The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-03-19
CUTL0OSE FROM CORPSE
DEMOCRATIC SENATORS NOT
 TIED TO SILVER.
The Elevation of German to Leader ship, However, Does Not Mean
 That MT. Bryan is Ad- mired by Many.

Washington, March I-(SpeciaD-Be- cause Senator German, who never was g Bryan man, has been chosen for leader of the Democratic minority in the Senate. that class of political soothsayers who are too mentally indolent to differentiate facts, much less phases of facts, jump to a notion that the feeling of Democrats fin the Senate for the Nebraskan has all at once undergone a change, the operation being signalized by the recent party ex- altation of MT. German.
 The truth Is there is nothing at all sl1d den In the history of the sentiment of Senate Democrats for Mir. Bryan. The year he vaulted into the national cam paign leadership the veteran Democrats or the Senate-there were no young Dem- ocrats In the body then-were altogether
 quiescent about his candidacy. Yet it was
 that very coteries of the party which
 was largely responsible for the strength
 Of the silver movement at least in the South. Silver agitation did not reach its
 high tide until after the Democrats, in
 order to defeat the force bill, joined the
 silver Republicans of the West in a vote
 to dfsplace the measure with the silver
 bill. That alliance with the Westerners seemed to promise so much for the party
 nationally that the Senators were drawn
 into the silver movement along with the Democrats who stood by the Kansas City
 and Chicago conventions.
 When MT. Bryan first ran both parties
 were admitting bimetallism was desirable
 some time or other. No party declared for
 the single gold standard. It was not done
 by any faction of a party until the Pal
 mer-Buckner faction spoke for it. But a
 campaign of education for free silver coinage followed which was kept up un-
 til MT Bryan's second defeat Then the silver school broke up The parliament
 of the world had laid the silver question
 on the table.
 Whatever may be the sentiments of
 other people on the old issue, for two
 years and more the Democrats of the
 Senate have without a single exception abandoned utterly all consideration of the
 question of free silver coinage at 16 to ]
 as fit to play any part in the coming
 campaign for President.
 Therefore, the choice of Senator Cor
 man for leader is no mark of sudden change for or against MT. Bryan. Per haps, when Bryan was leading several years ago, MT. German had he been in
 the Senate could not have been elected tc the position he now occupies in the Sen-
 ate by the confidence of his fellow Dem ocrats. But at least the selection of the Maryland Democrat as leader means that the Senate Democrats are not going tC permit old factional differences to inter. fere with the performance of what they conceive to be a party duty, and that is to work above all things for a united party front on issues that are live, kick ing and raising the old Harry. They are
 not to be tied to any corpse. They held to that idea long before German came | back into the Senate.
 The Senate Democrats have always adopted naturally a sort of community of policy and interest, politically as well as otherwise. regardless of outside diver. sions and distractions. It has gone its own way unswayed by this faction or
 that But 1t is to be understood by those | who are anxious to know the truth that while the Senate Democrats are not clinging to Bryan any more, they are l not abusing him and they one and al repudiate contumelious treatment of a man who has so many friends among Democratic people as the Nebraska lead l CT. The Senate Democrats would equally condemn criticism of any other conspic. l uous Democrat. They are more than will 1 ing to lock shields with the Democrats oi | the House, whose leaders have been ar | dent Bryan men, in a grand effort tC drive the greedy and corrupt Republican Party out of power. The Democrat con ceded to be the leader of the party 1T
 the House, John Sharp Williams, will de | vote the best of his great talents to the living issues as they will confront the House at its next session. In short, the Democrats of both houses are, from ev
 cry indication, going to get together or common solid ground to make an old fashioned Democratic fight for tariff re. | form, for honest and economical govern
 ment and for equal opportunities and nc | special privileges.
 Nobody in either house is worrying
 about MT. Bryan or any other leader, past | or present or prospective One of the l Senators who admitted that he had a | right to be regarded as an original Bryan
 man said today: T am not for Bryan any
 more than I am for Thomas Jefferson
 who Is under the ground" That express
 sion truly typifles the attitude in the ab- stract of Democratic Congressman as far as concerns the question of MT. Bryan being a present disturbing factor