democrat should
favor expansion" he declares. He Is
for holding whatever possessions we
have gained by annexation. purchase
or war;" and believes that when the
question Is brought TO an issue" the
American people will rise us one man
and demand expansion" The Con
sent OF the governed" about which Mr..
Bryan Is In great distress. causes him
no disturbance. Mr. Croker is ready
10 follow Jefferson. American precedent
and the present almost universal Amer
lean sentiment. without suffering any
sort OF anguish.
Senator Jones. of Arkansas, the
chairman OF the Democratic national
committee. substantially reads Mr.. Gro
ker out OF the party, predicting TINT
By vote OF three to one. there wit,
be n rcaiiirmation in 1900 OF so much
OF the Chicago platform as declares for
the free and unlimited coinage OF sill
rer.' He Is also utterly opposed TO
Mr. Croker's ideas on expansion"
shares Mr.. Bryan's anxiety about the
consent Of the governed" and is BIT
Ne'is tohtat tlc hilleSNtlui-Ui us
tant territories" hence Ezainst what
Mr.. Croker holds to be essential Demo-
cratic doctrine, and the wish and will
of the whole people rs zone man."
Mr.. Carter Harrison, the mayor OF
Chicago. foremost Democrat. and re-
Gently believed to be In particularly
close relations with the anti.B Bryan
faction OF Eastern DemocrGts( pro-
claims Bryan as "the logical leader of
the contest In 1906" on the issue OF
1896. or the free coinage Of silver ct the
ratio Of l6 to l." He speaks or Mr..
Croker as leading small faction OF
Eastern Democrats" who are sure 10
be beaten.
The. vast prepondernncc of the evil
dence. therefore. is that Democracy and
advocacy Of the 16 10 doctrine and op-
position to expansion are inSeparable,
though Mr.. Croker treats the silver Is
sue as dead, and says substantially
that man cannot be truly Democrat
without supporting expansion.
What Is Democracy. then? 1t cannot
be both advocacy Of free silver and OPP
position to 1t. both support OF exnan-
sion and bitter hostility to II. The only
reason for the existence Of political
party Is that It represents views COM
mon to its memberships: yet here we
have complete and radical diversity.
II Bryan. Senator Jones, Mayor Har-
rison and the party representatives in
Congress are genuine Democrats, Mr..
Richard Croker and all those agreeing
With him must be spurious Democrats.