New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-07-07
THE DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION.

The Democratic National Convention met
yesterday at St. Louis with its work practi-
cally cut out for it For four years past the
Democratic party has been laboring in the
tllroes Of q violent political reaction. The over
whelming desire Of its politicians-f not Of
its yoters-has been TO retreat from the adj
yanced positions taken in 1896 and 1900 under
Mr.. Bryan's leadership. The st. Louis conven-
ton sees the backward movement in full swing.
Not only is the party retreatIng. but 1t is try
ing to cover up its tracks. In its eagerness TO
obscure It's record 1t stands ready to entangle
itself in any inconsistency, to descend TO any
concealment and subterfuge. To purge itself
OF radicalism it is willing TO nominate q candi-
date for the Presidency whose paramount quail
fcation is that "he never did anything TO any
body" 1t is willing to adopt q platform not
only recanting all the beliefs Of its recent past.
but leaving it without a single salient or posi-
tive issue on which TO base O Presidential cam
paign.
In thus reversing itself without hesitation or
compunct1on the Democratic party merely
obeys the law Of its being 1t is party domi-
nated-and necessarily domnated-by Southern
opinion Democratic policy is made and fash
toned in the South But the South itself lacks
opinions IN politics. Genuine political discus
sion and genuine political activity are dead in
that section. The South has but one idea--the
ders. For this idea it stands ready to sacri-
fee any political programme or any political
issue. If II can have free hand 10 dsfran-
chise the negro, IL cares little or nothing what
price It pays for that concession 1t will accept
high tariff low tariff or no tariff. It Will favor
hard money or soft money, contraction or In
hation, free silver coinage the single gold
standard. 1t will espouse imperialism" Tex
pansion" and "Inilitarism," or denounce them
r. will
stand for rigid federal supervision of all cor
porate activities and for government ownership
OF railroads and telegraphs, or it will rally
! to the "Jeffersonian" doctrine-imbedded in
! the HillParker Albany platform-that Estate
! rights" forbid the federal government to lift
hand against State chartered corporations.
The South cast its electoral vote three times
! for Grover Cleveland and twice for William J.
! Bryan Its own way guaranteed to it on the race
question, 1t would vote with equal alacrity for
! Carl Schur2 or David B. Hill, Richard Olney or
George Fred Williams George Gray or Tom L.
! johnson, Nelson a. Miles or James B. Weaver.
! This year the watchwOrd Of the party is sup
! preston and caution. So the South supports q
/ candidate whose political record is nullity and
/ whose political views have been suppressed TO
| the very verge Of mystifcation.
But IN discarding its radical for its "conserva-
| tive" mask the party falls into the embarrass-
| IuenL Oh ASKING popular support on wholly
| inept and negative platform. In 1884. 1888 and
1902 Mr.. Cleveland's candidacy was grounded
on positive and serious political beliefs. In
1896 Mr.. Bryan had an issue which broke down
party lines and set the whole country In q fer
Inent. In 1900 he had again three definite and
Ineligible statements Of policy on which to
appeal for q change Of administration. Repre-
sentative John Sharp Williams OF Mississippi
the temporary chairman at st. Louis, devoted
1900 words yesterday to speech calculating
the Democratic party's newest attitude. But
he failed utterly TO develop a single issue vital
enough or distinct enough to base an aggressive
campaign on Nor Is any such issue likely to
be found In the rewritten Democratic platform
The Democratic party, repenting past sins. will
simply throw itself on the mercy and charity
| Of the American voter. 1t will ask the Ameri-
| can people to vote out an administration of
| varied and brilliant achievements, whose poll
cies are known and tested, and to vote in
an administration Of untried quality and IN
known and understandable political tendencies.
To this counsel of indecision and timidity there
! can be but one answer The Democratic party
was beaten IN 1896 and 1900. But It fought
then in the open and boldly. It Will be beaten
again this year. And its defeat VIII be soothed
by no reflection that it left the field after an
honest struggle, without cloaking its true col
ors masking and stultifying It's true record.
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