The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-08-01
MR.. GRooT EXPLAINS.

Mr.. C. A. Groot, the Ohio politician
who is at the head of the Democratic
boilers Of that state, gave his reasons
at considerable length yesterday. at
the opening of the boilers convention
| at Columbus, why he and those who
are in sympathy with him could not
support the regular Democratic ticket
that was nominated in the same city
recently. We give full extracts in an
other column from his speech, in or
der that it may be seen just what his
contention is. In this connection II Is
we'll to bear in mind that although
Mr.. GrOot and his followers bolted be-
cause the regular Democratic conven-
ton refused to indorse the Kansas City
platform and express its confidence in
Mr. Bryan as a leader, Mr.. Bryan has
taken occasion to say that he does
not sympathize with the boilers move
ment. He is standing by the regular
organization, though he does not ap-
prove the platform which it adopted.
Mr.. Groot took the ground yesterday
that the Democratic party might as
wei give up its organization and cease
to exist as TO abandon its position on
the silver question. In fact, he insisted
that when it abandoned silver 1t would
give up everything worth fighting for,
because the judgment of the country
was just as strongly expressed upon
the issues of Imperialism and the tariff
at the last presidential election as upon
the silver question.
According to his view the trust mag
mates and the admirers of ex-President
Cleveland got possession of the Ohio
Democratic convention and adopted
platform satisfactory to themselves.
They did not consider the interests of
the great Democratic party-in fact,
were Indifferent to them. Mr. Groot
was so wrought up over the failure of
the Ohio Democrats to stand by every
thing in the Kansas City platform and
to indorse Mr.. Bryan that he declared
that If the country was as prosperous
as many claimed it to be there was no
excuse for trying to turn the Republi-
can party out of power He was care
full to say, however. that he did not
believe that the country was prosper
Gus.
Mr.. Groot is an impracticable man.
Il he cannot have his way in the or
CARNATIONS of which he is a member
he wants to destroy them. Because the
Democratic party of Ohio refused to
follow his lead he proposes to do what
he can to destroy it. The fact that 1t
would stand no chance whatever of
carrying the state on the Kansas City
platform has no weight with him what
ever. He admits of course that the
country is strongly against the free
coinage of silver, but he would go right
ahead trying to make 1t accept free
silver, although certain that he would
not succeed and that his party would
have all of it's trouble for nothing.
1t is nonsense to compare the free
silver issue with the tariff issue, and
Cause it has been rejected just as free
silver has been. Mr.. Groot knows that
the Democratic party has won great
victories on the tariff issue while a
victory has never been won on the
free silver issue. Indeed many of the
ablest men in the Democratic party
never believed in free silver, and it is
doubtful If a majority of that party
row believes in it.
Mr.. Groot and his boilers will
scarcely be heard of in the campaign,
and it is doubtful If they will make any
impression on the election. Mr.. Bry-
ans refusal to give them any support
took out of their movements what lit
tie vitality it had