The sun., 1900-07-07
AN INTENT no DECEIYE.

The expected thing happened at Kan
cas- City William Jennings Bryan has
been renominated for President OF the
United States, by the Democratic party
with Adlai Stevenson of Illinois, for
Vice President. The platform adopted
is virtually reaflirmation OF the Chicago
platform Of 1896. 1t declares for the free
coinage of silver at the ratio OF Is to
with gold. An attempt is made in this
platform to boost plank about imper-
ialism to the fore; but the great fight of
the convention, and the one in which
Mr.. Bryan took part, was for the re-
affirmation Of the silver plank. The
party and it's candidate, therefore, must
stand before the people as representing
first that which they struggled over most
strenuouslY, and not for that which
they have put forth to hide their real in
tent. The majority Of the delegates were
Silverites. The other declarations OF the
platform are, like what we have already
mentioned, intended as negations OF
every thing Republican. The tariff, as is
usual with Democrats, is denounced; the
proposed ship subsidy bill, the national
banks, the Republican attitude toward
our new territories, and the alleged al
lance with England, are all denounced
in rabid terms. The old Democratic
theory OF constitutional extension is re-
affirmed, exclusion of the Chinese, arbi-
tration for settlement Of labor disputes,
a department Of labor and the irrigation
OF arid lands are demanded.
That all these latter denunciations and
demands are regarded as claptrap an
nouncements even by the men who made
them is evident, They discussed the
silver question only. The question was
one Of eXpediency even in that case
whether it would win or lose votes, and
not whether the free coinage Of silver
at the proposed ratio would be bene-
tcial to the country or otherwise. The
tariff was denounced by free OF habit.
The old Democratic objection to the
tariff being abundantly disproyed by
present conditions. a new point Of at
tack is found in charging it with being a
breeder Of trusts-a cowardly, back door
thrust at what the Democratic party dare
not attack openly.
This, then, is the situation, the silver
coinage plank adopted to hold. the west
ern vote and pushed to the rear in favor
| of the anti-imperialistic plank upon
which it is hoped to split the Republi-
can vote of the east. The east being
complimented by the declaration that
anti-imperialism is the issue of first inn
, portance, and upon it the campaign is
to be waged. To the serious thinker these
things arrange themselves into very
apparent scheme of dissimulation. The
Democratic spellbinders are to shout
against Imperialism. The voters are to
vote for free silver. There is a silver
question in the politics OF this country, a
question that has been discussed in every
forum and upon the hustings. The peo-
pie have rejected it in every phase of its
presentation. There is NO such question
as imperialism in the politics of this
country simply because there has been
no attempt to found an empire; no sug.
gestion of such a thing except in the
minds of office-seeking Democrats, and
with them it is an invention to alarm the
people with, and if possible overthrow
the Republican party,
The platform adopted at Kansas City
is composed Of unmeaning platitudes
strung together to hide the genuine
Democratic intent, to alarm and deceive
the people OF this country to their own
injury.