Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1892-10-12

w. w. BARKSuAlF. PhOPhiETO6.
Better Democrats Than the Democrats.
In an editorial last week we under
took to reply 10 The assertion made
by Scott and others II the Third par
ty orators that here vas no differ
ence between the Democratic party
and the Republican party on the cur
rency question. We said then and
we say now that we are perfectly
willing to leave il to any fair-mind-
ed Alliance man to say whether the
Democratic platform this year is not
great deal better than either the
Republican or Peoples party plat
forms in the way of offering salts
factory solution-of the money prob
lem. That we need more money is
self-evident. The ablespeech of Sen
atOr Harris, delivered at Fayetteville
last week, not only demonstrated
this, but showed conclusively that
the only way, certainly the only
practicable way, OF increasing the
currency was by following the meth
cd pointed out by the Democratic
platform.
So far as the sub. treasury idea is
concerned, it has been practically
abandoned. Scott did not mention
1t in his speech here, Weaver did no
more than allude to it at Hopkins
willie and elsewhere, and very few
now even among the Alliance men
insist thata currency can be issued
based on crops or land that will be
worth anything after it is issued. All
Third party men now want free sill
yer. They cry out daily for free sill
yer. They stand on platform on
which the Democrats of the country
have stood for more than fifty years,
and on which very large majority
of the Democrats of the country stand
to-day. They agree with Harris and
Bate and Washington, and all the
other Democratic Congressman from
Tennessee, with one possible excep-
ton, and yet when it comes to voting,
instead of voting with Harris and
Bate they run off and affiliate with a
new party and men whom our South
ern people have never heard of be-
fore. They agree with us that the
tariff should be reduced, and yet they
will not affiliate with us when ii
comes TO the work of reducing the
tariff They oppose the force bill,
which came so near passing last Con-
gress, and yet they will not affiliate
with the only party that can sue.
cessfully fight the force bill. They
are with us nearly all along the line,
and yet they will not act with us at
all. They insist they can remedy all
these evils better by themselves than
they can if they unite and CO operate
with us. They claim to be better
Democrats than the Democrats.
Here certainly is a most singular
state of affairs. We have a serious
division in Tennt ssce, one which
threatens to turn the State over to
the Republicans, and yet there does
not seem to be any difference OF opin-
ion among us on any important ques-
ton. We are all of one mind, only
we will not act together. Hereto
fore when there has been division
some important principle has been
involved, but here no principle at all
seems to divide us. We are likely TO
continue the present state of affairs,
scarce money, high taxes, centraliza-
ton of power at Washington; this
condition of affairs is likely to be con-
tinued among us simply because
those who oppose them can not unite |
when there is nothing to keep them
from uniting. If we lose Tennessee |
this year Harrison is reelected. Ifl
we lose Tennessee this year it will
be because our people are divided. |
II we do divide and lose the State no.
body will be able to tell hereafter
what we quarrelled and fell out
about. This state of things is sur.
prising aid yet it is true. This is
not time to let little neighbor-
hood wrangles and jealousies
control our conduct. Certainly
in a juncture 20 grave as
this we should all act from principle. I
1t is yet nearly four weeks to the
election. There is time to think,
time to confer with one another.
Every man on the 9Th of November
should be able to give a reason for
the faith that Is in him. Much de-
ponds on our course this year, much
for the present generation, much COR
the generation that is to come after
us. 1t is a grave thing to be voter
in free country. If our people will
hear all sides, think calmly and act
from judgment and not from inn
pulse, when the time comes to vote
there will be no fear of the result.
Democracy will win, will win i'm the