Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-06-25
How the Iowa Democratic
Platform is Regarded.
ISSUES HARD TO FIND
FAILURE TO MAKE TARIFF REV.
SION MORE PROMINENT.
That Bryan is Losing His Hold Seems
to Be Indicated-Greater
Discord Predicted.

Republicans IN this city are taxing
good deal of satisfaction from the political
situation in Iowa, as shown by the plat
form of the democratic party in that state
adopted yesterday. They assert that that
action is conclusive evidence that the dem
ocratic party is still hunting for principles
on which to go before the country with
show Of opposition to republican policies.
It is quite confidently believed that the
refusal of the convention to reaffirm the
democratic platform of 1900 is the begin
ming of fractional fight in the democratic
ranks which will shortly be dividing the
entire democratic forces. This has been
looked forward to for some time by re-
publicans who have secuted the idea of the
democrats getting together"
Effort to Find an Issue.
The platforms denunciation of what is
known as the "Aldrich financial bin.'
which the Senate did not pass last winter
is regarded as going to an extreme In
search for issues. 1t is spoken Of as evil
dence that the democrats of Iowa, finding
difficulty in framing their platform on &C
tual acts of the republican party, were
forced to make an issue of bill In the
Senate which did not secure the approval
of even the Senate. to say nothing of the
House Of Representatives. which was
known to be in favor of different meas
ur0, ana WHICH was Lie DtSluulu6 VI LILO
effort Of the party in Congress to obtain
some satisfactory financial legislation.
The failure of the convention to approve
a scheme for government ownership OF
railroads Is also regarded as an action that
will cause disapproval in other councils Of
democrats of the Bryan wing OF the party
Bryan Losing His Hold.
These Issues are of especial interest to re-
publicans, who are watching the work OF
In tot in order to
determine the feeling that is likely to ex-
ist in the democratic national convention
year hence OF course the action in Iowa
tends to show that Mr.. Bryan Is not hold
ing his former position in the councils OF
the party, and that the tide is setting In In
such way as to indicate that man like
German or Parker is likely to be the stand
ard-bearer OF the democracy. In the view
of republicans the tendencies shown in
Iowa by the democrats are OF more
healthy nature than has existed IN the past
in that party, but they are wondering how
long it will be before the Bryan forces will
be actively fighting the more conservative
democrats. who will have no more Of the
platforms that carried the party On the
rocks Of defeat in 1895 and 1900.
The Postal Investigation.
Democratic denunciation Of the corrupt
condition in the Post Office Department"
as contained in the Iowa platform. Is re-
EdTO0Q Us 6LOTu VI ISdI 51SlAiCdACC, W.
cause. as 1t is pointed out, the investga-
tons under way were entirely the work OF
republicans and were not either instituted
or carried out by democrats.
Reviving Dead Issue.
The denunciation Of so-called imperial
ism" is looked upon as sad effort to re-
vive a dead issue, or at least question
that has very generally been regarded by
having lost ifs weight IN
political discussion. They declare that they
do not fear anything the democrats may
do in prolong1ng the campaign SO earnestly
pushed along by Senator Carmack In the
last campaign without perceptible effect on
the voters of the country.
The fact that the tariff plank OF the Iowa
democratic platform is not regarded in
that state as the leading and real issue of
the campaign is inferred by many republi-
cans because of failure to make 1t more
prominent. It, they say, was just thrown
In the platform along with the rest of the
paragraphs without anything to make 1T
prominent as a leading ISSUE In view OF
the course President Roosevelt has taken
in regard to the enforcement of the law
operating against trusts the denunciation
of such business institutions Is not deemed
Of any significance, so far as any effect 1t
might have on the campaign Is concerned.
It Is declared by republicans that II the
Iowa democrats had any faith in strong
tariff crusade as vote-getter they would
have made that feature of their platform
more prominent
The republican platform Of Iowa will be
looked forward to with interest, especially
in view of the contending views OF republic
cans about the prominence that the So
called Iowa idea" should have in the
declaration Of Iowa republicans. Republi-
cans here declare that the democratic plat
form of that state has made easy work of
the coming task Of republicans to put forth
declaration of policy that will be apt to
commend itself to the business interests Of