The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-03-09
Tho Democratic Candidate in 1900.

@bS
The discussion In Tammany circles OF a
candidate for the Presidential nomination
to be supported at the next Democratic
National Convention in opposition to Mr..
BRYAN may be said to be interesting rather
than important. That it should have con-
sidered the possible availability OF Gen.
MILES indicates how far removed it is from
anything approaching practical politics.
Undoubtedly, Gen. MILES Is fishing for
such O nomination, with his beef dema-
Rogy, and lie ready to take It from either
or any party, but he Is a load which the
Democracy will never carry. 1t will not
run the momentous campaign Of 1900 on
the grub issue. The suggestion of the
brother OF the New York Mayor as the can
didate to oppose to Mr.. BRYAN is deserving
Of somewhat more serious consideration.
The arguments for the a~dvisability Of Mr..
AUGUSTUS VAN WICK are that when he ran
his unsuccessful campaign for Governor Of
New York last year he took pains to avoid
giving offence to the straight and regular
Democracy by refusing absolutely to ex-
press himself on the silver question, and
that he commended himself to Southern
favor by serving during the civil war on the
Confederate side. The circumstance that
he was unable to carry his own State SO
lately as 1898 Is, however, an irremovable
stumbling block and, Of course, his policy
Of hedging on the issue which most OF all
fires the Democratic heart, could not be re-
peated in a national canvass. He would be
compelled to confess exactly where he stood
in order to escape from becoming the laugh
ing stock OF the whole Union.
Moreover, Tammany has proved by its
recent proceedings that it is no longer
primarily and distinctively an organization
for political purposes, but rather a ma
chine engineered for the furtherance Of
money making schemes Of It's leaders.
Consequently even the little influence it had
before in national Democratic politics has
boon lost to it. Wherever else the Demo-
cratic party goes for a candidate in 1900, 1t
may be assumed positively that the last
place in which it will seek him will be the
ranks Of Tammany. 1t will not make Tam
many and its methods a national issue.
Nor Is the suggestion Of union upon Mr..
GoRMAN by the Democratic opponents OF
Mr.. BRYAN a reasonable probability. Mr..
GoRMAN has demonstrated that he cannot
carry his own State OF Maryland, but has
been compelled to see it pass over to the
Republicans under his leadership OF the
Democracy. Such a man Is not likely to
commend himself to practical politicians
as a possible candidate for President.
7 The Democratic opposition to Mr.. BRYAN,
therefore, has not yet been able to lay out
any programme with a plausible chance
OF being carried out successfully. The
nucleus Of it must be Tammany, neces-
sarily, out never before in It's whole history
has Tammany been so completely discred-
tied in this city, this State, and throughout
the Union as it Is now. II the Democratic
party suffered Tammany to direct its ma
tional policy and name It's candidate, it
would be in an even more desperate case in
1900 that it is at present. Moreover, the
Democratic National Convention will know
very well that Tammany will be obliged to
support the party whoever the candidate
or whatever the policy, and that, therefore,
its feelings in the matter are not worth
consideration.
The Democratic party in 1896 attracted to
It about a million Populist votes by adopt
ing the Chicago platform and nominating
BRYAN, and the necessity for retaining
these %obtainable votes rather thar the for
lorn hope OF bringing back to the DEM
ocracy States which nave continued since
then to stand by the Republicans, will in
fuence and determine the judgment OF the
practical politicians In the convention. So
far, therefore, the position Of Mr.. BRYAN
as the logical candidate Of the Democracy
in 1900 seems to continue impregnable.