The independent., 1904-01-28
A DEMOCRATIC BOLT COMING
Prominent Democratic Politicians De.
clare That 1t is Certain Whichsvsr Fac
tion Controls tho National Demo-
cratic COuyentfOn


New York, Jan. 19, 1904 Editorial
Correspondence. )-Charles A. Towne
is the president Of an investment
company with offices at 63 Wall street.
He lives at the Gallatin hotel. 70
West 10th street. and is up to his eyes
in politics. There are lot of hotels
in the neighborhood of Madison
Square, from 23d street north, at
which different cliques of politicians
hold a sort of perpetual headquarters
ToWne's headquarters are at the Vic
toria and the democrats of the Bryan
and Hearst kind assemble there. At
the Fifth Avenue hotel, Tom Platt and
his gang of republicans held their
'round-ups." The Cleveland demo-
Gratis favor the Holland. Just now
politics is exciting in New York. Both
OF the old parties are divided and
fight each other with the venom of
devils. There are Roosevelt republi-
cans and Hanna republicans and Bry-
an democrats, Hearst democrats and
Cleveland democrats. All that any of
them are after are the Offices and spe-
cial privileges that the government
can grant. Every move is made from
tnat standpoint. The Hearst men ad-
vocate the government ownership of
municipal utilities anG even OF rail-
roads from the standpoint of getting
votes. The Cleveland men advocate
the gold standard from the standpoint
Of getting the aid of the banks and
great corporations, hoping with a big
campaign fund to be able to buy Ind
lana and Illinois, carry New York.
Connecticut and the solid south and
get the offices in that way. The Bry-
an democrats. and in this land of the
enemy there are quite few of them,
are the only ones who seem to regard
principles, and who sometimes say
that they would rather lose and be
right than win and be wrong.
AS far as the common welfare is
concerned-the interests of the mil
lions-but few think that they are
worth considering. All day yesterday
the editor of The Independent spent
among these New York politicians
In personal appearance they all seem
to resemble each other. They are a
slick, fat. we'll dressed lot They all
smoke cigars and patronize the hotel
bar freely, though not an Intoxicated
man was seen ;.mong them. But few
men Of prominence in the different
cliques were among them. The real
managers are not often found around
the hotels. They are in the bank
parlors. the great railroad headquar-
ters and directors rooms of the big
trusts. Every band of these polite
ians were operating under orders is
sued higher up They are automatons
and when the trust magnate or rail-
road president pulls the string they
hop about.
Many things were picked up among
these men. but the really important
facts In this article were gathered
from other sources. According To the
tpEoriuant close alliance has been
formed between Bryan. Hearst, Towue
and few others 10 get control OF the
democratic national convention IL la
said that Bryan has no love for Hearst
because Hearst utterly renudlatea the
money question aud derldes hlmetal.
llam. and Hearst would annlhIlate
bryan II be could and set him clear
ont of the way. Hut the present con-
dltIuns force them 10 work together 10
beat the Cleveland wing, and II they
accomplish that then they will fight