Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1902-06-12
NEW DEPARTURE IN INDIANA

ranked as Hdoubtful. " winch |
ever party may be dominant at
any time Is aware that it may be
operthrown at the next election
Even Organism did not demoralize
Democracy in Indiana to any such
degree as in New York, Connecticut
and New Jersey, the doubtful States.
of the East, and change OF u, 5Oo
votes amGng 66I, $50 in 1900 would have
deprived Mckinley of its electoral
votes. During the past year the Demo,
Gratis have shown plain signs OF renewed
confidence, and honest Republicans
have frankly conceded in private that
they would have a hard fight if they
were to retain their hold of the
commonwealth.
The Democratic State Convention in
Indiana this year must therefore IN
any case be political event OF CON
sequence, and the attitude OF the BODY
which has just met at Indianapolis
renders its action of the first i'm
portance. The delegates recognized the
fact that the time had come when they
must decide whether they would hoid
to tho discredited Organism of the
recent last, or would cut loose from
such acknowledgements and face toward
INC IulNTh. 1H6 lllttttti was phoioutshAy
considered, with full understanding
of all that it involved, and an over.
whelmiug majority decided in favor OF
the policy of progress.
Custom requires that the Democratic
State Convention held midway in
Presidential term shall reaiirm" the
national platform upon which the party
had made its campaign two years
before. Thus the convention of 1898
/ declared that 1--WE reaffirm and EN-
| phasize the platform adopted by the
| National Democratic Convention of
| 1896 at Chicago and also that I'VE
express our undiminished confidence IN
William Jennings Bryan, our peerless
leader in the national campaign Of
\ 1896. . The Bryanites, therefore, had
on their side the argument that to
reafiirm'' the Kansas City platform
of 1900 would be the natural thing,
and that refusal to do this would be
Interpreted as rebuke to Bryan. The
opponents of Bryan accepted this issue,
and they carried the day, forcing the
adoption of Il SGT of resolutions when
contain no reference whatever to either
the platform or the candidate OF the
last National Convention. In other
words, the party wipes the slate clean,
and takes q fresh start.
The platform adopted is noteworthy
for the ingenious device by which the
old silver issue is discarded. The con-
vention at the corresponding time in
1898 declared that I'VE are in favor of
the free and unlimited coinage of both
gold and silver at the existing ratio OF
Ii to |, without the aid or consent OF
any other nation. - This years plat
form recognizes as an economic fact
the increase of standard money, arising
from the vastly increased production
of gold from our own and foreign mines,
as demonstration of the truth of the
cumulative theory of money" and
saws not word about silver. The
plank on the tariff issue is brief, but
/ it packs the whole logic OF the situation
} in this compact statement: I'VE de
nounce the Dingley Tariff law as th'
breeder of trusts, and demand tina
} tariff duties shall be levied for thu
+ purpose of revenue only, and limited
, by the needs of the government
. honestly and economically admins
: tered. +" Clear and definite also is tn
, declaration of principles regarding tn
, Philippines. After condemning tn
9 policy of the Republican admins
5 tration as having "embroiled the re
g public in an unnecessary war, sacrifice
= the lives of many of its noblest sons
and placed the United States, pre-
= viuHsiy 4nown and applauded through
g 1ut the world Us the champion of free
d dom, in tie false and nAmerica
Il position of crushing with militaI
3 force The efforts Of our former allies
Il achieve liberty and self government
y tbs resolution OH this subject proceeds
THE tilipinos cannot be citizeI
70 without eHaangefing our civilization
x they cannot be subjects without il
!. perilging our form of government; an
IS as 40 are not wiling to surrender o.
$. civilization TO convert tie republ
into an empire, we favor an immedia
declaration Of the nation s-purpose
assist she Filipinos to establish
I'd Themselves an Independent governmer
projecting them from outside int
i'd ference, and securing to this count
~ such commercial and naval rights a
81 advantages as would be Just and fu
" and fairly protect American interests,
ha In pointedly dropping Organism, af
he having continued to endorse it eN
since 1896, and in framing : platfo
st. devoted to the issues of the pres
IN, day, the Democratic party OF India
NJ in 1902 makes new Gepartur
az az which may he properly compared
no significance and Importance with Il
ew carried through the Ohio Democra
ID, Convention of 1871 by Clement l.. v
er, landigham. Tho Democratic Natio
ng, Convention of 1865 had pronounced
Reconstruction acts tusurpations a
unconstitutional, revolutionary, Z
void,n and the Bourbon element
the party for the two years after
car overwhelming defeat upon this is
eel, continued to "rcatlirm" the platte
md which the nation had repudiat
lrb There was no chance for DeInocr
so long as it should adhere to
m reactionary position. Mr.. Vallanc
ham, a politician of great ability. |
ceived this, and he persuaded his 81
-- Convention in 1871 to adopt platft
on in which it recognized the inevita
ay, and accepted the Constitutional anne
Ter, ments that the party had UP to
lrt, time opposed and denounced. This
re- the first step toward the rehabilitat
ned of the Democratic party in the No
ted after the Civil War, which led wit
ION. five years to its success in carrying
cad the doubtful States-New York, I
ing necticut, New Jersey and Indiana
he'd Samuel J. Tilden.
and 1t is reasonable to suppose
ons. equally important results may 70
from the action of the Indiana DE
Gratis this week in accepting the 81
Col issue, as settled, cutting loose
New Organism, and adopting sound
the form on the vital issues of the
the Everybody who recognizes the
lila portance to the nation of an effec
will opposition party, must rejoice at
lied sign that Democracy, SO long
onor credited and contemptible, may
ard. again become respectable and