The Minneapolis journal., 1902-06-20
DEMOCRATIC UNITY

DEMOCRATIC UNITY
The reception given last night in New
York by the Tilden Club to the conspic-
uous democrats of the country, the design
being to initiate the reorganization Of the
party on genuine democratic lines was
characterized by the dramatic spectacle
of the meeting and reconciliation of ex-
President Grover Cleveland and ex-Sena-
tor David B. Hill. The heartiness OF the
reconciliative embrace suggested the dis
ceyery of the strawberry mark on the arm
Of long-lost brother. No New York
theater last night had upon its stage a
more skilfully arranged scene. , 49,.
There was, however, one important
thing lacking. Colonel William Jennings
Bryan was not visible among the invited
guests. The colonel was the conspicuous
figure this week and the conspicuous ora
tor, at the unveiling Of the monument
erected to the memory Of the late Hon.
Richard P. Bland at Lebanon, Mo-, by his
silver worshiping admirers. and had not
recovered from the emotional excitement
Of eulogizing the man who organized the
silver forces in 1877, and introduced into
the house the silver bill of that year.
Bryan, fresh from the adulation of Bland
and fifty-cent dollars. would hardly have
felt at home at the Tilden Club reception,
where he would have to face the eagle
eye of Grover Cleveland, upon whom he
has heaped reckless and unqualified abuse
as a traitor to the principles of the gen
uine Jeffersonian democracy" 1t would,
indeed, have been an affecting sight had
Bryan come in and Joined Cleveland and
Hill in triple clasp of reconciled hands,
murmuring "Peccavi." But he didn't,
and to-day the reorganizers whom Bryan
detests, are still without his adherence
to- their principles.
The great feature of the evening, of
course, was the address Of ex-President
Grover Cleveland, It was one of the most
interesting of his public utterances, and
was characterized by a strongs flavoring
of his peculiar phrasing. Itswas his first
public utterance Of a political character
since he left the White House. 1t was
natural. therefore, that, impressed with
the decadence and distracting division of
the party, he delivered some very severe
rebukes to them, showing the utter im-
possibility Of dominating the country
until unity can be secured, until live is
sues are taken up intelligently, until the
party put no barrier in the way of a 'safe
and genuine progress" Mr.. Cleveland
charged his party, indeed, with subordin-
ating the essentials Of success, through
"infatuation with the visage Of defeat
and accepting political deliverances they
do not understand" He knows his party
well, and, while he looked with some
portunity near at hand,'' he evidently had
little confidence that rehabilitation which
enbodies success can be accomplished.
He made, the announcement, without
qualification, that he is out of public, life
and politics. =
The conspicuous place Hill occupied
during the evening suggests that he de-
sires to be recognized as the candidate
for the democratic presidential nomina-
tion two years hence. The whole function
at the Tilden Club house seemed to point
that way. and the giving Of the right
hand Of fellowship by the ex-president to
Hill, looks very much like an indorse-
ment The latter gentleman devoted his
speech chiefly to TRADES of personal
abuse of President Roosevelt and Govern
or General Woods Cuban administration,
and he forgot to tell his audience what
genuine democratic principles are. Mr..
Cleveland asserted that they can be found
in the democracy of Samuel J. Tilden, the
key note of whose platform was ere
form The democracy represented by
Bryan have no use at all for Tilden !;
no more, indeed, than they have for
Cleveland Mr.. Hill is offensive to Bryan
and his influence in the south Is waning.
Indeed, there is, in that section, serious
talk of putting upza southern man for the
presidential nomination in 1904.
The imposing gathering of the; democ-
racy last night only served to show the
leaky condition of the democratic craft
and reveal, with somewhat greater dis
tinctness than usual. the mutiny which is
in progress upon its deck, while some of
the crew are engaged scutling the old
ship down below.
It would be better for the republican
party were it confronted by democratic
party not victinyized continually by gauzy
issues and exploded theories and led by
men who aid true progress and do not OBJ
struct It, Such an opponent would check
over-eonfidence in the republican party
ard keep it continually on its mettle, al
ways on guard against surprises and i'm
pregnable.
1 - II
Phil Megaarden is again candidate for
sheriff. 1t is wonderful what attractive
qualities that sheriff's Office has, even now
that it has been shorn of its fatness.
The agricultural department. has an
other experiment for the middle west.
Trials will be made with a new cereal,
the quinoa, a native of Bolivia, ECUADOR
and Peru. The quinoa is a hardy plant,
CARRYING small round seed, said to con-