Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1899-08-11
TO KILL OFF BRYAN.
GREAT SCHEME PLANNED BY
WHITNEY, EFT AL.
want to Use Dewey ~ q Catspaw with
which to Get the Democrats Mixed
Up-Populists May Act Early with
silver Republicans.

president by the POpullSts. he may Ut
named as early as February % II 1t Il
deemed proper to call convention
that early. 1t is quite likely that the
Silver Republicans will also nominate
Bryan in an early convention. These
conventions will declare absolutely for
16 to 1. Finally Bryan will be nominal
ed by the Democrats, despite the fact
that Bill Stone, Bill Whitney, Dick
Croker, and their ilk are showing a
disposition to run things. Whitney
has pretty plan laid for tossing"
Bryan. Dewey is to be the instrument.
Here is what the Atlanta Constitution
has to say about it:
The statement OF o. H. P. Belmont
at Chicago that Mr.. William c. Whit
ney has gone to Europe to get the con-
sent of Admiral Dewey to become the
Democratic candidate for president
would be plausible in itself even II 1t
were not confirmed by the testimony
of such men as the correspondent OF
the Cincinnati Enquirer. 1t would be
plausible In itself for the reason that
Mr.. Whitney has been trying to do
something spectacular in politics ever
since some inconsiderate newspaper
man gave him credit for having nomi-
mated Mr.. Cleveland in 1892 by main
strength.
The newspaper man who put forth
this stupendouA tale was simply try
ing to get up something 20 interest the
public. In the newspapers, as IN cur
rent fiction, there is no character 30
mysteriously interesting as the hero
who is supposed to do all the hot work
behind the curtains and in closets and
whose tools and instruments are out
Of sight of the audience. This hero
must not be laxative; that would spoil
everything. When he appears at all
he must seem to be unconscious OF the
fact that he is exposed to the public
gaze. He must clench his hands, NUT
ten between his teeth and wrinkle his
marble brow just as he would do If he
were entirely alone.
. AS our readers know, Mr.. Cleveland
was nominated in 1892, not because
Mr.. Whitney was for him, but because
q majority of delegates were for him.
He was opposed by the few who could
see a quarter of mile ahead, but the
great bulk of the delegates preferred
him to Hill. In that, we think they
were right, though we were far from
thinking so at the time. AS the
scheme was to scuttle the ship, there
vas not much choice between the men
1Eho were ready and anxious to engage
IN that work.
But as soon as Cleveland was noml-
mated, the newspaper man who saw an
interesting story in the situation I'M
n~iiately composed the Whitney mys-
terry and put it forth. Long before the
day of nomination, Mr.. Whitney had,
with clinched hand, hit his marble
brow and declared that Cleveland
must be the man. Having made up
his r'i on this point, this North
American Warwick retired to his study
and clapped to the blinds and doors
and proceeded to make his wonderful
influence felt in the remotest corners OF
the republic.
Such was the newspaper story, and
It was put together with such happy
art that after a while even Mr.. Whit
new began to believe. Indeed, he had
mot read 1t above dozen times before
he was ready to make affidavit thereto.
The result is that very clever man
has gone off at wrong tangent, and
has thereby lost such small political in
fluence as he had gained as a very In
drstrious and energetic secretary OF the
navy. He will be Warwick or moth
ing: he will have things his own way,
Or he will not play.
Il might be supposed that such
Warwick as this would have had an
Oyerpowering influence at the demo-
cratic convention in 1896. AS matter
of fact he could not control the delega-
tion from his own state. And now, in
the face of all this. he proposes to play
a big card and call it Dewey. 1t Is
hardly true, as Mr. Belmont supposes,
that Mr.. Whitney intends to make a
serious effort to get Admiral Dewey
to consent to be candidate. What he
hopes to do is to inyeigle the hero of
Manila into aiding him in playing a
game of political duplicity. At the ~
ception which is to be given to the ad-
miral in New York, his name Is to be
mentioned, and Mr.. Whitney's mission
is to secure the admiral's promise to
make no denial when the statement is
made, but to allow the public to draw
its own conclusions.
The hope is that in this way the rank
and, file Of the party can be induced to
refrain from instructing their delega-
lions for Mr.. Bryan with the result of
sowing chaos and confusion in the or
sanizStion. The scheme, however,
Lacks something more than prettiness.
AGAINST TRUSTS.