Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1893-03-31
The L9ad@r.
THE rHREArAGA1NsT CLEVELAND.

Some OF the Democratic papers OF the
free-silver faith says that If Mr.. Cleveland
presists in his hostility to the white metal
the solid South will break This is pretty
formidable threat ii it can be made good.
But can it be made good? Everybody
who knows anything OF Cleveland s opin-
ions and temperament is convinced that ne
retains all his old antogonism tosilver,
and that he will, to the fullextent OF his
influence and opportunity. wage war
against it. The reason for this antagon-
ism are immensely greater than they were
when he wrote his anti-silver letter just
before his Inauguration in 1885, and the
arguments which he used in his messages
to Congress against the further absorption
Of that metal by the Government can now
be re-enforced by the ill-effects of recent
policy in the same direction. In his sec
ond term he is likely to be more outspok-
en- and decided in his opposition to silver
than he was in his first term.
But suppose the solid South breaks, to
what party will the seeding fragment at
tach itself? Will it come over to the Re-
publican party? Hardly. As a party
the Republicans are strongly opposed to
the granting of any further fayors to sill
ver as the Democrats OF New England
and the Middle States ever have been or
are now. There can be no aid and COM
fort for the silver extremist in the Re-
publican camp. Will they join the Pop
ulist? Here is a question for the Demo-
cratic foes of Cleveland to answer. Are
the Western and Southern papers which
are attacking the Administrations sill
yer ideas prepared to advocate union
with the Peoples party? Such an alliance
would be sensible and logical, for the lat
ter organization has free silver on its list
ot financial reforms A break of this
sort would certainly give the Populist
party new lease Of life, would put the
silver question in the foTs nd. and the
tariff and .every hing elseA rear, and
render the canpS of g18Q "a exciting
and interesting tdsn any have had
since 1860.
Undoubtedly ths sil lvef 1linssstion offers
great possibili lities gof peril ~ the party il
power. sA54 4resOlnte assault on the Sher:
man law ass gbes ssrmined on by the
Admipisfratlo on Of the Dem ocracy,
and sxn1 equal pfous and persistant
defense of that ReE ey the other section Of
the party is certain. The silver men will
cling toathe present Law @ sgainst any
other policy except free silver. The
ECleveland factio would hardly compro-
mise on the old Bland law unless the
coinage requirement. were cut far below
the minimum of o., 600, 600 Of bullion a
month provided for !by that act. and, Of
course, the silver men would agree 70 no
such arrangements. All earnest and pro-
tracted fight on silver ID sure to be vsIed
in the ranks Of The Democracy. and then
the country will have q chance to ses
whether thtse boasts and threats Of the
silver faction Of the pasty means any
thing "A break in the South on this ~.
sue would result in q great accession: Of
strength to othepopulists, and then, for the
first time in the history Of American poli-
tics. there would be seen the spectacle Of
three great parties. on approximately
equal terms making 4 bid for the popular
favor.-Globe Democrat.