New-York tribune., 1891-09-17
rup nruoCY1rJC PLATFORM


There s not man of either party who ex-
pected that the Democratic platform IN thIS
State would be ANYTHING else than dodge on
the silver question. There was much russ lnau0
about the matter by so-called hard-money Dem
ocrats, who have contributed or Will contribute
70 the fund for the election of Governor camp
hell on a free-coinage platform in Ohio. But
tbev all knew that no such platform would sun
this latitude, and looked for a tricky pia'lorhi
which should give them an excuse Tor saying
that the Democracy of the Empire state Is souiu
on the money question They have exactly
what they wanted-an ingenious stfadule dn
excuse and nothing more
There are a few silver Democrats IN this
State but not one who will not rejoice at the
nlatform of the Saratoga Convention. Its IAN
guage is meant to be susceptible of several con-
s+ructions. But the platform on the SUBJECT
means nothing if it does not mean hosullty %
the existing silver law " as an arttul hlnulahce
Of return to b-metallic coinage" The spir0
of this resolution is that bi-metalllc coinage Is
the one thing needful, and Is hlndered oy
Republican law which provides that lOO cents
worth of silver shall lie behind every dollar OF
the new Treasury notes issued In the nature
IF things the men who denOunce this measure
" as bindrance of return TO bi-metalllc COIN
aeeu mean TO be understood as demanding com
age of more silver than the entire quantity
produced by American mines. Fine WoruS
about wanting honest money are merely cheat'
The pith of the business is that the convention
ioins Western and Southern Democrats In de-
nouncng anything less than unlimited coinage
as insufficient
The rest of the platform is RIDICULOUS
It. asserts that the Democracy reduced taxation
in this State. while the books in the Controllers
office and the journals of the Legislature prove
that the credit for that achievement belongs to
the Republicans. 1t charges that the hepuD-
| licans prevented an enumeration being taken
and a Constitutional Convention from being
| held. while the fact is that the Republicans
passed the bills providing for an enumeration
and a convention only to have Governor Hill
veto them. 1t arragns the Republicans for the
failure of the Prohibition amendment, an amend
ment which was passed by two different ne
publican Legislatures, and which came to grlet
last year only because the Assembly was Dem
ocratic, and being Democratic took It's orders
from the saloons. 1t declares that the Democ-
racy is party Of /" low taxes" although tha'
party by its steady opposition through ITS repre-
sentatiyes at Albany to high license and kindred
Republican measures has shut out from the pub
6c treasury millions of dollars. And, by way
Of climax, it refers to Governor Hills states
manlike" administration. Statesmanlike" "
But the Democratic platform, though long
and verbose, is not long enough to embrace
distinct approval of the well-known doctrine Of
the party, and Of it's last President, on the tariff
question. There is something remarkable, not
to say dishonest, in this omission. The Nc
Kinley Tariff IS indeed mentioned in one clause
and falsely, as measure imposing more than
war taxes But thele is nowhere in the plat
form any declaration whatever OF opinion or
purpose on the tariff question, and this is the
more remarkable because OF Mr.. Cleveland's
well-known position on that issue. Is it to be
inferred that the Democrats of New-YOrk do
not dare to defend the Mills bill, or the opposi-
ton of the party in Congress to the principles
of the Mckinley Act?
If Mr. Cleveland and his Free-Trade friends
can find any consolation in this platform they
are welcome to it. In other respects it is much
the weakest that the Democrats of this State
have adopted for many years. 1t is Hill plat
form throughout; evasive and tricky on every
real and vital issue before the people.