Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-12-31
It Has Brought Many Events Of
World Wide import.

The populist party. which had split up
into two factions, known the regulars
and the middle-of-the-road populists. held
separate conventions on May 8 and NOM
mated candidates for the presidency. The
regular or fusion wing Of the party met
national convention at Sioux Falls and
nominated w. J. Bryan of Nebraska and
'harles A. Towne of Minnesota. The plat
form. in addition to former populistic dec
larations, expressed sympathy with the
South African republics, denounced the pol
Icy OF the administration as to the newly
acquired territory, declared for the public
ownership of all public utilities and con-
tanned strong declaration against trusts
The middle-of-t he-road wing of the party
met in Cincinnati and nominated Wharton
Barker of Pennsylvania and Ignatius Don
nelly Of Minnesota. :.
The social democrats held their national
convention in Indianapolis on March and
nominated E. V. Debs of Indiana and Job
Hartman of California.
The socialists labor party held it's
tional convention in New York June and
nominated Joseph F. Maloney of Massa-
chusetts and Valentine KENNEL of Penn
sylvania.
The republicans met In national conyen-
ton in Philadelphia June 10 and nominated
William Mckinley of Ohio and Theodore
Roosevelt of New York. Senator Lodge Of
Massachusetts, in a speech after his cleo
ton as permanent chairman sounded the
keynote of the republican campaign It
was prosperity. The platform adopted fol-
lowed the line of Mr.. Lodges speech in re-
viewing the prosperous condition Of the
country which it attributed to the wise
administration of President Mckinley. 1t
declared against the free coinage Of silver
at the ratio of 16 to 1 and in favor of the
gold standard. On the subject of trusts the
platform said: I'VE recognize the necessity
and propriety Of honest cooperation of
capital" but condemn "all conspiracies and
combinations intended to restrict business,
control prices" 1t favored protection and
the enactment of legislation which would
encourage United States shipping. 1t also
favored the building of an isthmian canal
by the government.
The Democratic Convention.
The democratic national convention was
held in Kansas City, July 4, when w. ].
Bryan of Nebraska and Adai E. Stevenson
of Illinois were nominated. There was a
considerable element in the convention
which favored the nomination of Charles
A Towne for Vice President. but the old
line democrats revolted at this claiming
that it would be making too great con-
cession to the pOpulists, who had nominated
Bryan and Towne at the Sioux Falls con-
vention.
The platform began with a reaff1rmation
of the Declaration of Independence. The
law which had been passed by Congress for
the government of Porto Rico was de-
nounced as being unconstitutional The
administrations policy in the Philippines
was also denounced. Demand was made
tOr a Imminent VI lHe SoNeIHmeHt
pledges regarding Cuba. The platform de-
clared in favor of expansion by peaceful
and legitimate means" but against tine
purchase of distant islands to be governed
side of the Constitution" The Monroe
doctrine was to be revived and made a
prominent feature of the democratic policy.
On the subject of trusts the platform Sim
ply charged the republicans with dishonesty
in their declaration on the same subject.
The currency bill passed at the last session
of Congress was denounced and the imme-
diate restoration of the free and Unlimited
ccirage of silver and gold at the ratio OF
16 to l. without waiting for the consent
of any other nation" was demanded.
This clause in the platform was credited
to the personal efforts of Mr. Bryan; IL
was announced at the time that he had In
formed the party leaders that without this
declaration he would decline to accept the
party's nomination. But for this fact 1t is
doubtful whether the free silver plank
would have been put in the platform.
The silver Republicans.
The Lincoln (silveD republicans met In
Kansas City on the same day with the
democrats, and nominated the same candi-
dates and adopted similar platform.
The prohibition party held It's national
convention in Chicago June q. and nomi-
mated ]. G. Woolley of Illinois and H. B.
Metcalf of Rhode Island. The platform, while
dealing nearly altogether with the liquor
question, denounced the administration on
account of the army canteen and the al
legged fostering of the liquor traffic In the
Philippines. 1t also denounced President
Mckinley personally for allowing the use
of wine on the White House table.
The first note of the campaign was
sounded by Mr.. Bryan in speech at In
dianapolis August to the notification
committee appointed at the Kansas City
convention: BY many it was regarded as
the ablest effort of his life. He took the
position that the Constitution followed the
flag and devoted most of his remarks to
criticisms of the administration in regard
to the government of the newly acquired
territories under the treaty of Paris. The |
speech was more than usually diSn!iied and
conservative for Mr.. Bryan.
On August 10 the National Anti-Impsria1-
list League held a convention at Indianapo-
lis and voted to support Bryan. Many of
the leaders In this movement were men of
prominence who had opposed Mr.. Bryan in
1895. Among them were Edwin Burritt
Smith of Chicago. Gen. Beatty of Ohio,
Judge Hallett of Colorado, ex-Gov. Bout
well of Massachusetts. Bourke Cochran and
Carl SchurZ of New York
The campaign may be said to have been
formally opened on Labor day In Chicago,
when Mr.. Bryan and Mr.. Roosevelt made
speeches from the same platform to the la
Dor organiZat tons present. Neither could
be said to have made a political speech yet i,
both touched questions which had be-
come involved in politics. Mr.. Roosevelt
warned his bearers against hearkening to
men who would stir up class prejudice and
ployer and employe. Mr.. Bryan urged his
hearers to secure legislation which would
prevent the courts from granting injunc-
tons to restrain the action of labor organ |
izations during strikes Both speakers made
much use of these arguments later on in
the campaign.
Platforms Much Alike.
AS the political contest developed 1t be-
came apparent that the platforms of the
two political parties were so near alike In
all respects except as to the money ques-
ton that it was hard to make an issue, and
Mr.. Bryan, though he was credited with
having forced the silver plank into the
Kansas City platform, seemed to have stu
diously avoided making that question an
issue in the campaign. The Kansas City
platform had announced that the danger
of imperialism, which 1t claimed had de-
veoped under the policy Of the administra-
ton regarding the new territories, was the
paramount issue. But Mr.. Bryan, who had !
taken the stump again as he did in 1885,
and who might be considered almost the
whole thing. so far as the democratic can
vass was concerned, did not follow out this
line of policy Toward the latter part OF
the campaign he shifted his position to an |
attack on the trusts But here he had mar
row fighting grounds The republican dec