The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1900-05-04
NO EVASION
IN PLATFORM.
Mr.. Bryan Says Chicago Plat
form Should Be Reaffirmed.
WILL NOT DROP THE RATIO.
1t IL the Only One Considerable Number
OF Persons Present A significant
Utterance BY the Democratic
Leader.


Utterance BY the Democratic
Leader.
New York, May 2.-James Creelman,
the well known political writer, was
sent to Port Huron, Mich, by the New
York Journal to get an expression from
Colonel william J. Bryan, as to what
the Kansas City platform shall be.
In a special to the Journal Mr.. Creel-
man says:
With the Democratic party uniting all
over the country, with the new initia-
tion for president already assured be-
yond the faintest shadow of doubt, Mr..
Bryan today began his last week Of
campaigning before the meeting of the
convention that will nominate him at
Kansas City, and he was received here
like a hero. This afternoon he made
a short speech to the Democratic con-
gressional convention, and tonight he
delivered an grafton in response to a
written invitation of the Republican
common council and mayor of Port
Huron. Tomorrow the Democratic state
convention of Michigan will reaffirm the
Chicago platform, and will instruct its
delegates to the National convention to
vote for Bryan.
But the most important thing which
the leader of the Democratic party did
today was to utter to the country
through the New York Journal, his
opinion regarding the money plank in
the platform to be adopted at Kansas
City. This declaration ends forever the
controversy between the conservative
Democrats of the east and the rest of
the party. No one can doubt that the
platform will accord with Mr.. Bryan's
expressed wishes. He is the undisputed
leader of the party. His nomination is
absolutely certain, and an overwhelm-
ing majority of the delegates to the
National convention look to him for
guidance and policy.
On the other hand Democratic lea
ders like ex-senator Hill look to him for
influence to procure compromise. The
whole party has been waiting for weeks
for the leader to give a signal What
he said, he did deliberately, thought
fully, slowly and with a full realization
of the political effect his words would
have. / asked him to make definite
statement on the money plank Of the
platform that would clear the atmos-
phere. I have never seen him more
earnest, more full of a profound realiza-
tion of the political condition confront
ing him, and lay stress on this point
in order to convey clearly the fact that
what Mr.. Bryan said to me today repre-
sents his Interchangeable purpose.
will the Chicago platform be re-
affirmed?" I asked.
1T certainly will be reaffirmed," was
the answer.
"Will any change be made in the
Chicago platform to conciliate the
Democrats who are coming back into
the party?"
mo, the Democrats who are coming
back must not expect single departure
from the position taken by the party in
1896. First, because the position taken
then was right; second, it would not be
wise to ALLEVIATE to please those who
We're against u.s."
Mr.. Bryan stopped for a moment, as
he seemed to feel that he was making
a statement that would have serious
effect. The old lion look came into his
face, the look he used to have when he
led the organized Democracy against
the disciplined and enmillioned army of
Mark Hanna in 1896.
1.-THE gold Democrats who come back"
he said, "can defend their coming on
two grounds. They can say that they
are convinced that the position taken
by the party in 1896 was right and that
they were wrong, or they can say that
because of the new questions which
have arisen, and which will be in
cluded in the new platform, they are
now willing to accept the platform as a
whole"
And now came a question which
several of the strongest gold Demo-
Gratis in New York have asked me to
present to Mr.. Bryan.
"Mr. Bryan" I said, "the passage Of
the currency bill and its signature by
Mr.. Mckinley takes it out of the power
of the next president to change the
status of gold or silver. AS the senate
will have a gold standard majority
for five years to come it is impossible
for any president or any party to estab-
lish the free coinage of silver during
the next four years The currency
question is therefore out of the realm
of practical politics for the present. or
at least out of the sphere of either
legislative or executive action. Why
should a dead issue be re-incorporated
lHtO the pioticih
"In the first place." said Mr.. Bryan,
"I do not admit that the senate is Re-
publican beyond all hope Of change. We
are certain to make large gains in the
east II we carry the country, whether
we shall secure enough to give us a
majority in the senate depends on the
size Of the victory. If the gold Demo-
Gratis really believe that 1t is impossi-
BILE to gain the senate then they need
not worry about the silver plank.
They ought not to ask the party to
abandon the silver plank on the ground
that 1t cannot be carried out. In other
words they should not ask us to give up
all hope of free silver so long as they
are afraid of it."
"Will specific declaration Of the free
coinage Of silver and gold at a ratio of
16 to be put in the PLATFORM"
Certainly, to drop the ratio would
be equal to dropping the question be-
LAIt fhA txr