New-York tribune., 1900-07-02
BRYAN'S HARD TASK.
DIFFICULTY IN CHOOSING vICE-PRESI-
DENTAL NOMINEE.
iBr TELEGRAPH TO THE TR1BuxE.I

Try TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE-l
Washington July If Boss Bryan sue
oeeds in steering that Kansas City aggregation
safely through the political breakers and COM
ing out with a platform that will suit Gold Dem
oorats. Silver Democrats Populists and Silver
Republicans. and a candidate for the Vice-Presi-
dency who will bring them all to the loyal and
hearty support Of the National ticket Of which
he is to be the head. he will show that he is
past master Of political legerdemain and di-
plomacy.' remarked a prominent Republican
politician to-day. who spent hour with the
newspapers containing the latest dispatches
from Lincoln and Kansas City After pause
he added:
OF course. the essence Of the platform declara-
tions will be the same. whatever may be the
words employed. at least far as the matters
dealt with in the Chicago platform of 1896 are
concerned. but the choice Of words VIII be
difficult one. AS for a Vice Presidential candi-
date. there is embarrassment of riches, so 10
speak Between J. Hamilton Lewis. Of Wash
ington. and George Fred Williams, or Massachu-
setts there are candidates galore. none OF whom
appear TO resemble Barkis in any respect save
that they are ''willn'.
AS TO candidates. there are men in Washing
ton who recall the close and friendly intimacy
OF Bryan and shively when both were members
Of the Lid Congress- and both members also
of the celebrated Pop Cum Committee
Ways and Means. OF which the redoubtabe
Springer was the chairman, who would not be
In the least surprised if the boy orator should
quietly intimate a preference for the Indiana
man.
sHIvELY's POLITICAL RECORD.
Mr. shiveIy first came to Congress to fill a
vacancy caused by the resignation Of mem
Der. That in 1884, when he was twenty
seven years old. He was a Greenbacker. but
he had been secretary of the National Anti
Monopoly League and he described himself
of Congress the next year. and studied law at
Ann Arbor University In 1856 he again
elected TO Congress a Democrat, and served
six years. He was an ardent free trader.
free coinage advocate Of the Bland school.
stout opponent Of the increase of the Navy, op-
posed to ''militarism," shown by his votes
against the Grout Retirement bill: an opponent
Of the use OF the Treasury surplus to reduce
the public debt. foe of the National banking
system, in favor of the issue OF fractional sill
yer 'shinplasters,' opposed to measures to
suppress lotteries, opposed to a proposition to
prohibit the sale of liquor in Oklahoma and he
stood shoulder to shoulder with Bryan and
Bland in favor Of every proposition for the free
coinage Of silver ds long as he remained in
congress. He occupies the same attitude on
the subject of trusts that Bryan and other Dem
ocrats do-masterly inactivity when his party
Is in power. and vociferous opposition when his
party is out Of power
If Mr.. ShiveIy would NOT he q, ,dao, oo,5,
date for Vice-President on ticket headed bv
his friend Bryan it is difficult to see why not
Besides he halls from Indiana a State which
bfyan hopes and expects to carry this year,
When the political pendulum Of that State is
due to swing to the Democratic side
sULzER. THE STATESMAN.
Of course, there is Mr.. sulzer, who with
flaming hair and vociferpus xoice guards the
gateway Of the Demo-Pop Presidential garden.
but he halls from the Empire State and is only
9ne Of big bunch Of candidates, Including such
distinguished statesmen as Augustus Van
Wyck. Jefferson NJ Levy, George B. Mcclellan
Amos j. Cummings, o. H. P. Belmont William
r. Hearst, Elliot Danforth David Bennett Hill
and others. 1t is probably true that none of
these are great statesmen in the same sense
that Sulzer is. and probably, also none of them
are in position TO say. 7ss Sulzer does: 'Nomi-
nate me for Vice-Presdent. and New-York
casts its electoral vote for Bryan" which is a
truly weighty consideration, for that would al
most Inevitably carry the boy orator into the
White House.
And yet Mr.. sulzer should remember that
David 3. Hill is older-not a better-soldier
than himself in the free silver army. He has
honorable scars to show. As a leader Of the
Senate wing Of that army he fought and bled
ana helped 70 win victory that glorious
lst Of July, 1892. when the free coinage standard
was proudly advanced by vote Of % to % He
was not in Congress, but every Tammany man
n the House Of Representatives-Cockr Cum
11ings, Fellows and all the rest-voted on July
b 20 send the Senate bill OF July ! TO an un-
mourned grave. And Sulzer did not raise his
clarion voice to protest against this outrage and
humiliation which was suffered by Bryan and
shively and free silver in Democratic House of
Representatives. Why should not the boy
orator recall the admiration he felt and ex-
pressed that July day when he hastened to the
Senate chamber to cheer and encourage that
gallant champion whose lofty plume. inscribed
with those inspiring words. Il am a Democrat"
waved in the thickest Of the fray and led the
5ree silver hosts to victory? II Mr.. Bryan should
DO that he might also recall the fact that Mr.
Hill on that occasion voted against an amend
nIent offered by Senator Carey, OF Wyoming
which embodied the declaration Of the Demo-
cratic National Convention on June % 1892
only nine days before-on the subject Of silver
As a candidate for the Presidential nomination
ia votes. and the platform. one plank Of which
he repudated by his vote on July l. had been
unanimously adopted except as to the tariff
plank.
UNLIKELY TO TRUST HILL
Recalling this. incident in Mr. Hills political
career, Mr.. Bryan might possibly wonder why
the former feels such extreme socitude
about the wording Of the National platform of
his party in 1900 Mr.. Bryan is undoubtedly
honest and sincere in his political convictions
and the money question and for that reason it
is pretty safe to believe that he would not be
swift 20 accept Mr.. Hills advice about either
the platform or the candidate for Vice-P Presi-
dent. For the reason he would not be
strongly inclined TO accept the advice Of Tam
many In regard 70 those subjects, remembering,
as he must, that free silver was betrayed in the
house Of its friends eight years ago by the
Tammany representatives in Congress
Truly the perplexities Of Mr.. Bryan in these
days must indeed seem great even him. II
only that Sioux Falls Convention had not NOM
mated Towne or anybody else. for Vice-Presi-