Show IWHATWILLBf I THE WAR CRY f Opinions By Members of Democratic Dem-ocratic Committee t FREE SILVER DIUST BE THE MAIN ISSUE ij i + j But All Favor Giving Trusts a i Prominent Place I Imperialism and Republican Extravagance Extrav-agance Will Also Be Opposed Indications j In-dications That TAere Will Be a Vigorous and Sensational Fight In the Next Democratic National ConventionSome Members Refuse Re-fuse to Express An Opinion Exress A Opia t Chicago June 12The TimesHerald I has been asking members of the Democratic Demo-cratic national committee what should be the partys battle cry In 1900 whether Free coinage of silver or Down with the trusts or both The answers of those that have been received re-ceived are published in the TunesHer aId today 1 While only one of the replies of these Democratic leaders the representative for Maine the home state of Mr Bryans running mate in 1896 says drop free silver they are all but unanimous in giving the trust question a prominence it never has had in the platform of their own or any other party With one exception all speak freely that some other issue divide the stage with free silver Some say Imperialism or Militarism Militar-ism will be one of the prominent issues is-sues One says frankly emphasize the trust question as the big thing Still others speak for a twin battle cry Just one committeeman says flatly The issues of 1S9S should be the issues is-sues of 1900 This one exception Is Alexander Troup of Connecticut Half a dozen of the committeemen are either noncommittal or refuse to be quoted They are George Fred Williams of Massachusetts D J Champau Michigan Mich-igan B B Smalley Vermont Frank < Campbell New York T D OBrien J Minnesota J G Dudley Texas A statement from Thomas Gahan national committeeman for Illinois cannot be obtained because he Is not in the city and cannot be reached by telegraph tel-egraph His attltudeis however pretty pret-ty well known The committeemen who say free sit vermust havefirst place in the platform plat-form although generously combined with the questions of trusts militarism militar-ism and so on are in Colorado Kansas Kan-sas Nebraska Arkansas and Indian territory which latter does not vote for president All the others either put the trust question foremost or lay much stress upon the questions presented by the Spanish war Views of Committeemen r Some of the statements of the corn tteemen received by the TimesHer aid are in part as follows Thomas M < Rae Arkansas In my opinion the national Democratic convention con-vention should reaffirm the Chicago platform and in addition denounce trusts Imperialism and extravagance The necessity for the free coinage of silver is greater now than it was In iSis because as we have more taxes and a larger national debt to pay we need more redemption money with which to make payments J J Dwyer California No man can tell where we will be in 1900 Predictions Predic-tions must therefore be based on ifs If the Philippine war is still inactive in-active progress in 1900 or if the president presi-dent and his prctorian guard are then actively engaged in carrying out their conspiracy to steal Cuba and especially espec-ially if both these foreign questions remain re-main unsolved there will be but one issue and that will be imperialism In that event the Democratic party will in my opinion declare against imperialism imper-ialism and will win easily Its platr form will be the constitution the Declaration Dec-laration of Independence and the ten commandments Domestic questions will be sidetracked In the absence of foreign Issues the battle will be on the same lines as in iSiS I do not thlnl the antitrust Issue will be allowed to obscure the silver issue It will be a fight of Democracy against plutocracy with the financial question In the forefront fore-front Will Be Money Question Adair Wilson ColoradoImr my opinion there is no doubt that In the next presidential campaign the money question will be the leading Issue as it was in the last and that bimetallism the restoration of silver coinage at a ratio of 16 to iwiil be the battle cry Of the Democracy The Democratic party has alyays opposed trusts and possibly in view of recent events hi Its platform of 1900 public attention maybe may-be more forcibly called to this question ques-tion but in no such sense as to supplant sup-plant the financial issue The former is In fact embraced In the latter Is only the natural outgrowth of tha Present financial policy of the government If you wish to destroy an evil you must strike at its source Hence to crush the trusts restore bimetallism The paramount issue ire the campaign oC 1900 will be the sam as it was la 1SJ > 6 Alexander Troup Connecticut Personally I favor the Chicago platform plat-form of 1896 as the paramount issue in the campaign of 1900 The vote for Bryan In Connecticut and New England Eng-land in my opinion will be largely increased in-creased in 1900 and the issue Instead of being between international bimetallism bimetal-lism and independent bimetallism will be between the single goldstandard as advocated by the Republicans and the Chicago platform It will be a fight to the finish finishClark Clark Howells Views Clark Howell Jr Georgia Until anew a-new platform is made we should standby stand-by the old platform except of course in such questions as might arise out oC conditions which are new and which were not under consideration at the time of the meeting of the last national convention And even on such questions ques-tions I doubt the propriety of the national na-tional committee taking a declaratory position In advance of the party conventions con-ventions In the several states The two questions are now Imperialism and the constructions of trusts and combines As to the latter question the general attitude of the party is already defined de-fined In the national platform and there Is little doubt that It will follow the position already taken in Its last national declaration by a more pointed and more emphatic utterance on the C subject in the next national convention conven-tion To my mind this is simply a i eollattT2f issue to the n elLknown demand de-mand 5f the party tot currency reform ana we continue to Be as active in this line in the future as Ave have bem in the past As to the question of imperialism expansion or by whatever other name i may be called I am Inclined In-clined to think It would be very unwise un-wise for the party to cimmit itself now to any declaration proclaiming the changing conditions which as adjustment adjust-ment proceeds will give the people of the whole country better data from which to reach satisfactory conclusions a to the national duty We are committed com-mitted to the policy of establishing a free government In Cuba This we should make our honest effort to do With respect to