Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-05-13
Ex-Representative Hartman Says
Sentiment is Active.
CHICAGOPLA4FORM TO Be REAFFIRMED
Thinks Bryan's Reply to Perry
Belmont Was Right.
T lie NEXT CAMPAIG IN


out of Congress on the 4th of last March
voluntarily, has returned from his home
in Montana and will be In Washington
until early in June, when he will take his
family to their Montana home.
Mr.. Hartman is one of the most actil e
silver republicans, and still adheres with
enthusiasm to Bryan and the Chicago plat
form, and is as radical ever. There has
been some talk about the silver republicans
not being as friendly to Mr.. Bryan as they
were. Mr.. Hartman says that there is alb
solGtely no ground for such statement.
When asked by a Star reporter today how
he found the sentiment in the western
states, he said that he had been but a
short time in three states besides Montana,
but that in Montana there was a more ac-
tive interest in politics than ever before.
The Bryan-ReImOnt Incident.
In reference to the Bryan-Beimont Incl
dent he said:
'As measured by the declared faith of
the party at Chicago. there is not, and
cannot be, two factions of the party. A
man is either a democrat or he is not If
he is a democrat he indorses. supports and
advocates the Chicago platform; if he is
not, he opposes that platform. Therefore
him are not democrats, and have no right
to participate in a democratic gathering or
democratic convention or democratic
councils any more than Charles A. Towne
or Henry NJ. Teller and the rest of us who
bolted the st. Louis convention have a
right to participate in republican conven-
tions or councils. | would as soon think of
going to Mark Hanna for Information as to
democratic faith and democratic PRINCIPLES
as to go to Perry Belmont. They are both
Cf tha So,S ttNrn
of the same financial policy and brothe
opponents of the producing and wage-earn-
ing classes of the United States / there
tore unhesitatingly say that Mr.. Bryan did
his duty in refusing to recognize Mr. Bel
mont as a democrat. / have no doubt that
all the democratic forces of Montana will
favor the reafirmation of the Chicago plat
form"
Silver Republicans Not DfsafYected,
The Star reporter asked him what there
was in the report of silver republican dis
affection from Bryan
L presume he replied, "the rumor to
which you refer of the objection of former
republicans who have followed Mr. Teller
since the st. Louis convention to- the nom
nation of Mr. Bryan has about as much
foundation in fact as the ordinary news
paper canard They are probably published
with the deliberate intention of misrepre-
senting and deceiving, and the public who
in the language of Barnum, delight to be
humbugged,' swallow them ravenously and
believe them to be true. AS matter of
TACT, II 1t were left to the silver republicans
who bolted the ST. Louis convention and
who have been largely instrumental in
Shaping the course of that party since that
convention to nominate the next presiden-
tal candidate, l have no doubt that by an
overwhelming, if not unanimous vote, Mr..
Bryan would be nomina ted.
Ihere Is but little doubt in my mind that
the next national democratic convention
WIN reafflrm the Chicago platform in it's
entirety and add thereto a strong anti
lmperialistic plank. The three most prom
inent features in the platform, in my judg-
ment, will be. first, its declaration on the
money question, which will include a re-
affirmation Of the Chicago platform, dec
iaration for independent bimetallism,
against the retirement of the greenbacks,
against interest-bearing bonds and against
transferring to the banks the right to Issue
or control the issue of the paper money;
second strong declaration against trusts;
and, third, anti-imperiahsm. These three
subjects will doubtless present in their
order the principal issues in the campaign
of 13O0.''
The Next Campaign.
When asked who he thought would be
the opposing candidates In 1900, Mr. Hart
man said:
1T Is about a year before the national
conventions will assemble. and of course,
many changes may take place between
now and then. If the conventions were to
assemble within the next two months there
is but little doubt that Mr. Bryan would
lead our forces and that Mr.. Mckinley
would lead the republican forces. This Is
logical in both instances. Mr.. Mckinley
stands for the gold standard, for the re-
tlrement OF the greenbacks, which, l be-
leve, would be saddling an immense inter-
est-bearing debt upon the American people;
for giving the banks the privilege OF is
suing paper money with which to do bus
mess; for legislation which has enabled
the formation Of six billions of dollars Of
capital INTO trusts, and for the policy Of
3nnexation of the Philippines I have not
been able to understand how the President
ever permitted himself to give utterance
to so patriotic and honorable a sentiment
as forctble annexation would be criminal
aggression, and then to adopt policy Of
fcrcible annexation, The President was
right when he gave utterance to that sem
timenf, but now 'forcible annexation in
stead Of opposition to criminal aggression
appears to be regarded as the sine qua non
of patriotism.
BERTHA BEILSTEIN INSANE.