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Show WHO CAN WRITE THE PLATFORM? At this writing all the indications point to the nomination by acclamation of Theodore Roosevelt Roose-velt by the Republican convention. On the other hand there is a prospect of a great clash in the Democratic convention. If the Bryan faction can win, the nominee will probably be Charlie Towne, whom Hearst will support gladly rather than to see the Hill-Belmont crowd succetja. But if that crowd does succeed we think the nominee will not be Judge Parker, but Grover Cleveland. He is the man whom the great money combines want, and all the indications are that no matter how he may be beating around the bush, ho wants it. And it is useless to disguise the fact that he would be a very strong candidate. The money behind him Is already filling the land with clamors clam-ors against the President, dofng what it can to break down the faith of the people in the President; Presi-dent; trying to scare the people with the belief 'that he would, if re-elected, be & dangerous man. We say Mr. Cleveland would be a strong candidate. candi-date. We mean it only in this sense: The men who are backing him are ready to put millions enough into the campaign fund to purchase the : corruptible vote of the States needed, in addition addi-tion to the solid South, to elect him. Their great siumbling block is the prospect of the Bryan-Hearst Bryan-Hearst opposition. If necessary they would nominate a cap c" 'date "Of their own, and that ther South would tuan be solid would be" by no means certain. But something more important than the nominations nom-inations will be the platforms. The grasping of combined capital and the lawlessness of some of ' the Socialistic and labor organizations are both a menace to the country's peace. No sane man desires de-sires to hamper any legitimate use of capital, nor "to interfere with labor associations unless they o trench upon the rights of the people. There is fto right basis for either except through subjection i to just laws. That is, indeed, the only basis that society can rest in safety on. Will either Platform further this need? If Mr. Bryan were f to frame a platform for the Deraooracy it would v-be practically a reproduction of his platforms of four years ago; one for himself., one for his Populistic friends and not esseitially different in any vital point. In that case the campaffc "fe the one side would be an appeal to all the ba, &, passions of the people and coarse abuse of The, " dore Roosevelt. If the Hill-Belmont combine suc- ceeds the platform will bo an adroit attempt to give every combine of capital, Republican and Democratic alike, covert assurances- that they will not be disturbed, and the object of the fight would be to seat combined capital in its position so firmjly that it could not be disturbed by aught less than a revolution. The Republican platform will probably declare against all illegal combines whether of money or of industrial or financial power. In that event then the choice will be merely between men. We have seen enough of Mr. Cleveland to know that were he again to become President, he would favor the heavy money battalions. On the tariff he would be as erratic as ever, for what he thinks he knows on the subject he absorbed from Sen- -ator and Secretary Lamont, who was a disciple of -the absolute free-trade beliefs of John C. Calhoun. Cal-houn. The country knows, too, what might be expected from Mr. Roosevelt. The people know in advance that the money power will spend millions mil-lions to defeat him. and we do not believe that there is a labor organization in the country but -what trusts him to do the right thing, or that would presume to count on his help to do a 'wrong thing on their part. With Mr. Towne as President, all parties would appreciate the generous gen-erous impulses of the man, biit were he elected, Mr. Bryan would be in his cabinet. With Mr. Hearst elected, no one would know tist what to expect. Who is the statesman who can frame a platform plat-form which at a glance the decent men of the country would recognize as just? |