Porto Rico I see no reason why i should not be annexed a a pa of the United States and governed gov-erned for the present a a territory with a view of establishing ultimate statehood With reference to the Philippines ippines I should say as a general proposition that it is our duty to ourselves our-selves but the world and civilization frt to establish a sound and stable government there befora we consider the question of retreating and leaving the people and property of these islands to the barbarous rrit n y of the Philippine insurgents We hlld i give the Filipinos pinos independei i n due course of limp but it wou d be both inhuman and brutal on the part of our government I govern-ment to pull peremptorily out as things now stand and such a course would subject out country to the contempt of I Jts own people and the ridicule of the I world I seems to me that the course of the party is clear as regards the seton se-ton of its presidential candidate for next year and that the rank and file of the party have already designated for renomination the brilliant leader of 1S36 W J Bryan r we make no mistakes mis-takes now and hold ourselves in a position sition where we can take prompt advantage ad-vantage of the many errors of the party now in power I see no reason why a brilliant campaign next year should not In 1300Should be followed by Democratic victory Should Go Hand in Hand C A Walsh owaln the campaign of 1900 as in the campaigns of 189 and 1 < 96 the issues of free silver and down with the trusts should go hand in hand The Chicago platform of UG should be reaffirmed in all its parts in 130ft Its pronouncements against trusts should be made strong ana explicit and a remedy rem-edy for their prevention offered William Johnson Kansas Nothing has occurred since 1896 to shake the faith of Democrats in the principles announced an-nounced in the Chicago platform The financial question is still the dominant issue and all other economic questions are but collateral to it The trust q eton has since ISM become an issue of the first magnitude The Democratic states of Missouri Arkansas and Texas have adopted laws against such combinations com-binations The Democratic convention of 1 > 00 will emphatically deal with the question The Democratic platform of 1900 will also deal emphatically against the McKinley programme of alliance colonization Imperialism ani British alance ITrey Woodson Kentucky The Democratic Dem-ocratic gatherings at St Louis and Louisville the last two weeks ought to clearly show the gold standard press that its yredictlons that the Democrats Demo-crats are preparing to drop the silver sane are altogether erroneous for su atogeter eroneus every speech made and oven resolution spech reoluton adopted was in favor of maintaining the same firm stand for free coinage in I9t0 us wa taken in 1S96 A ea hence Bryan will be renominated upon the Chicago platform unaltered save by such additions with reference to the trusts imperialism and other new issues is-sues a may be necessary Dr Seth C Gordon Maine Mr Bryan will be our candidate and the S platform will not insist on the 16 to 1 doctrine but will be a repetition of the bimetallic plank of 1SS2 This ought t suit the extreme silver men and will do te exreme much toward overcoming g the prejudices o many of the eastern men who were opposed to the Chicago platform The national convention should take a strong stand against trusts I believe the next national convention of the Democratic party should and will pronounce pro-nounce emphatically in favor of silver and against trusts The battle cry of Democracy will be free silver and down with the trusts Silver Placed First W H Thompson Nebraska The liattlf cry of the Democracy in 1900 should be the financial question as by i declared in 1S9C and antitrusts anti militarism antiAngloAmerican alliance alli-ance These issues should have precedence pre-cedence I the discussions in the order tamed True T Norris NeAv Hampshire The watchword of the Democratic party in the next campaign should be cown with the trusts For the bras nt all ther issues should be subordinate subordin-ate z o this one which is of paramount Ijnportance to the prosperity nay to the life and freedom of this natior I m not In favor of repudiating the Chi ago platform of the last campaign out i do not believe that the silver luesion should b or deserves to b placed in the forefront of subjects at issu Th Democratic party should not debase itself in favor of expansion Frank Campbell New Yorl1t would be impossible for me at this time tme to answer definitely for the reason that the conditions in this country are so changeable and we have been making ing history so rapidly since the Span ishAmerican war having added new territory and increasing cur responsibility responsi-bility I would be hardly safe at this time to predict what will be the most iO jiromineat feature of the latTorm of f Joseph Daniels North Carolina The ampaign the Demo will t wae in 1900 will be down with trusts The Chicago platform will be ref c lirmed Bryan will b renominated and melt ppoted to trusts and nilitaribm will I i ilt id to om 5u a struggle for equal opportunitj which trusts deny Down With the Trusts Richard B Comstock Rhode Island The financial question is fctill very jspiruous and is very likely to re main ho with Mr Bryan as a possible nominee in 1900 One of the results of the fortigr war was the imperialistic pMicy and this may become a at if i pot the leading factor In the national election of next sear Down with the trst may also b a leading issue in 1900B B R TtlmMi South CarolinaI shall aivocate the Chicago platform without taking out a single word and r gould add to i srI ur plarlfs against trusts and irnporfalitia James M Head i Tenn speJn my judgment the national LeuhTatic convention F con-vention In MO should reaffirm every < principle lair down h l y the Chca o convention in 1S03 without vention any trimming j or equivocation and if possible in more direct and uneQUiXocal language The i Democratic platform also should denounce r nounce in unmeasured terms the acquisition ac-quisition of territory by force of arms 5 Peter J Otey VirginiaI thinks think-s that the reafflnnatlon of the Chicago platform Is a certainty and hence the silver question can lie no less prominent in the future than in the campaign of < 1S9C though the fight against the trusts if and militarism will be equally a pro mltism jiounced William H White Washington In i 1900 the platform of 1SS6 will be reaffirmed reaf-firmed I Its entirely Free silver will t not be abandoned but the fight will be i against the money trusts and industrial trusts as well If the Democratic party opposes the Detention of Porto Rico and the Philiprlnes under control of the I > United at the polls States the party will be defeated |