Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-07-10
THE PRESS AND THE DEMO-
CRATIC PLATFORM.

The reception accorded the Kansas
City platform by the press OF the coun-
try has been both amusing and in
structve. The opinions of the social
cd independent newspapers have nearly
all been favorable to the platform as n
whole. though the majority condemned
the insertion of the silver plank as
blunder at this time. The Republi-
can press has fallen upon it with n
fury of abuse and Misrepresentation
that was most complimentary to it's
trainers, and argues we'll for its cffcc-
tivenoss as documentary attack on the
Republican record and as an appeal TO
the voter to stand by first principles.
Its shafts have plainly gone home,
and there has been little of the ridi-
Guile with which even Republican news
papers overwhelmed the Philadelphia
affair.
The newspapers that up to 1896 had
supported the Democratic party. but
boltcd in that year are considerably di-
vided at present. Some of them arc
plainly ION the fence" and are greatly
irritated at finding themselves in that
undigniiied and uncomfortable atti-
tude, with the result that they are in
dulgins in most illtempered thrusts at
both parties. Later. these will doubt
less he persuaded to support Mr.. A1c-
Kinley. In the main, however, the
newspapers that formerly supported
their purpose to do so this year.
In this respect. therefore. the Demo-
cratic party goes into the campaign
this year in much better condition than
in 1896. In that year more than half
the Democratic dailics boltcd and
either supported the Palmer and Buck
ner movement or. more couraGcously.
took an open stand for Mr.. Mckinley.
There were whole States in which no
ported Mr.. Bryan. In Kentucky. Ohio,
Indiana and Illinois. the real battle
ground of the campaign. only the Gin
cinnati Enquirer stood loyalty by the
party. This year the Courier-Journal
and one or two of the more important
Chicago newspapers will advocate Mr..
Bryan's election. Former Democratic
newspapers like the Baltimore sun and
the Philadelphia Record have not indi-
Gated as yet what course they will fol
low In the campaign.
On the whole. the Democrats this
year will not be compelled to rely al
most exclusively upon stump speakers
and country weeklies to reach the peo-
pie of the middle west and of some
Of the northern states. The desertion
of the newspapers upon which the
party had been accustomed 10 rely in
reaching the people had the effect to
practically paralyzc the Intelligence
department. OF the Democracy in the
1896 contest. The party has prontcd
by that experience and some new pa
rers have been rounded. while the re-
turn of others will enable it to IN
dertake the work this year largely free
from the heavy handicap OF four years
ago. While the boiling newspapers
have lost in public prestige and in their
hold upon the people. through the com
mon belief that their detection was
dictated from the business Offices,
they are nevertheless by no means ne
eligible factors in the aggregate. Their
attitude is in a measure u significant
of he sentiment OF the sew
cral communities wherein they are
published, and from this point of view
Mr.. Mckinley has no reason to con
graduate himself