The Savannah morning news., 1901-08-17
oHIo,s LEAD FOLLOWED.


1t is quite evident now that there
will be no formal effort to reorganize
the Democratic party. Democrats will
get together without any special effort
in that direction. 1t seems safe to say
that the issues in the Kansas City
! platform which kept Democrats apart
will be abandoned. There does not ap-
pear to be any disposition on the part
of Democrats in any of the states to
stand by that platform.
Our dispatches yesterday contained
the substance OF the platform adopted
by the Democrats of Virginia and of
Pennsylvania. In neither platform is
there any mention of the Kansas City
platform. In the Virginia platform
there is a kindly reference to Mr..
Bryan. Allegiance to the National
Democratic party is declared and ad-
miration of its leaders, from Jefferson
to Bryan, is affirmed. No doubt this
admiration for Democratic leaders was
expressed for the purpose of saying
something kind about Mr.. Bryan with
out approving the things for which he
stands. That this was the case is
apparent from the speech of State
Senator Barksdale, temporary chair
man of the convention which was ap-
proved, practically, by all of the dele
gates.
In the course of his remarks Mr..
Barksdale said: I'm the last campaign
we presented a divided front on the
issue of finance, which was but a tenn
porary question. In the next we will
present united front on questions
which are eternal. Twice we have fol-
lowed William Jennings Bryan and
free silver to the sepulchre and not
once to the resurrection. There can be
no more resurrection of the dead. no
more rising from the dead. In the
memories of our past glorious record,
free silver at the ratio of 16 to 1 will
have an abiding place as another cause
nobly fought and hopelessly lost"
In the platform adopted by the
Pennsylvania Democrats there is no
mention of either Bryan or the Kansas
City platform. In fact, there is no ref
erence to national issues. 1t is pre-
sumed that this course was pursued
for the purpose of avoiding any refer
ence to Bryan and the Bryan issues.
The Democrats of Ohio, MARYLAND.
Virginia and Pennsylvania have now
spoken, and in no one of these states
has there been an Endorsement of the
Kansas City platform. The conclusion
is therefore almost irresistible that
Democrats in all parts of the country
have tacitly decided to get together on
some other basis than that presented
by that platform. 1t is evident that
they regard the free silver issue as
dead-dead beyond resurrection. And
there may be some other things in the
Kansas City platform which they do
not wholly approve. If this view is the
correct one there is no reason for a
movement to reorganize the Demo-
cratic party-a movement which was
widely discussed Immediately after the
close of the last presidential campaign,
but of which comparatively little is
heard at present.
Mr.. Bryan, however, seems to think
there is still hope for the Kansas City
platform. In the current issue of his
paper, the Commoner, he calls atten-
ton, in an editorial article, to the fact
that the Democrats of the Thirty third
senatorial district of Ohio have in
dorsed the Kansas City platform. The
comment he makes is 'let the good
work go on" 1t looks as if Mr. Bryan
were going to be greatly disappointed
If he is expecting that the Democratic
party will stand by the Kansas City
platform.