The evening times., 1899-05-25
THURSDAY, MAY 25, 1899.
German an Aspirant.

press dispatches this morning, former Sen
ator Arthur Pue German is represented TO
be formally in the race for the Democratic
Presidential nomination next year. and n
press agency in his interest has been es-
tablished in New York.
The nature of the German campaign can
be judged from the first publication of the
literary bureau referred to. II consists of
manifold" argument which seeks to show
that. since Mr.. Bryan has declared his de
termination to make silver the paramount
issue in the campaign of 1900 the party is
without any chance for success under his
leadership. and. that being the case. the
mantle of chieftainship will naturally fall
on and fit Mr. German like the paper on
the wall
II is said that the herchmen of the Mary
land aspirant who are engaged in this
movement, point with pride to his record
as head Of the opposition to ratification of
the Spanish Peace Treaty by the United
States Senate. and. for some mysterious
reason, believe. or affect to believe, that
this will strengthen him with the masses.
They also assert a growing inclination in
many parts of the country TO drop Bryan
and silver and turn to German. gold. and
entagonism to national expansion-all Of
which is extremely interesting and perhaps
tTitie suggestive.
Every man is entitled to his private
opinion, and if Mr.. German fancies that he
can secure the Democratic nomination on
his anti-silver. anti-American attitude and
recent record, no one has right 20 offer
any objection. He is an astute politician
and has never been accused OF not know
ing what he was doing. Ii may. therefore.
be conceded, for the sake of argument,
that he has some reason to believe the next
national convention can be rigged to shut
out the cardinal Democratic doctrines Of
bimetallism ard national expansion and
hoist the yellow banner OF one who dis
credits both. From what we believe we
know of the vast majority of the party
il is hard to conceive of such consumma-
ton: still, it is sometimes possible 10 Sc
cure the nomination of a candidate not in
harmony with the rank and file of i given
organization, which, it is as well to OBJ
serve. is quite a different thing to elect
ing him afterward.
As above observed. Mr.. German is enti-
tied to the credit of knowing what he is
about If he has any idea that he can
be the nominee of 1900 we will pay his
judgment the compliment OF saying that he
must also know the honor of the nomina
tion will be all he can expect from the Sit
uation. publicly at least. He might, of
course. look forward with satisfaction TO
personal immolation on the golden toast
ing fork that transfixed the political vitals
Of Palmer and Buckner in 1896. and see
some recompense in a crown of martyr
dom worn to the benefit of the enemy, but
such considerations are naturally of an
esoteric character.
In nominating a man like the former
Senator. or any one for that matter, on a
platform abandoning bimetallism and seek
ing to deprive the American people of the
fruits of their victory over Spain. the
Democratic party would simply be tender
ing their Republican antagonists the result |
in November, 1900. on a gold plate. The
latter are as open to attack and defeat as
any lot of unfaithful servants and unjust
stewards ever were since the first manu-
facture of little apples by deity. But the
vulnerability of the Republican Goliath is
not OF a kind to be reached by any of the
stones the Maryland David would be likely
10 throw. On the contrary. missiles of the
German variety would fall harmless or be
accepted in the light of sugar plums.
To sum up: Mr.. Germans friends might,
perchance. capture the Democratic con-
vention. In that event. they would un-
doubtedly nominate him. He is opposed |
TO silver and hence would bitterly antago-
nize nine-tenths Of the party. Again. he !
is opposed to expansion in which nine
tenths of the party believe. He would |
leave the voters a Hobsons choice, be- |
tween two candidates. both gold mono
metallists. but one of them a national ex- |
pansionist. Nobody need hesitate a mo-
ment in reaching conclusion as to what |
the Democratic masses would do, and it |
would be reflection upon Mr.. Germans |
intelligence to even suspect that he would |
arrive at any but the obvious one. For a |
statesman of his known views to accept |
leadership under the circumstances would |
look very much like riding for fall"