The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-09-26
Have tho Democrats Made a mistaleP

Have the Democrats Made Mistake ?
Some of the democratic papers and
democratic leaders believe the Democratic
party has made mistake in determining
10 push at once 10 a vote the bin TO repeal
the federal election laws. They argue
that congress was convened for but one
purpose, viz: to repeal the sherman silver
law. To repeal that law help from the
republicans is necessary. The repeal Of
that law is of far more consequence to
the country at this time than any other
measure that is before, or is likely to
come before congress. 1t is argued
therefore, that every effort should be
made to have that law repealed and there
should be no attempt at other legislation
until it is repealed
It is alleged that the republican con-
gressmen. rather than have the elections
law repealed, would join the silverites
and defeat the bill to repeal the Sherman
silver law. They have threatened to do
that very thing, and their principal news
papers are doing what they can to induce
them adopt that policy. in the disunited
condition Of the democratic congressman
on the silver question the repeal of the
Sherman silver law could not be effected
without the help of the republicans. If
the republicans, therefore. do not choose
to assist in repeating that law it will not
be repealed
But viii they refuse? They would if they
dared to do So They would say that they
would not help repeal the Sherman sill
yer law unless the democrats would agree
to abandon the bill to repeal the cleo
tion laws. As it is, they may quietly en-
courage the silverites to continue to fill
buster against the silver repeal bill in the
Senate, hoping in that way to compel the
democrats to let the election laws alone.
Should the silver repeal bill reach a vote
in the Senate however, the repeal sena-
tors on the republican side
will be found voting for repeal
They know that the whole
country, practically, is demanding the
repeal of the Sherman silver law, and
that if repeal should be defeated by the
republicans for partisan reasons their
party would lose immensely in popularity.
Admitting therefore, that the bring
ing forward of the election repeats bill at
this time does not show good generalship,
the effect OF that act is not likely to be at
all serious. The Louisville Courier-Jour-
nal is of the opinion that the democrats
have made a mistake. 1t says: "The
democrats in the National House of
Representatives have made mistake in
Juggling in at this juncture the propo-
sition to repeal the election laws There
will be plenty of time for action upon this
matter after the disposition of the bill to
repeal the Sherman act. Certainly there
was no reason why the friends of the
silver repeal bill should have consented to
complicate the situation in the Senate by
sending to it another issue which is essen
italy partisan in the lines of support and
opposition which it will draw and which
is bound to embitter both parties"
No good democrat doubts of course that
that the election laws should be repealed,
or that they will be, but some of them
question the wisdom of complicating the
silver-purchase repeal issue, which is not
a partisan one, with the election laws
issue, which is partisan one. The cleo
tion laws could be repealed next winter,
and their repeal at that time would be as
satisfactory as their repeal during the
extra session. The urging of the repeal
of the election laws, however, is not going
to defeat the repeal of the Sherman silver
law. 1t may have the effect of delaying
repeal somewhat.