The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1900-05-09
THE PARTY UNITED.
James creelman Says the De-.
mocracy is Again Solid.
8aYAN's CHANCES ARE GOOD
Thousands OF Democrats Who
Voted Against Him in the Last
Campaign vii! Vote for
Him This Year.
Him This Year.

veteran correspondent, who has been
doing great deal Of party interview
ing for his paper, prints what seems to
be very fair statement of the Demo
cratic situation. He begins By saying
that while in 1896 when he swung
around the circle" with Bryan on his
memorable campaign he constantly re,
peated the prediction that the Demo
cratic leader could rot be elected; but
that now 'fa,ts equally plain point to
his election this year" An impartial
investigation Of the present political
situstion, says Creelman,- ought to
convince any man that if the presiden-
tial election were to take place now Mr..
Bryan would be elected ny decisive
msjority."
He goes on to say that There is but
one serious point Of difference between
the most extreme Of the conservative
Democrats of the east and the great
body of the party which supported
Bryan in 1896; many o. the eastern
leaders desire to have the ratio Of l6 to
l omitted from the money plank of the
platform; the leaders in he south and
west are practically unanimous in their
opposition to any change" He has
been present at several important con-
ferences Of Democrats representing
these two views Of party policy" and
csn affirm with some certainty that
the aim and intention Of the great
mass Of the party who we're loyal four
years ago has been to readopt the
Chicago platform and to incorpoate it,
word for word, in the platform to be
made at Kansas City on July 4. From
this point We quote Creelnan in full:
I can say authoritati7ely that Mr..
Bryan will oppose the abandonment Of
a single plank in the Chicago platform.
It is demonstrate that an overWhelm-
ing majority of the next Democratic
national convention will refuse to aban-
don, alter or modify the Chicago plat
form. The one great question that now
remains before the Democratic leaders
is this: Will the Kansas City conven-
tion content itself with simple re-
animation Of the platform Of 1895 in
three or four lines snd devote the rest
to its utterances to the issues of 1900,
or will the convention reiterate the
Chicago platform? All other questions
are, for the present, subordinate to
this.
Mr.. Hill says that Mr. Bryan will be
renoninated Mr.. Hill declares that
he will work hard to elect MIR Bryan.
No man who has meet Mr, Hill within
the past two weeks can doubt his earn
estness or his determination to lend his
whole party in the approaching cam
paign. He sees victoryin sight for the
6rst tirae since Mr.. Cleveland wrecked
the party. Mr.. Hill will support Mr..
Bryan, Chicago platform or no Chicago
platform. The abandonment of the
well-tried American theory Of equsl
rights everywhere under tie aag for the
British policy Of subject colonies over
shadows all other issues.
But Mr.. Hill and State Chairman
Campbell and Mr.. Croker ard Former
Senator Murphy and men who take
their view Of the situation are urging
upon the western and southern leaders
the fact that the passage Of the cur
rency bill by the Republican majority
in congress removes the free silver
question for the present from the field
Of practical politics and craftsmanship;
that even if Mr.. Bryan were president
now he would be poWerless under the
law to disturb the gold standard, and
that a Republican majority in the
United States senate will make free
silver legislation impossible for the
next five years-therefore readoption
Of the Is to plank at Kansas City can
accomplish nothing and will be mere
academic statement Of history about
which the voters Of the party disagree.
Some Of the conservative eastern
leaders insist that Mr.. Bryan cannot be
elected without the electoral vote Of
New York State, and that modihca-
tion OF the Chicago platform will make
Democratic victory in New York GER
tsinty. Butthe ''irreducible minimum"
of majority of the Kansas City con-
vention will be simple rea6irmatiop
of the platform Of 1896, statement
that can be made in ~ or so words.
That seems to be the utmost that can
be hoped for by the conservative lead
ers.
To bring the body Of the Chicago
platform into the convention for mutt.
iation OF amendment would bring on
bitter and useless fight, in which the
conservative men would be beaten. A
strong group of leaders believe that
there will be no fight on the fnan-
cisl question in open convention. The
Demoratic party is practically reunited
now; when the Kansas City convention
meets it will be absolutely united:
Not only have men like Mr.. Hill and
Mr.. Croker, vino were silent IN 1895,
placed themselves earnestly in support
of MIR. Bryan, but thousands and thous-
snds Of gold Democrats" in New York
and other eastern States who voted for
Mckinley have returned to the party
which stands for the preservation OF
the republic and opposes military
empire with colonies.
Men like John Dewitt Warner are
heartily preparing to assist in the cleo
tion of Mr.. Bryan. Mr. Bissell, who
was Mr.. ClevelaDd's law partner and
sfter8ard postmaster general, is ready
to stump the State for Mr.. Brvan. 1t
seems to be generally recognized that
The financial question is, for the time
being, removed from the sphere OF prac-
tical things, and that, while the money
DIank Of the Democratic platform is an
importsnt issue, IS between political
leaders, that question, too, WILL olsap-
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