Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1891-04-03
FRIDAY MORNING. APRIL 3. 1891.
THE MISTAKE OF LEADERS.

Senator VOORHEES, of Indiana agrees with
Senator Harris Of Tennessne that free
coinage of silver will be an issue embodied
in the National Democratic platform Of
'92. We cannot conceive of a greater folly
than a party which has one issue on
which it has just carried the country for
congressman by an unprecedented majority
and on which it's members are solidly uni
ted. taking up for the following Presi-
Dental campaign another issue on which
it's members are divided and on which, as
an issue, it has SO far carried no section of
the country, not even the silver producing
States of the West. The suggestion of
Messrs. VOORHEES, and Harriss in plain
words is that the Democratic dog trot-
ting along with q large and successful slice
of Tariff Reform in his mouth shall stop at
the Presidential bridge, and seeing free
silver coinage shadow in the water mistake
it for a larger piece of Tariff Reform and
drop what he has already secured, to
get it.
But, it will be answered, by these leaders,
indeed they have already said SO, that the
Farmers Alliance, that IS yet unknown
quantity in politics, will not support can
didate on a platform that does not contain
free silver. How is that to he established?
The Farmers Alliance members are as
much divided on free silver as the Demo
crats-in fact we might say equally as
much divided, for especially at the South
bo hull nf tho A 1IionPa
Democrats. Further, the Alliance men
have many objects in view, several Of them
equally as important to the farmer as free
silver. They are not as dull in political
matters as some of their critics would have
us believe. They fully understand that as
far as the increase of currency is concerned,
the hundreds Of millions Of dollars
gathered into the L. S. Treasury
by Il high tariff tax and gathered into the
Golfers Of high protected manufacturers
as has been done-if left in the pockets of
the peope-as it wonld lie left by Tariff
Reform, is as large an addition to the cur
rency of the country as free coinage would
give. They also know that their hope of
success for the reform of many, if not most.
of their grievances lies along the path
troddenby the Democratic party. They have
at present-at least for th5s Presidential
election-no other opening out OF the woods
blazed for them. The Republican party
offers them nothing. If they abandon the
Democratic party, the candidates of which
have carried the country on Tariff
L IL
publican President and congress in %:
they will have done the very worst
thing for the principles they represent thai
they could have done, and have put back
their adoption 10y the Nation many years
If they for II Il third party and put a candi
date forward in 1892 they do one of three
things-throw the election into the House
of Representatives which with an over
whelming majority of the States represent
ed by Democrats would elect a Democratic
President and Vice President; OF, elect
Republican President by the people, OF elec
Democratic President by the people
What the Alliance may do later on in TIN
political history of the country, if 1t pre-
serves and increases its organic alton ma,
be different story, but for the present
the result in 92-the above will be fount
to lie very correct calculation of What i
can effect.
Where then would be the profit to tn
Democratic party Of adding to its issu
of Tariff Reform that of free coinage? l
would pose before the void as apolitica
party that having its adversary down, ha(
with some idiotic notion Of chivalry, lie
HIM up i'll order that he might have oat
more fighting chance.