Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-06-01
MAJOR BAKER P. LEE.
A Letter from Him Replying to the
Times


Sincerely reciprocating. as well as APP
preciating, the kind compliment from the
Times of last Sunday, | must beg of you
a bit Of space to reply to its comments
upon an extract which II takes from my
letter in the Dispatch of Saturday. The
Times questions the correctness Of my
representation Of Democratic sentiment
in the South on the silver issue. 1t says
"As we showed yesterday, the plat
forms of the Democratic conventions oil
Missouri and Alabama are practical
abandonments of free silver" The rep
resentatives who go from those States &c
Congress this fan are not going TO De
advocates OF fifty-cent dollars. What
reason Is there to suppose that the influ-
ences which have wrought this powerful
change in those States have been inopera'
tive in the other Southern States? We
do not believe they have been, and par
ticularly we do not believe they have
been imperative in Virginia. We believe
free silver has run its course ana Is
falling into decay, as all maniaS &c
sooner or later. and that the South's rep
resentation In Congress chosen In the
coming fan will have a strong infusion
OF that returning common sense which
sometimes leaves her people for time,
but that always comes back TO them when
they have had opportunity TO think and
deliberate fully"
The Times may be logically straight ir
constituting the proceedings OF the Missouri
and Alabama conventions as IL does, but
from the newspaper reports that reached
me had not been led to similar
conclusion. have neither platform al
hand. but l am willing to concede that
the nomination Of Colonel Oates for Gov
ernor was In a certain, or, rather uncer-
tain sense, an endorsement Of the admin
istTation by the Democratic convention
OF Alabama. still 1t is easy TO see how
a Democratic convention, as II is eX'
pected TO do. may express approval of a
Democratic administration, and in nc
perfunctory way, either, but with real
righteousness, without committing Itself
unqualifedly TO every purpose, every act
every idea OF that administration.
can ca silly understand that the Ala.
bama convention was ready. without dis
sent or debate. to endorse the President
tariff Views, TO applaud him as man
of patriotic principle and resolution, TO
commend his administration. generally,
as ably and conscientiously directed for
the country's good; but in view Of what
ment OF the Democracy there even after
the elimination of the impatient free-silvet
element now identified with the Popu-
lists of that State, l cannot but believe
that the convention did not mean to be
understood as accepting the financial
policy of the administration In opposition
10 free coinage Notwithstanding the ca
pacity Of the Times for intelligent analy.
sis OF utterances even designedly delphic;
the fine frankness OF tho
Times always, | must still be allowed to
doubt seriously that the controlling ma
jority nominating Colonel Oates, said to
be the administration candidate, intend
ed TO make any such declaration as would
put the Democracy of Alabama squarely
by the side Of Mr.. Cleveland on the cur
rency question. And in making a mea-
surement OF the Democratic sentiment
OF Alabama as represented in that con-
vention II must not be forgotten that
the majority there amounted to little
more than enough TO turn the scales.
Let the Times wait, and watch the con-
gressional canvass In Alabama, and then
see whether the Democratic candidates
are for free silver or against II. AS to
Missouri. the Times Is surely at fault.
l would be willing TO leave the final and
irreversible determination OF the question
of free coinage to the Democrats of Mis-
souri,. with no misgiving as 10 result
in favor of Democracy and not OF plu.
tocracy.
The Times believes free silver has
run It's course and is falling into decay.
! cannot think so. On the contrary,
am satisfied that all through the West
and South. certainly. the political at
mosphere Will be tremulous next fall
with the heat OF popular enthusiasm in
favor OF the restoration OF the status OF
the currency, as II stood when the mercl-
less legislation Of the miniors OF the
money-kings laid silver low in 1873.
In this country the silver tide Is rising
every hour, and there win be no recess
sion. At the same time, the ground
swell from this side is beginning to surge
upon the shores on the other side of the
Atlantic. BAKER =. LEE