Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1894-12-04
The Fight Against silver.

convention. II is new doctrine tC
preach to Kentucky Democrats, thi'
warfare on silver, and we do not be
| lieve the Democrats of the State viii
follow Mr.. Watterson- great ano
able leader as he is-into the en-
dorsement OF the ideas Of Wall street
and president who prepared "af
open grave for his party, The mod
est paragraph in which this Opinion
was expressed was made the subject
of lengthy editorial in Saturdays
| Courier-Journal. In his own inimit-
able way, Mr.. Watterson discusses
his relation TO the country press
| his advocacy OF free thought and sew.
eral other subjects foreign to the
main question, and then concludes
with laughing denial of his inten-
ton or ability to "stife" silver in the
coming convention. We fail to see
in the entire length of the article Of
column and a half a single sentence
thet throws light upon the present
attitude Of the Courier-Journal to-
wards silver, which is the result OF a
conversion almost as sudden as that
of Saul of Tarsus. Since Mr. Wat
terson dsclaims any intention to
stiAe silver by using his powerful in
fuence to induce Kentucky Demo
Gratis to forsake their lifelong views
on currency, he might have gone a
step further and explained what he is
driving at by his constant advocacy
of gold standard and his frequent
sneerlng illusions to silver currency
as "unsound money" OF course the
question is too profoundin its depths
and boundless in its extent to be ex-
planned in one column or in several
columns for that matter, but the
Democrats of Kentucky have a right
TO know just what the acknowledged
party organ of the State is trying to
do when it takes square issue with
every Democratic platform adopted
by State conventions in Kentucky for
years. The Democracy of the State
is as thoroughly committed to a hi
metallic standard as it is to tariff re-
form, and we may add that the Cou
rier-Journal has itself educated the
people in the very views they are now
expected to alter to conform to its
own lightning changes. Mr.. Waiter
son is the recognized leader of the
Kentucky Democracy. His paper is
the Democratic Bible, so to speak
His personal triumphs in State con.
ventions-notably in 1892 when he
was sent to Chicago by reclamation
by convention split wide open on
the Cleveland question-have never
been equaled by any party leader.
We have all delighted to follow his
leadership and to do him honor
whenever the opportunity was afford
ed. Not member OF the Kentucky
delegation al Chicago in 1892 but
felt proud Of his State and proud of
their great leader when Mr. Waiter
son took ihe platform and defeated
the couardly straddle on the tariff
question and secured the adoption OF
the Neal substitute as part Of the
platform. They voted with him for
the adoption Of the financial plank in
she same platform and they cannot
understand now why the views they
jointly entertained then are not as
"sound" as they were two years ago.
IL the coinage Of both metals with
out discriminating against either was
right then, il is right now. 1t is Mr..
Watterson and not the principle that
has changed. With scarcely an ex-
ception the Democratic leaders OF
Kentucky are still friendly to silver.
If we mistake not, both senator's and
every Democratic representative from
Kentucky is. The country press is
almost unit in its advocacy OF what
must be considered Democratic doc
trine until changed in national con-
vention. Then why should the Cou-
rier Journal proclaim itself the cham
pion Of gold as the only "honest dol,
lar" and when an humble representa-
tive Of the rank and file fails to see
at the first glance the purpose Of this
inconsistent leadership, he must
needs get himself laughed at for his
lack OF perspicacityf