The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-06-29
The Chicago Platform.

Drowning men grasp at straws. 1t ID
supposed that upon this principle consola-
ton ard hope are being found by the weak
hesrted in tho platform adopted BY the
Illinois Democratic State Convention. The
A., first sentence in this declaration is:
The Democracy OF Illinois in convention
assembled do hereby reefirm and endorse
in whole and in all its parts. in letter and
in spirit. the platform adopted by the
Democratic National Convention in Chi
cago in 1895"
A bold. honest. and manly confession Of
faith. 1t would DO hard to imagine more
direct, a more minute, more thorough
acceptance of the Chicago platform And
still there are men in this country. SEN
sibie enough to own and conduct paying
newspaper properties, who profess to be-
lieve that they see in the Illinois platform
shrewdly laid scheme to throttle" sill
yer. Moro specifically, We are assured
that the Hon. Carter Harrison. who heads
the Illinois delegation to the Kansas City
Convention already he's "throttled sill
yer" in that delegation and that he will
lead the fight on the financial plank Of
the Chicago platform next week in the
National Convention OF course. the wish
is father to the thought in all OF this sort
of wild speculation and premature jubiia-
ton over the 'throttling Of silver" 1t
is possible that young Mr.. Harrison may
try to impress upon gullible minds at Kan
sas City that the Illinois platform is
backdown Conduct of this kind is always
to be looked for on the part of inexperienc-
ed politicians palpitating for notoriety.
However, we are inclined to attribute to the
Mayor CT Chicago more common sense and
higher appreciation of obligation to trust
than TO accuse him of desire to act at
Kansas City as the goldbugs are proclaim
ing his intention to act. 1t may be that
the Illinois expression on the Chicago plat
form will be adopted by the National Con-
vention. With the lights at hand, it seems
possible that this or something like it
may be done. But even then who could
claim that silver has been 'throttled?"
Who could claim that there was any back
down of the party from the position taken
in 1896?
The fact Is patent that the Chicago plat
form is still the declaration of Democratic
principles and policies. The Illinois Con-
vention has testified to this in a manner
that is clear and succinct. Four-fffths OF
the other State conventions of the Democ-
racy have done the same thing. Mr.. Bryan
and every leader of the party have pro-
tested and are protesting against any mod
ifcsticn of the Chicago declaration They
all acknowledge that new and unexpected
issues have arisen in the four years that
have gone into history since the party
last officially defined its position. They !
all are agreed that these new issues shall |
receive appropriate treatment in the plat |
form to be adopted at the Kansas City |
Convention. But nobody who earnestly |
hopes for party success wants the decla- |
ration of principles upon which the Democ- |
racy waged war for the peoples rights in |
1896 abridged or modified in any partic- |
ular.
The Illinois Democrats have endorsed |
"in whole and in all its parts, in letter |
and in spirit the Chicago platform. That |
is as much as anybody could ask. And |
it may be that in the interest of brevity |
the National Convention will thus deal |
with the Chicago platform. No harm would
be done thereby. Neither would any harm |
be done by repeating in the new platform !
word for word the platform of 1896. ex- |
cept that this course would make the new |
deliverance unnecessarily long and redun- |
dant.