The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-02-25
FACTS AND VIEWS BY ABBOT.
PICKED UP AT THE DEMOCRATIC
COMMITTEE MEETING.


ton in Chicago-Sketch of Mayor
Jones of TOledo-COnsuI Macrum's
sensational Disclosurcs-EnOrm
Profits of Trusts.
Washington, Feb. 23.-The meeting of
the Democratic National Committee this
week was unquestionably the most largely
attended and most enthusiastic that has
been held in at least eight years-perhaps
longer. Prior to the election of 1896 the
Rational Committee was in the hands of
the old-lne Cleveland Democrats. They
were not so blind as not to see the wreck
which their idol had brought upon the
rarity. and yet they did not feel that the
rev and progressive element in demo1-
racy obviously coming to the front. could
in any way recoup the losses that Cleve-
lend had caused. Their arrangements for
the Chicago convention were to great
degree perfunctory. for it hardly seemed
worth while to hold convention Nor
did the country at large manifest any
more lively interest. The general consen-
sus of opinion seemed to be that the de
nocracy was wrecked There were no
delegations of clamorous shouters for
eager cities parading the streets and Of
tering huge sums of money for the honor
g f the convention. Everything was de-
{ orous, dull and dismal.
The injection of new life into democ-
yacy which resulted from the proclama-
lion of new issues and the accession to
f'ower of new leaders in 1896 has changed
6 Il this, Washington has been thronged
. $ if it were itself a convention city, and
special trains have come from as far-away
coints as Milwaukee and Kansas City.
bearing men not only anxious that the
next Democratic platform should bear the
name of their town, but confident that it
would be a platform on which victory
would we won.
The only city which appeared by it's del
'.gates before the committee without a po-
dCcal handicap was Kansas City. New
fork, though very generous in its finah-
',ial proposition, was looked upon with
'Soubt by Western committeeman because
Of the admitted secret unfriendliuess of
The New York organization to some of the
features in the platform of 96, which will
probably be repeated in that of 1900 The
committee could not wholly forget that a
majority of New York; congressional del
sgation voted for the Republican currency
bill, and emphasized their action by Sc
scting an avowed gold Democrat-AIr.
Guppert-as the New York member of the
'-oHSIGSSlOndI NOUlIllttee. IL was 1eIt. TOO,
that these questions aside, New York was
100 far east TO be fairly chosen as the
convention city. Chicago, unquestionably,
the best of all convention cities, because
Of its location, its climate during the con-
7ention season, its hotels and it's telegraph
facilities, made hardly an effort 10 secure
The prize Local politicians there recog-
nized the fact that the long continued hos
tility between the Altgeld and the Harr1-
son factions made suJh a choice unwise
To some degree this same objection at
tached TO Milwaukee, for it was urged
that Milwaukee was scarcely more than
a suburb of Chicago; that the Chicago an
1mosities would be carried thither; that
che present Mayor of Milwaukee had ex-
pressed himself very vigorously in print
on the merits of that controversy in a
manner hostile to Gov. Altgeld, and that
The national Committeeman from the state,
OF wisconsin, Mr.. Wall was avowedly
opposed to the whole monetary programme
OF the Democratic party. Cincinnati's
strength lay in its geographical location;
us weakness in certain feeling that Il
would drag the Kentucky trouble into the
national councils, and also that il would
not be just to other vide presidential can
dldates TO give the convention to Mr. Nc
Leans home city. Against Kansas City
nothing was urged except that ii was dis
tant from the center of population, al
though almost at the geograp hicaI center,
ties were somewhat limited. The discus
sion was conducted in a spirit of endea-
Vor 20 ind that spot which would most
contribute to the success of the party in
the campaign which is to follow and the
result was determined by this considera-
uoh' rather than upon any very great
thought for the comfort of Delegates or
the convenience of the press
A novel proposition was submitted to
the committee by T. Carl Spelling, an act
I've Democrat of California who desired
that in the call issued there should be
provlso that in any state having a com
pulsory primary law the election of dele
gates should be conducted under that law.
He declared with much force and earnest
ness that this proviso would apply to Cal
norma only, as this was the one state
mus equipped, and that only by it's OBJ
seIVance could the Democratic organiza-
uon In that state be wrested from the
hands OF imitation Republicans and rail-
road servants. The committee. however.
did not seem to accept either his premises
or conclusion, and the motion was
shelved
1t is difficult, of course, to tell what the
new committee, the members of which
nave not yet been selected, may do But
feel that there is little or no doubt
mat If a majority of the members of the
E'N'Nht CohiHlllee SnHil be on the next
committee, or shall be influential in the
selection of their successors, the present
ooard of officers will be reelected. The
story about opposition to the continuance
o. Chairman Jones has no place except in
we newspapers. Not only do members in
oohfdential conversation deny any such
desire, but most of them volunteer the
statement that for the good of the party
II Is most desirable that Senator Jones
SHOULD be reelected. Committeeman
walsh of Iowa, secretary of the commit
lee expressed the general feeling when he
SUD: Anybody who saw what Jones was
aoie to do in '96, with the material, or the
'''k OF material at his command will
".derstand how much can be expected of
''n after three years of organization with
oval committee and with a less hamper
ed treasury"
IL Is a fact that most of the criticisms
81 senator Jones have proceeded from
men who had absolutely no kuowTad0o Of