Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-06-05
~, rox,,,~,.,c p,arform on silver


Tho Democratic Platform on Silver
The States have nearly oil through tnei!
several Democratic conventions adopted
resolutions expressing their views on tne
silver problem. Two weeks from Tues
dav will assemble the grand Democratic
national concIave which is to pass upon
these several resolutions. and out OF tho
material thus furnished to them erect y
platform for the whole national Demo-
cratic party - stand upon. 1t Will be no
easy matter to construct PLATFORM nc
ceptable TO both the bimetallists ana the
monometallists. The monometallists treat
with scant courtesy the bimetallists'
looking upon them as badly INFORM
ed on the subject of the proper
attitude OF the government toward
the precious metals. But the bimetaiis's
are not slow TO retaliate that the mono
metallists are old fogies-behind the
times blind leaders of the blind, etc. 90
the bonors are easy so far as concerns the
respective advocates of free coinage ana
cold monometallism. These last CONTEND
bv tho wav. that to provide for the free
coinage of silver would be to provide ior
silver monometallism, seeing that the re-
sult of that measure. would be to drive all
the gold out of the United States and leave
this country "the bag to hold" mat Is
10 say. there cannot be Two standards OF
value. and # not, then all the efforts OF
Mr.. BLAND and his followers are really
efforts TO let this country down to silver
basis for her currency.
What will be the silver plank in the ma
tional Democratic platform? The Mime
sofa plank has been spoken of as one con-
tanning features which might commend 1t
TO both sides. The Washington Post says
that lit foreshadows practicability
which is theoi otically sound even If not
capable of immediate realization" Here
ia the kernel of the Minnesota silver
plank:
1--WE hold, in accordance with the traditional
policy of our party, to the use OF both gold and
silver, and that the sole coinage function oil the
government IL 10 examine the relative values Of
the metals OF coinage as established ythe world
and II there has been sufficient nuctuation III
the value Of either to make the existing ratios
unequal, then TO rcadjust the ratios 30 that the
number OF grains OF either metal in the unit OF
coinage the dollar. shall DO equiyalentin value
and then TO permit the free, Unrestricted coin
age Of both metals"
Neither monometallis's nor bimetallist;
will accept that PLANK. 1T is neither fish
fowl. nor good red herring" it demands
that the government shall do what would
ct once convert all the silver in this coun-
try. if not all in the world, to the condi.
ton of mere commodity. How often
pray. would these Minnesota monometal
lists have the government to exercise II
coinage function" and declare how
much gold must be in a gold dollar &c
make it equal TO a silver dollar, or how
much silver must be in silver dollar tC
make it equal to gold dollar? Instead OF
having but one kind of silver dollars
namely. those passing everywhere at pal
with gold-we should have several or per
haps a dozen different varieties, not one Of
them passing at par with gold, but all Of
them coins containing so many grains Of
silver TO pass from hand 10 hand only as {
commodity. Think of it. Who would accept
q silver dollar containing only 4l2Is graln'
to-day in the face of the probability OF
even possibility that the government
would tomorrow Exercise its coinage
function and declare that silver dollar
must contain 40 or 440 grains?
SO we think it may be safely set dowr
as a certainty that the Minnesota silvel
plank will not be worked up" and used
in the Democratic national platform. Blu
for one fact the monometallists would nc
doubt be willing TO give the bimetallist:
any sort of silver plank they desire e
stand upon if the latter would only give
| to the former monometallist candidate
who would veto real. genuine, valuable
silver bill if presented to him for hi
judgment and action upon 1t. But tina
one fact is stubborn thing" 1t refuses
| to get ont Of the way. 1t persists in OBJ
s.ructing the road. II is the fact that i
would never do to nominate monometal
| list upon a free-coinage platform. The
world would laugh to scorn such trlhinl
with great financial problem.
But what will be the silver utterance o
| the Chicago convention! Possibly tina
body will let expressive silence" muse
the praise of monometallism. Possibly i
| may learn in the next two weeks that thu
| people stand behind even Democratic
national convention. At any rate. VI
shall not attempt this morning to formu
late the silver resolution which we expect
the Chicago convention to adopt.