Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-05-05
what shan the Platform b?

Several Democratic United States sena-
tors have since Congress adjourned stated
that they voted last winter with the silver
senators of the Republican party on the
free-coinage question in order to secure
the defeat of the force bill, and not be-
cause they were themselves advocates OF
this measure. For twenty-five years the
people of the southern States have been
compelled thus to make all legislation Sc
condary TO their duty TO protect them
selves from the hostility of the Republican
party. They have felt all this time that
they really had no choice in the matter.
We make these general Statements by
way Of reply 10 an interrogatory addressed
to us in its last issue by the Charlottes-
vile Chronicle. That paper says that the
DISPATCH lis power ingVirginis politics,
and the people have a right TO know Its
opinion on all matters of public,interest;"
and then asks, docs the DISPATCH favor
free, unlimited and independent silver
coinage plank in the next Democratic
National platform 2" This question it puts
to us because we recently said that it is
the Democratic party which will have its
platform such as the South and the West
demand. In view of what we said In the
opening of this article, We might
reply to our Charlottesville contem-
porary that we are bound hand
and foot by the northern enemies OF
the South and therefore not free to advo-
cate every measure which commends itself
to our approval or TO oppose every mea-
sure which seems to US to be open TO OBJ
lection. But there is vast difference be-
tween having policy as southern men and
advocating measures which are objection
able to our friends in the North. The next
Democratic National Convention might
decline to put O free-coinage plank in It's
platform and yet also decline 10 nominate
a candidate for President of the United
States known TO be opposed to this mea-
sure. Or il might reverse that policy and
nominate a silverite and yet refuse to put
free-coinage plank in its platform. COM
promise is possibility of the future. So
there might be disposition in that con-
vention to concede good deal to the
Democrats of what the Chronicle styles the
"sure Democratic States" of New Jersey,
Connecticut. and Delaware and the
"probable Democratic States" of New
York, Rhode Island and Massachusetts,
and vet no disposition to 60 TO the opposite
extreme and declare for monometallism.
We firmly adhere to the opinion that the
bimetallsts have nothing to hope for from
the Republican party. 1t is. as 1t has long
been, the party Of the monometalllsts, and
a. a., foal
free to declare that il is to the Democratic
party that the friends of silver must look,
II dnpohere, for declaration in its national
platform in favor of putting gold and silver
upon an equality at all the mints of the
country. And here we take occasion to
repeat, what we have again and again said
heretofore, that we advocate the free coin
age Of silver as promising better results to
the country than any Of the wild schemes
20 make fat money in abundance and not
because we have no doubts on the subject.
But we have not doubt as to the truth of
our contention that there is no middle
ground between the free-coinage of silver
and the disuse of that metal as money.
Whoever opposes free coinage mightas well
advocate the gold standard "pure and
simple; for this is what any sort of re-
striction upon the coinage of silver means,
In conclusion. we will say that the next
Democratic National Convention is too far
of for us to forecast the kind of platform
which ii will lay down or ought to lay
down. We must be governed by events
yet in the future. If we could follow the
example of the Democratic United States
senators mentioned in the first paragraph
of this article and meet with the success
with which they met, we would be willing
TO come out "strong for free coinage"
We would rejoice TO have an opportunity
TO defeat the Republican party by dividing
il on this question. But we are not wise
enough to foretell what will be the condi-
ton of things in this country in June or
Julv 1892