The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1891-02-19
Cleveland's LIE. GER and it's Effect.

dressed by exp Dent Cleveland to
meeting of the form Club of New |
York, called to pr EST against the pas
sage of the free mage of silver bill. |
1t is bold, strai, forward paper, and
does credit to boz re head and heart
Of Cleveland. W /. it may go further
than many friends- a sound financial
system will approx /. is frank, candid,
and honest expression of sincerely en-
tertained opinions.
Apart from its bold feallessness. there
is, to our mind, very adroit politics in it.
If we mistake not, notwithstanding the
voluminous protests which have come
from men of his own party against the
sentiments advanced, it will compel
his nomination by the Democratic IA
tional convention. Indeed, if the De
mocracy cannot succeed with Cleveland
ON the lines he has laid down, it cannot
succeed at all. Reading between the
lines, it is apparent that he assumes
the South will be solid for the Demo
cratic nominee, whoever he may be.
With this assumed, Mr. Cleveland
perceived that there would be no hope
of carrying a single doubtful State in
the East on the free coinage of silver
platform. To make it possible to sue
coed in New York, New Jersey, Connec
ticut and other Eastern States where
there may be a fighting chance, it was
essential that the cheap money theory
of the Pacific States would have to be
repudiated by him. His letter effectu-
ally does this, and as much as says: You
will have to take me with my opinions
or submit to certain defeat in the con-
test of 1892. He knows his party well.
He knows that it has hedged and strad-
died every important question that has
come before the people. He is aware
that any policy and any sentiment that
would promise success would be
adopted by the party, if it would open
the way to the spoils of office. Mr..
Cleveland has sagacity enough to
weigh the utterances of Democratic pol
iticians, and to attach to them the i'm
portance to which they are entitled and
no more. The free silver sentiment, he
is aware, that is sweeping over the coun-
try is subject to great modification.
When fully discussed before the people,
it may lose much of the seductive influ-
ence that has drawn to it politicians who
are shaping their course to catch the
popular breeze; and that by the time
n%c
who are nominally hostile to him now,
will have grounded the weapons of their
rebellion and begged for pardon. Mr..
Cleveland will, if he lives, be the Demo
cratic nominee for the Presidency in
1892, despite the clamor about his h' s
tility to free coinage of silver, as ildi
Gated in his recent letter.
What we expect, from the views ex-
pressed by Mr.. Cleveland, is that. it will
force into the field third party. We
bel eve the Farmers Alliance, which has
declared for free silver, and announced
other views in relation to the financial
policy of the government that neither
of the old parties will dare to endorse,
will be compelled by the pressure of sen
timent within that organization to nom
mate a candidate for President, repre-
senting distinctly its platform of princi-
Piles. 1t can get them before the coun-
try in no other way. With a triangular
contest between Republicans. Democrats
and the Alliance, the probability is that
the candidate of neither would be elect
ed by the people. The election would
be thrown into the House, and with
that body constituted az the Send Con
gress will be, it would secure the election
of the Democratic candidate. That is
the way it looks. to us now. What the
next eighteen months may bring forth
no one can tell. Politics are in a rather
chaotic condition just now. The ALI
ance has turned things topsy turvy in a
number of former Republican and Dem
ocratic States, and with it free silver is a
paramount issue. If neither of the old
parties endorse it, the program we have
outlined will be more than probability
in 1892.
We do not believe Mr.. Cleveland will
lose any strength because of his letter
A spasmodic howl from the faithful fol
lowed it's publication, but the fickleness
of Democratic politicians is one of the
proverbial things of our political his
tory. Mr. Cleveland is fully acquainted
with them, and has taken the pains to
lay the lash on their backs, just as a
father would upon his hayward and
rebellious children. He as much as tells
the silver Democrats in Congress that
they do not know what they are doing,
and that they must improve their ways
and follow in the path he has laid out for
them or suffer ignominious defeat in
the hunt after spoils in 1892.
That is about the situation. and it is
serious and embarrassing one for the
Democracy to consider.
Fannie M. Stephenson has been APP
pointed postmaster at Wilsonville, High
land county, Va.
Admiral Porter, of the United States
Navy, died in Washington on the 18th
of fatty degeneration of the heart.
VIM. Lakewood, asuspicious character
about Roanoke, has been indicted for
the murder of T. g. Massie several
months ago, who was a prominent citi-
zen of Roanoke
The Supreme Court of Appeals of Yir-
ginfa has re fused new trial to Muscoe,
convicted the second time OF killir Po-
iceman Seal of Charlottesville. He will
be hung.
A fire in the New York postoffice last
Saturday from an electric wire caused
great disorder with the mails. The
Southern mail was delayed "a hours,
and much of it damaged.
Oil, of excellent quality, has been dis
covered at Stanardsville, Va. Experts
have been sent for to fully examine and
report on the find. Considerable excite
ment prevails over the discovery.
Two physicians of Havana are success
fully inoculating new arrivals in. Cuba
against yellow fever, through mosquitoes
that have contaminated themselves by
singing yellow fever patients. Fifty
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