The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1900-04-06

the next Administration, the silver
plank would be dead issue. This
argument, while it appears naturally
enough to be sound, has not as yet
had much effect upon those to whom
it is addressed. Possibly it may be-
come stronger as time rolls on.
Senator Blackburn, of Kentucky,
who has always been rearing, tear
ing silver man, is one of the leaders
who has already expressed the belief
that it would be expedient to SO frame
the silver plank as to leave out the
ratio. Hesays, which is true, of course,
| that it is in the power of Congress to
| fix and change the ratio at any time.
What should be done is to open the
minis to the coinage of silver, declare
for the parity of the metals, and leave
| the ratio to be fixed from time to time
| according to circumstances, and keep
! ing the silver dollar always intrinsi-
| cally worth as much as the GOLD
| dollar.
1t is known to very few, but this is
precisely what Senator Blackburn
and some others tried very hard to do
at Chicago in 1896. They were liter
ally overwhelmed by the wild TRADES
of Governor Altgeld, the late Senator
| Harris, of Tennessee, and Others
whose names will readily suggest
| themselves. Altgeld was more re-
sponsible for the obnoxious features
of the platform than anyone else, and
he carried everything before him
with his fierce claim of giving the
candidate 100, 600 majority in Illinois.
Bryan himself had not much to do
with the making of the platform. He
| will have more to do with it this time.
| 1t is believed, as above intimated, at
next to certain that the platform oil
| 1896 will be reaffirmed as a whole, with
the possible modification of the silver
| plank on the lines above indicated.
There will be a fight against the
government by injunction" resolu,
ton, but it is scarcely anticipated il
will succeed.
Additional resolutions on the issue
of imperialism, the Puerto Rican
wrong and other current questions
will be incorporated.
| In 1896 10 one seemed to care to
know anything about the nomination
for Vice-President. 1t fell upon Mr.
Sewall, of Maine, more perhaps on
account of his total obscurity than
any other reason. 1t was not long
before it was demonstrated he was a
hindrance and not q help. The
burden of carrying him was sensibly
felt for three months before the cleo
ton. it's intended this year to be
stow careful thought upon the
selection of the Vice Presidential
nominee. He may be taken from tbs
Northwest, bat the probabilities al
point to the choice being made from
| the East.
| A Democratic Senator said: THE
campaign of 1896 was chi!d's play to
| what we have in store for them. We
will give them no rest in any debatable
Congressional district in the East Oh
| West. Every Democratic stump
speaker of power and ability will be
kept constantly il service"
Prodigious as were Bryan's own
labors they will be thought nothing oil
in comparison.
A member of the National Demo,
cratic Committee said:
"Organized labor was for Bryan in
1896. We had the most positive, I'M.
mistakab!e evidence of this fact. Bat
when election day came, through
| coercion mostly, we lest Whist belong
ed to US. This cannot be repeated.
All our advices are ID the effect that
| McKinley's course has incurred the
relentless hostility of the labor unions.
The feeling is running SO strong that
all Mark Hanna's corruption fund and
all the threats of the protected mono
poles cannot stem It,
Two weeks or one week before the
meeting of the Chicago convention
Bryan was no more thought OF in con-
nectior with the nomination for Presi-
dent than hundred other men whose
names were not brought before that
body.
While in advance talk had been
mostly about Bland, of Missouri, their
| was no Democratic leader who was
not perfectly aware there was no
Presidential timber in the compost
tion of the Missourian. 1t was really
then almost anyone's fight, for the
absolute control which the silver men
had over the convention eliminated
the older class and brought to the
front new men.
1t is an old story how Bryan in his
'cross of gold and crown of thorns
speech" stampeded the convention
and ran away with the nomination.
The marvellous and unprecedented
campaign made by him brought him
under the sight and hearing of almost
all the whole body of the people of
the United States. He became
great national character.
Since the election OF 1896 he has
never been out of the public view, and
he is talked about as much as the
President himself. In all these four
years he has been coming in constant
contact with the local and national
leaders of his party. He has been
learning every day. Now, at 40, with
mind and body in perfect condition,
with absolutely temperate habits, With
a personal character above reproach,
with his enlarged and varied cxper-
fence, his friends and admirers claim
be will be model candidate.
His powers of oratory have been en-
HANGED, his imagination has broad
ened and expanded, his style has been
improved.
BENEFITS OF PROSPERITY.
Prof. John r. Commons of the
Bureau of Economic Research of New
York thus reviews the recent enor-
nous Standard Oil dividend.