Durango semi-weekly herald., 1903-04-16

City platform clubs be organized. and
who are now forming such clubs In
| the first. second and third congress
| sional districts.
Until a few days ago it was assumed
by the leaders who are opposed to Bry-
| Bryan that the rank and file of the
\ party would fab in with conservative
sentiment later in the year and that
an organization would be effected for
the support oftany ticket that might
be nominated 1904, but the activity
of Bryan's frfh hds has dispelled this
illusion, and n is now admitted that
the Nebraskants influence is TO be felt
in organization in opposition to con
servative counsels.
A peculiarity OF the situation is seen
in the fact that, while the friends of
Bryan who ar0 thus perfecting an or
ganization declare he will not be n
candidate himself, they are determin.
ed that no one shall receive the sup.
port of the Indiana delegation in the
national convention who does not ia
vor the principles for which he stands.
hC dNtNihpt vi u, JOHn
w. Kern and other leaders to start a
boom for David b. Hill. the sugges.
ton of the possible acndidacy of Mr..
Cleveland by some OF those who held
office under him, and the effort of q
larger class to bring Olney to the IA
vorable consideration of the rank and
file, have all been met with the same
objections, for the Bryan leaders have
declared that no man shall receive the
SUPPORT of Indiana who is not willing
to stand upon platform which indors-
es the pronouneements made ut Chi
cago and Kansas City regarding the
money issue.
The lines between the conservatives
on one side and the ultra-silver men
on the other have thus been unmistak-
ably drawn. and the indications, based
on the present Rctivity of the Bryan
forces, indicate that they may have
the better organization when the time
comes to select delegates if the con
servatives do not bestir themselves.
In regard to candidates, they admit
they are unfortunate. for they seem to
be hopelessly divided The Olney
forces. led by Major John Simpson.
nominated. and in this sentiment the
believe that his conservatism would
bring all Democrats to his support, if
friends of Cleveland agree The sup.
porters OF Hill are as much opposed
to Cleveland as to Bryan, and this
opposition extends with nearly the
same force TO Olney. They take the
view that Clevelands candidacy would
arouse antagonisms because of his
gold standard leaning and his almost
open opposition to Bryan in 1896. to
say nothing of the prejudice in the
public mind against a third term, and
that Olney having been a member of
Clevelands cabl. 1T. is equally. unfa-
vorable because he is known to share
the views of his chief on the money
question.
Those who oppose Hill assert that
he, more than any other man in pub
lie life, contributed to the conditions
which forced the issues of 1896, and
that there could be NO confidence in
his sincerity in respect to tariff reform
after the record that he made in the
senate on the Wilson bill The only
thing upon which the Cleveland, Oh
ney and Hill men agree is that the can
didate of the party should be west
ern man.
In the meantime the Bryan men, un-
der the leadership of Gilbert Hendrcn,
member of the Democratic state cen
trail committee from the second dis
trict, are periecting their organiza-
ton. and hundreds of the most active
Democrats in southern Indiana are be-
ing enrolled in the Kansas City plat
form clubs. In some counties more
than two-thirds Of the Democrats will
be enrolled, and these will all stand
pledged to select delegates to the
state convention who, in turn, will
vote only for out and out free silver
men as delegates to the national con
vention.