Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-08-14
The Campaign.

/ Almost two months have passed over our
heads since the Democratic National Con-
Vention nominated GROVER CLEVELAND for
President Of the United States. In less
than three months the election will take
place. and it will DO decided whether the
Democratic nominee or the Republican
nomineo is 10 be President.
What are the prospectsI Well, It is not
given 70 mortals TO forecast the future, but
Il does seem. judging from the condition
Of the country aud the well-known de-
signs OF the Republican party, that the
Democrats have much moro solid founda-
tion upon which TO base their hopes than
the Republicans have.
The question of tariff reform was so
handled in the Democratic national plat
form as TO mako protection one of the
leading issues of the canvass. This issue,
however. has since been somewhat simpli-
fed by Mr.. CLEyELASD's emphatic declara-
ton that the question Of the constitutions
atty Of protection need not be raised,
seeing that If protection is unjust every
good Democrat ought TO oppose it with
out reference to the power of Congress
thus 70 take money out OF one mans
pocket and put il into another mans
pocket.
The silver question seems TO be growing
more and moro unmanageable, and may
possibly give the Democrats some trouble
before the election comes OF. The silver
plank in the national Democratic platform
very properly denounces the SHERMAN law,
which authorizes the government to pur-
chase and coin over 500. 600 of silver
annually. A year ago we said that 10 pro-
vide for purchasing silver is TO reduce sill
yer 70 the condition of a mere commodity,
and this seems 10 be all that the SHERMAN
law has accomplished. Silver has fallen in
value in proportion as it has been piled up
in the Treasury. Aud this is a natural re-
suit of bad legislation. To pile up silver
Into stacks mountains high and proclaim
10 all the world that here is our silver
treasure, aud To 60 on increasing the
quantity OF silver thus belonging 10 the
government and supposed to be aiding our
monetary condition. are things which
ought not to be done. We hope for much
from the international monetary CON
TO cause disasters at home which that con-
ference cannot prevent. Would that 1t
could meet forthwith.
But tho force bill is the evil Of evils.
1ir. WESLEY pronounced slavery to be tue
sum of all yillainios. So the Democrats
may pronounce tho force bill the sum Of
all the villainies which now threaten the
perpetuity Of our free institutions. The
government established by our fathers
could not live long after it had been
changed by the force bill into n grand
consolidated despotism. The political in
Sstitutions of which we boast are not equal
ITO the task OF protecting our people from
oppression and wrong under the operation
Aof law which would reduce the States TO
the condition of mere satrapies. A
sJoHNEY Davenport in every congressional
district would himself provide the needed
Republican majority in the House Of
Representatives, and the tools of the
JOHNNY DAyEsPoRrs in every city, county,
and town would soon compel the people
60 realize that tho great American re-
public had disappeared from the face of
the earth. Yes, the force bill is the sum
OF all the Republican yillainies and warns
rs not 10 allow sleep 10 our eyes until
after the sth of November next, when we
expect to bury the Republican malgnants
out of sight once for all and to bs able TO
assure the people of the whole world that
Liberty yet has home in America.