Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1891-02-19
Straddlipg Silver.

There is a gOOQ zeal OF SeuIILuouIdI
nonsense in the claim of the democrats
that Mr.. Cleveland's letter opposing
the free coinage Of silver was cOura-
geous act. 1t was the act of a shreWd
political demagogue who knows his
party better than it knows itself. Mr..
Cleveland as well as every one who is
acquainted with the political situation
of today knows that no man who
advocates the unlimited coinage of
silver can carry New York for the
presidency in 1892. Without the
New York delegation Mr.. Cleveland
could not hope to secure the democra-
tic nomination and without New
York electoral vote neither Mr.. Cleve-
and nor any other democrat can be
elected president in 1892.
Mr.. Cleveland's letter is the best
card he has to play for the support of
his own state.
He knows that the members of his
party care very little for consistency
and much less for political principles,
He Judges the capacity of western and
southern democrats Alright when he
supposes they will still stand by him
regardless of any views he may hold
upon economic questions. He has
given them long desired opportunity
to get astride of this silver question.
Although his views upon this question
have been familiar to all ever since his
famous silver messages to congress,
yet the democrats have kept up con-
slant hurrah for him aud for free silver
at the same time. And now that he
has announced himself in favor of the
'gold bugs of the east, they publicly
announce that IF he will accept a
nomination on a free silver platform, "
and Janus-like present two faces, a
white one toward the southwest and a
yellow one toward the east, he shall
still be their idol.
The K. c. Times has already as
sumed an attitude preparatory to
mounting straddle of the fence on the
silver issue. 1t says:
If it turns out that Mr.. Cleveland
will accept a nomination on a free
silver platform, with the understand
ing that he will execute with the be-
hest of the party, the democrats will
be inclined to retain the leader who
concentrated the fight on tariff reform.
The anomalous position in which
this would place Mr.. Cleveland is not
taken into consideration by the leaders
of the democratic party. Although he
may believe that the greatest perils
would be initiated by bill providing
for the free coinage of silver, yet the
people are to be told that this great
democratic leader is willing to stupefy
his conscience and that he would be
willing to precipitate what he considers
dangerous and reckless experiment"
upon the country for the sake of being
elected president.
There is probably no doubt but the
ex-president would be willing to make
any kind of promises or assume any
number of attitudes however incOnsis-
tent in order to regain the presidency.
And when he gave his anti-silver letter
to the country on last Thursday, he
was thoroughly acquainted with the
entire absence of intellectual honesty
and political integrity among southern
and western democrats and knew their
capacity for straddling political issues.
No one will be surprised if the demo-
Gratis nominate for president in 1892 a
''gold bug'' and place him on a free
silver platform. 1t would be quite
consistent with the past record of that
party.