The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1893-08-02
A Suggestive Parallel.

The supporters of free silver in Colo
RADIO recently held a convention in
Denver. The address of the convention
to the country was virtually confession
of the bankruptcy of Colorado's bust
ness and financial interests and a procla-
nation of war and reputation if the
existing partnership between the gov
eminent and the mine-owners were
dissolved. Governor Waite also made
his individual declaration of war against
the East in general and the gold bugs
in particular. Those who assumed to
speak for Colorado had sown to the
wind, and the whirlwind crop sprang
up and ripened with rapidity that
rivaled the growth of Jonah's gourd.
The people, even Colorado's own peo-
pie, took the convention at its word,
and financial tornado instantly sprang
up and devastated the state.
Somewhat more than year ago,
political party in its national conven-
ton denounced protection to American
industry as "a fraud on the labor of the
great majority of the American people
for the benefit of the few; declared it
to be "a fundamental principle of the
democratic party that the federal gov
eminent has no constitutional power TO
impose and collect tariff duties except
for purposes of revenue only; it further
denounced "the Mckinley tariff law as
the eliminating atrocity of class legisla-
tion," and promised "its repeal as one
of the benefcent results that will follow
the action of the people in intrusting
power to the democratic party" That
party also declared for "the coinage of
both gold and silver without discrim-
mating against either metal or charge
for mintage," and the speeches and
votes of the senators and representa-
tives of the party in congress in favor
of the free coinage OF silver showed
what Interpretation they placed upon
the party's financial declarations.
Well, majority of the states of the
Union were beguiled into "intrusting
power to the democratic party" and
behold the "benefcent results " that
have followed this "action of the peo-
ple"! The address of the democratic
convention at Chicago was more incen-
diary than that of the Colorado silver
convocation. Its declarations in all
their surroundings wore serious aspect.
They were invested with a dangerous
degree of reality and fixedness of pur.
pose by the record of the party in con-
gress and the well-k known views of the
leaders among the democratic states
men. The cyclone that smote Color
ado, and the tornado that is devastating
the nation, spring from the same pes
tiferous beds. Her people and the
lesser world took the Colorado conven-
ton at its word, and the storm came.
The people of this nation and the
greater world have taken the democratic
party at its word, and the storm has
come. Europe denies its confidence to
government administered by party
having financial and political record
so rotten as that of the party now in
power; at home both finance and in
dustry, from acquaintance too intimate
and long continued, utterly distrust the
existing government and are regulating
their courses accordingly. What in a
relatively small way has happened in
Colorado, over larger area and in
volving larger interests and producing
continental ruin and disturbance, has
happened in the nation at large. Like
effect has like cause.