Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1899-07-20

control of the Tammany organization by
work within that body would be fruitless.
IN support or the second proposition we
point to this record:
After the election of 1896 the first op-
portunity which the Democratic organiza-
ton in New York had to put itself on rec
ord before the people was the nomination
by the state committee in 1897 OF Judge
Alton B. Parker for chief judge of the
court of appeals. A committee appeared
before the state committee asking the re-
animation of the Chicago platform. 1t
was refused, the representatives OF the New
York city organization voting against re-
affirmation. Second, the next opportunity
for Tammany hall to prove its loyalty to
Democratic principles came when the or
ganizatien in greater New York was called
upon to nominate candidate for mayor
and to formulate a declarationl of prin-
ciples upon which that candidate should
stand.
In support of the first proposition laid
down we have only TO point to two recent
Illuminating instances in New York poll
tics. First, the marked contrast between
high spirit or devotion shown at the din
ner of the Chicago platform Democracy
more widely known as the Dollar Din
ner," and the purely perfunctory tone of
the so-called regular or Tammany orSaniz-
alton; and, second, the magnificent popu-
lar ovation given within the hostile walls
of Tammany hall to the one speaker who
in the last three years has dared to cast
aside the gag imposed by Tammany rulers
and proclaim the gospel of the Chicago
platform and put forward the name of
William Jennings Bryan.
Again re-affirmation of the Chicago plat
form was asked and refused and a man
was selected as candidate for mayor whose
loyalty in 1896 was of that perfunctory
kind which confined itself to the casting
of secret ballot and avoiding public eN
preston of opinion. Third, in 1898. the Dem
ocrats of the state of New York had to
put a state ticket in nomination. The
man who controls the so-called Democratic
organization of the city of New York, who
is himself that organization, Mr. Richard
Croker, had said to g member of this COM
mittee that he would see that that conven-
tion should reafiirm the Chicago platform.
up to a few days Immediately preceding
the convention he and the men whom he
dominated posed, as they still pose, as
friends of that Democracy which finds
its expression in the Chicago platform.
When the convention assembled they not
only refused to reaffirm the principles laid
down in 1896, but they refused to permit
any man to gain the floor of the convention
Intended to mention the Chicago platform
or the name of the man who ran for the
presidency upon it.
These are facts'of public record. We put
them before you; now, believing that you
are already cognizant of them. All that we
have done is to put them in concrete form
and re-emphasize them.
we issue this address in order that the
fact may be put before the Democrats of
the nation that the Tammany organization
issues for which the Democratic party
stands; and We ask the cooperation of all
Democrats, in or out of official station, in
the work of giving to the Democratic yot-
ity to express themselves and make their
effective In the nation I"