The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-06-09
CAMPAIGN BY STEALTH.
(BY c. A. EpwARps)

that string for 10 these many months. We
all saw 1t coming more than year ago.
1t has been developing all along. and now
It is nearly ready to crystalline into
something tangible something we can
get hold Of and hit in the solar plexus.
Their secret work has become SO 2erni-
ciously active lately as to attract the at
/ tentlon Of some Of Mr.. Bryans closest
friends. This work has been done by the
anti Bryan men in the regular democratic
camp and also by the goldbugs. They are
all at work now PROSECUTING In the regu-
lar camp, and they seem to have. won
over a number Of people who have hereto
fore been accounted tho strongest kind
OF silver men. They have been using
every argument known to the artful
/ politician to win these men over to the
belief that silver is a dead issue, and
would be positive handicap to the party
in the next campaign. They have also
been gradually getting these people to be-
leye that with Bryan as the candidate
they may as well make silver the issua
as he stands four square to all the winds
Z
| also convinced these soft shell democrats
that with an Eastern man like German
they can win New York and several other
Eastern States. They have pleaded Cor
mans regularity in tho last campaign and
that he stood up to both the candidate
and the platform. Their work has been
careful insidious and well done. They
have grabbed off a whole lot OF people
to their way of thinking who have given
their friends a paraly2ing surprise by
some of their recent utterances. This
element has some hopes OF success by the
attention they are giving to their work
| On account of the goldbug mixture in the
mess the work has to be very quiet and
| very secret, and because 1t has been done
under cover so far, accounts for the rea-
son that it has ml1e no more noise.
~
Their plan contemplates taking the
Bryan people by surprise at the very
last minute and securing the election of
lot OF delegates who are not very well
! known, and whose course a. the National
convention is likely to be different from
what might be expected by the Bryan
| people. This is what I meant some time
ago when l suggested very respectfully to
the Texas democracy not to send any men
| to the National convention who were not
known to he true blue democrats and well
known to the country as such. 1t is I'M
! derstood here, and believed, that this
plan has made some inroads. as | said
above. upon Bryans forces both in the
South and West, among men who. having
always been known as silver men, are
nevertheless dissatisfied that what they
conceive to be a prospect OF success at
the next election should be sacrificed to
a sentiment and a single man. These men
are willing to assist in this plot to emas-
oula;e the Chicago platform and butcher
Bryan, to the extent OF contrIving to have
delegates sent to the National convention
from their respective States uninstructed.
There will be general fight all along
the line against instructing delegates, and
| II Is counted as reliable that practically
all unnstructed delegates will, when it
comes to the rub vote against both Bryan
and the Chicago platform. In the South
| special efforts are being made to secure
uninstructed delegations from Georgia and
Alabama, aud it is understood that in
both these States these efforts have the
assistance OF men of more than ordinary
influence in the party.
~
Bankhead OF Alabama, one of the ablesl
democrats in the house, and who Is we'll
known as silver man and a candidate
for the minority nomination for speaker,
and who has been supported for that po-
siion by Joe Bailey, has expressed him
self as in favor of an uninstrucetd dele
CATION from Alabama. and given voice to
some doubt about the Chicago platform
/ II is believed that he has come to regard
/ the Chicago platform as somewhat of a
handicap and that he would like to see
all democrats "get together" even II it
/ required compromise both as to platform
and candidate This is peculiarly signih-
cant in view of Mr. Baukhead's promi-
nenee and the fact that no one has ever
questioned his being silver man. There
seems to be no sort of doubt OF this, and
my advice to all straight democrats is to
let Mr.. Bankhead severely alone in his
race for the leadership of the minority.
General Meyers OF Louisiana refers in
an interview to the Chicago platform as
handicap Not long ago Senator Bacon of
Georgia was quoted as expressing some
doubt about the Georgia delegation being
Tor the Chicago platform and Bryan. There
Is peculiar situation existing among the
democrats Of Ohio also. and the suspicion
is expressed that McLean's friends are
piannins to so manipulate the primaries
IN that state as to get a delegation which
VIII dump Bryan, and it is suspected that
Mclean might make friends with the
antl-Chicago platform element il it opened
to him the prospect OF getting the nomi-
nation himself either in the place of Mr.
Bryan or for yice president.
1t Is not believed that an effort will be |
made In any OF the Southern States or
Western states to select delegation
avowedy opposed to Bryan or to the old