Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-03-01
The Situation.

When the friends OF Tree Coinage shy
that that measure will be side-tracked 10y
the current Congress they do not mean
that IL will be abandoned to its fate. or de-
serted as an unfeeling mother sometimes
deserts her child. but that its friends Will
Weld TO uncomfortable circumstances and
allow il TO lie untouched until after the
presidential election. We have no word "
censure for Mr.. BLAND the chairman OF
the Committee on Coins, Weights and
Measures because he pushes free coinage
with might and NAM" We could not
do 90 without censuring q large majority
of the Democrats in Congress and out OF
that body. This large majority lies help
less and unable to carry out the wishes OF
the people, because the Democrats OF the
New England and Middle States have not
been educated up to the demands OF
the day. A campaign Of education" on
the silver question would be just as wise
in 1892 as was the campaign OF education
on the tariff question in 1888. However.
we trust that the country may be delivered
from a campaign OF education whose VIC
tories are TO come after the Republicans
have elected President of the United
States and secured Republican Senate.
Such victories will not always satisfy the
Democratic public. Nevertheless, as we
have 80 often said before, the monometal-
lists are uncompromlsing. They will sur
render none Of their demands. They are
now holding meetings, conventions, &C.,
&C.. and electing to State conventions
delegates pledged to endeavor TO secure the
nomination for President OF the United
States of man who Is known to be deadly
hostile TO the free coinage OF silver. Nay,
not only TO the free coinage Of silver, but
to the purchase Of any silver and to the
coming of even one million of silver dol
lars per annum. Maine New Hampshire.
Vermont, Massachusetts,, Rhode Island,
PENNSYLVANIA, Ohio. and other States hope
lessly Republican-States which Will not
cast single electoral vote for the Demo-
cratic nominee for Presdent-States which
will give majorities ranging from five
thousand to fifty or sixty thousand for the
Republican nominee-are expected TO send
full delegations to Chicago charged with
the duty, first, Of preventing the Demo-
cratic States from declaring in favor of the
free coinage Of silver, and. secondly, OF
nominating for President a man who is
ready and willing 10 stand upon an anti
silver platform.
So that it will be understood at once
that the strength of silver, or rather of
free coinage. is not to be measured by IL
strength in the Democratic National Con-
vention. In fact that body will erect
platform largely dictated by States whose
delegates will know whilst thoy are dicta-
ting it that those States will never stand
upon that platform. The same delegates,
banded together, may dictate the nominee
for President, knowing at the same time
that their States will not give him even
one electoral vote.
All this does not argue the weakness of
silver, but merely that the Democratic
party is unfortunately circumstanced.
We confess, too, that we do not know Of
any remedy for this condition of things.
We are in favor of the adoption of the two
thirds rule by the Democratic National
Convention. And of course it would never
do to assume that all the States which
voted the Republican ticket in 1888 will
vote that ticket in 1892, SO that we must
.accept the situationn as it is and make
the best of it.
1t is no wonder that under the circum-
stances we have mentioned, the silver
question is to be side-tracked. IL free
coinage bill were to be passed BY the pres
ent Congress, Mr.. HARRISON would un-
doubtedly veto it. He 10 known to be
hostile to that measure, and he will GER
tainly be the next nominee of the Repub-
lican party.
But suppose the next Democratic Ma
tional Convention should nominate MIR.
CLEVELAND for President of the United
States, and the next Republican National
Convention should nominate MIR. HARRI-
SON. What then? These gentlemen are
both unalterably opposed to free coinage.
Well, that would be a singular condition
of things. And yet it is to bring about
Just that state of things that the boilers in
New York are working day and night.
The Republican National Convention
will meet before the Democratic National
Convention will meet. The Minneapolis
creed will be In the possession of every
delegate to the Chicago convention two
weeks before the latter convention Will
assemble. Shall the utterance on the sill
yer question of the Chicago convention be
q mere echo OF the utterance of the Min
neapolis convention? And is not that
now the prospect?