The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-05-18
There Is No Such Question.

One of Mr.. BRYAN's closest political
friends is RICHARD LEE METcALFE, since
1895 the editor of the World Herald OF
Omaha. Mr.. METCALFE was formerly
Mr.. BRYAN's assistant in the editorial
management Of that newspaper. He
went to Kansas City in 1900 as the Demo-
cratic candidates personal representa-
tive in the fight for the retention of six
teen-to-one in the platform.
We are favored with an advance copy
Of a letter which Mr. METCALFE will have
published this morning in reply to the
recent remarks OF NORMAN E. MACK of
Buffalo on the prospects Of Democratic
harmony. Owing to the writer's present
relations with Mr.. BRYAN and to the sill
yer question in the past, it is an inter-
esting document; not the less so because
Mr.. METcALFE, while declaring that he
is as anxious as Mr.. MACK can possibly
be for Democratic victory by united
and not divided army, seems to regard
differences of opinion about sixteen-to-
one as the chief obstacle to the desired
harmony. Other questions mentioned by
him are secondary to that; he says:
Let us assume that Democrats who believe In
blmetalsm would. for the purpose of obtaining
harmony so far as the platform Is concerned be
willing to omit that question during one campaign.
Do you believe that a platform that made no
reference to the money question would avoid In
curing the hostility OF Mr.. CLEVELAND and his
followers'
Do you think that q Democratic platform that
failed TO make explicit reference TO the money ques
tIon could command the respect either of bmeta
lists or of single gold standard advocates'
In order to avoid mourning the hostility Of Mr..
CLEVELAND and his followers. would 1t not be
sary for the Democratic platform TO explicitly in
dorse the single gold standard. to confess TO the
world that in the campaigns of 1895 and 1900 the
Democratic party was utterly wrong on that
question:"
The clash which Mr.. METcALFE fore.
sees between the single-standard Demo-
Gratis and the si1teen-to-one men like
himself would be more likely to occur
if it were not for one circumstance.
That is the circumstance that platforms
do not necessarily make the issues Of a
campaign. Mr.. MErcAAPE himself ought
TO be able to testify to that, from his
experience in 1900.
The question Of the standards was an
issue in 1895, not because Of the platforms,
but because of the people. 1t was settled
by the result Of that campaign. 1t was
a platform issue, but not q voters issue
in 1900. 1t cut little figure in the second
McKinley-Bryan campaign. Platform
or no platform, it will cut even less figure
in the canvass Of 1904.
The disappearance from platforms Of
question which no longer exists in prac-
teal politics is the benefcent oblivion
without which the political association of
former fractional adversaries would be
forever impossible.
II there is really to be harmony in the
Democracy, the unnecessary rubbing-in
Of past mistakes will be as carefully
avoided on the one side as will be the
stubborn obtrusion Of dead issues on the
other. An equal perception of the main
chance and an equal desire to find COM
mon ground for future cooperation are
the only indispensable requisites.