The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-06-12
BUT ONE VOICE.
Members of National Democratic
Committee
Express Their Views on Issues
of Next Campaign.
DROP FREE SILVER
Says the Representative From
SeWall's State.
Platform.

Ocratic national committee what should
be their party's battle cry in 1900
whether free siIver''-or down with
the trusts" or both. The answers of
those that have been received are pub
lished in the Times Herald today as
follows:
While only one of the replies of these
Democratic leaders the representative
for Maine, the home state of Mr.. Bry-
ans running mate in 1886 says: Drop
free silver they are all but unanimous
in giving the trust question a promi-
nence it never has had in the platform
of their own or any other party. With
one EXCEPTIONAL who speak freely sug
gest that some other issue will divide
the stage equally with free silver
Some say '-militarism'' or imperial
ISM will be one of the prominent is
sues. Others-a few-frankly empha-
size tn trust question as the big thing.
Still others speak for a twin battle
cry.
Just one committeeman says fatty:
1.-THE issues of 1896 should be the issues
of 1907 This one exception is Alexan-
der Troup of Connecticut.
Half a dozen of the committeeman
are either nOn-cOmmital or refuse to be
quoted. They are: George Fred Will
liams, Massachusetts,; D. J. Campau,
Michigan; B. b. Smalley, Vermont;
Frank Campbell, New York; T. D.
O'Brien, Minnesota; ]. G. Dudley,
Texas.
A statement from Thomas Gahan ma
tional committeeman for Illinois. can
not be obtained because he is not in the
city and cannot be reached by tele-
graph. His attitude is, however, pretty
well known.
The committeeman who say free sill
yer must have first place in the plat
form, although generously combined
with the questions of trusts, "militar-
ism" and SO on, are in Colorado, KAN
sas, Nebraska, Arkansas and Indian
Territory, which latter does not vote
for president. All the others either put
the trust question first or lay much
stress upon issues produced by the
Spanish war.
]. G. Johnson, (Kansas) said: Moth
ing has occurred since 1896 to shake the
faith of Democrats in the principles
announced in the Chicago platform
The financial question is still the dom
liant issue, and all other economic
questions are but collateral to it.
The trust question has since 1896
become an issue of the first magnitude.
The Democratic states of Missouri, Ar
kansas and Texas have this year
adopted drastic laws against such COM
binatiOnS. The Democratic national
convention of 1900 will emphatically
and specifically deal with this question.
The Democratic platform of 1900 will
also declare emphatically against the
Mckinley programme of colonization,
imperialism and British alliance
Thomas c. McRae CArkD: In my
vention should reaffirm the Chicago
platform and in addition denounce the
trusts, imperialism and extravaganza.
The necessity for the free coinage of
silver is greater now than it was in
1885, because, as we have more taxes
and a larger national debt to pay, we
need more redemption money with
which to bake payment
J. J. Dwyer (CaL): No man can tell
where we will be in 1900 Predictions
must. therefore, be based on ifs. If
progress in 1900. or If the president and
his pretorian guard are then actively
engaged in carrying out their consplr-
acy to steal Cuba, and especially if both
these foreign questions remain unsolv-
ed. there will be but one issue, and
that will be imperialism. In that event
the Democratic party will, in my opln-
ion. declare against Imperialism and
will win easily Its platform will be
the constitution, the Declaration of In
dependence and the ten command
ments Domestic questions will be
sidetracked. In the absence OF foreign
issues the battle will be on the same
lines as in 1896. I do not think the
antitrust issue will be allowed to OBJ
scure the silver issue. 1t will be
fight of democracy versus plutocracy,
with the financial question in the fore
front"
Adair Wilson (Co1): In my opinion
there is no doubt that in the next presi-
Dental campaign the money question
will be the leading issue, as it was in
the last. and that bimetalIism-the res
toratiOn of silver coinage at a. ratio of
16 to will be the battle cry Of the
Democratic party. The Democratic
party has always opposed trusts ana
possibly, in view of recent events, in its
platform of 1900 public attention may
be more forcibly called to this question,
but in no such sense as to Suppiant the
financial issue. The former is in fact
embraced in the latter-is only the nat
uraI outgrowth of the present financial
policy of the government If you wish
TO destroy an evil you must strike at its
source Hence to crush the trusts. re-
store bimetallism. The paramount is
sue in the campaign of 1900 will be the
same as it was in 1885,
Alexander Troup Comm: Personally
I favor the Chicago platform of 1896 as
the paramount issue in the campaign
of 100. The vote for Bryan in Con-
necticut and New England, in my opln-
ion will be largely increased in 1900,
and the issue instead of being between
international bimetallism and independ-
ent bimetalIsn, will be between the sin
gle gold standard. as advocated by the
Republicans, and the Chicago platform.
It will be a fight to the finish"
Clark Howell, Jr., (Ga-): Until a new
platform is made we should stand by
the old platform. except, of course, IN
such questions as might arise out OF
conditions which are new and wSich
were not under consideration at the
time OF the meeting of the last national
convention. And even on such Ques-
lions doubt the propriety Of the ma
uonal committee taking a declaratory
position in advance of the meeting of
the party conventions in the several
states The two questions which are
now uppermost are imperialism and the
concentration of capital in trust COM
bineS- As to the latter question, the
general attitude of the party is already
we'll defined in the national platform,
and there is little doubt that it will fol-