Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-11-20
DEMOCRATS TO REORGANIZE
EXPECTATION OF THE CHAIRMAN
OF THE "GOLD" PARTY IN 1896.
A Series of Conferences to Bring
About the Regeneration of the
JeHersOnian Party.

II am looking forward with great deal
of confidence to the speedy reorganization
of the divided democratic party said Col.
L. NJ. Martin Of Des Moines, Iowa, at the
Richmond this morning. Col. Martin is one
Of the most prominent members of the ma
tional gold wing of the democracy.
He was chairman of the national campaign
committee for Palmer and Buckner in the
memorable fight of 1896, and is still a men,
Der of the national committee. During
the campaign just closed he at the head
of the hot fight waged against Bryan in In
diana by the national democracy. Col Mar
tin is in Washington for few days while
en- route to his old home in Virginia.
A Series of Conferences Expected.
THE national or gold democrats
| ready to give and to take in bringing about
the regeneration of the old Jeffersonian
party" he said to a Star reporter today.
I'VE are prepared to make concessions, as
well as to ask them. AS precursor to re-
organization there must be a conference,
a series of conferences, between the leaders
of the two wings. / confidently expect that
a call for such a conference will soon be
issued by the officers of the national demo-
| cratic party. Gen. Charles Tracey of AL
bany N. Y, who is the chairman of the ex-
ecutive committee of the so-caled gold
wing, will probably be the mouthpiece in
issuing the call. The meeting would be
held next summer, in order to get every
thing In readiness for a coalition of the
| ranks In time for the fall campaigns. The
basis for agreement could then be settled
upon, and there would be harmony and
united action when the regular conventions
are held.
Il won't attempt now to say what the
platform of the reunited party will be-
said Col Martin. Il sure, however,
| that it will be satisfactory one, honorable
wi how
dation the Jeffersonian doctrines of dem
ocracy, unmixed with populistic heresies or
monetary Authorizations. 1t will not be an
archaic revival, for the party in the future,
as in former days, will deal with the ques-
tons of the hour they arise. Personally
1 am an expansionist; l believe that we
are growing, vigorous people, but l don't
try to say what the united thought of the
party on that subject will be.
As to Leadership.
Now as to leadership: We are not de-
| manding the control of the party. 1 know
| scores of good men who abhor the doc
trines of Bryan, yet for the sake of party
regularity they have remained with the
| regular democracy even under Bryan's
| leadership. AS Governor Pingree of Michi-
gan said, they held their noses and voted
the ticket These men. though they have
been identified with the regular democratic
party as 1t now exists, would welcome with
enthusiasm the soughing off of the Bryan
hereses. They are qualified in every way
to act as leaders in the new and reorgan-
lied party. On the other hand, such men
as Don Dickinson of Michigan, Buckner of
Kentucky, Eckles of Illinois, Wilmer of
Iowa and Cultivate of Ohio, who have
battled for the gold standard, would be fit
men to join in leading the new party on to
victory.
Aliens in the Household
las for the others who, like Bryan. are
imbued heart and, soul with populism and
| free silver, let them return to the populist
party from which they came. They belong
there. They were aliens in the democratic
! household. Their loss can easily and cheer
fully be sustained. With them gone, the
democratic party would be % per cent
stronger. Not only would the gold wing
return, but the new party would be joined
by thousands and thousands of republicans
who oppose the principles of the present
republican leaders.
Il see that Bryan intends to stay in pol
| itics That is interesting Think for
moment what he has done. Besides leading
| his adherents twice to defeat-and one of
| them was the most crushing defeat the
party had ever known-he has succeeded in
! disrupting the democracy so completely
/ that in four years the party has lost every
/ single governor of the northern states
| More, he has brought about a revolution in
! public sentiment until his party has lost
seventeen senator's and representatives in
| such numbers that | have failed to count
them. And he talks about staying in poll
| tics. The American people will have some
| thing to say about that.
| If as l believe. the movement for reor-
ganiZing the party ON the basis of its Jef-
fersonian history succeeds. we shall be in
| position to go into the coming congressional
campaign to win. Four years hence we
ought to elect President"