Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-08-13
no Parry m It-Platforrns.

IL as we have contended. there ought TO
be no party question as between the ne
pu blicans and the Democrats raised IN
the debate now progressing on the SILVER
question in the House of Representatives
because, in the language OF hr. CLk'H-
LAND, this is o question which rises above
party politics." then for stronger reasons
IL ought not 10 DO made question as De-
tween the two factions of the Democratic
party--we mean, of course, the siiyerites
and tho goldites, or the monometaiiists
and the bimetallists. How can the Demo
cratic State Convention which IL to meet
here next Thursday formulate resolution
on the silver question which will coInmand
the support of the entire party IN VIZ
cinia2 Will il be wise for that convention
to attempt TO reaffirm the Chicago piat-
form? Would that attempt succeedF is
not the debate now going on In the House
of Representatives proof positive that 'ne
Democratic party has no creed on the suo-
ject of silver ? To undertake to repeat
the Delphic utterances OF the Chlcago
convention on the silver question would
be 20 make ourselves the laughIng-stock
of our friends as we'll IA our enemies In
Congress. Here is the silver plank OF the
Chicago platform;
ave depouncs the Republican legislation
known as tho sherman act Of 1890 as cowari-
ly makeshift fraught With possibilities OF danger
IN tbs future, which shonld MAKE all OF its sup
porters as well as its authors anxious for its re-
peal We hold TO tho use Of both gold and sill
yer as the standard money OF the country, and
10 the coinage OF both & Ii and silver without
discriminating against either motal or
charge for mlntagc, but the dollar unit OF
coinage OF 10th metals must DO OF intrinsic
and interchangeable yalue, or DO adjusted
through international agreement or by such
safeguards OF legislation as shall insare the
maintenance OF the parity Of the two metals
and tho equal value Of every dollar NJ oil times
in tho markets aud In tho payment OF debts,
aud We demand that ell paper currency shall DO
kept at par with and redoemable in such coin.
We insist upon this policy as especially neces-
sary for the protection Of the farmer and labor
ing classes, the nrst and most defenseless VIC
TINS OF unstable money and a iuctuating cur
rency."
The first sentence is clear enough. But
what mean the words, We hold 10 the
use Of both gold and silver os the stand
ard money of the co,niy!" Whv not OF
the world? What mean the words en-
ployeG to express the Democratic party's
position on the ree-colnage question: Are
we really In favor Of the coinage of both
metals without charge for mintaGe1 Do
We really ask that the silver dollar shall
contain silver enough TO make the bullion
In it worth as much as the gold bullion in
a gold dollar? Or Is the reverse our posi-
ton?
Again The Democratic party in Con-
gress is making history. If we lose sight
of that fact we shall be left" If we fail
TO see that any State platform which we
might adopt might be rendered worthless
by the action of the Democrats in Con-
gress we shall probably have our eyes
opened by the Populists or the Peoples
party. Whatever a State platform con-
talns which is not contained in the ma
tional platform Is useless lumber, or, at
anv rate. likely TO become so at Crisis
such as the present. 1t is true that State
platforms are serviceable in formu-
latlng State Issues. Tho platform
put up last week by the Democratic State
Convention of Ohio contained some local
planks which will no doubt help the Demo-
cratic party there on the way to victory II
the party Is moving IN that direction. 80
the Democratic State Convention of Viz
gina might possibly erect platform con-
sisting of State issues. But if we erect
new platform at all what are those nume-
rous Democrats to do who have been tell
ing US and insisting upon the truth OF
their declaration that all good Democrats
will be bound by the Chicago platform
until new national convention shall as
semble and give Us new creed?