The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-03-31
IF DIVISION NUT ,OME, TUE TIMES
WILL rTAN icy nK CLEVELAND.

CuSSlOn Is perfectly apparent. IL - eHOfc-
| " possible that 1t may cause a division
| in what has heretofore been called the
| Democratic party of the Southern States,
| which has not been a Democratic party
| In the sense Of a party all of whose
| members were Democrats IL has been
party Of white men held together as
| party by fear OF negro rule. We hardly
think its members can be divided by
matter Of this sort though a division on
II is entirely possible.
That prodigious feeling and excitement
are going 10 be aroused by the veto is
entirely plain from the utterances that
public men have already made in regard
TO it, However much it might be argued
from the terms of this message that the
President only intended to veto the par
ticular seigniorage bill that was before
him on account Of its Inaccurate cen
struction. enough, nevertheless. appears
in the message TO make the free silver men
believe. and justly. in our opinion. that
he will veto any bill which provides that
this Government shall coin any more
silver dollars containing only 81 IA grains
Of silver which are worth only IL cents.
and put them out as legal tender for full
dollars. This is the construction which IS
placed on the message. Mr.. Bland said
Of it,:
"A President at all in sympathy with
the purposes Of the bill would have signed
it. College professors may criticise its
language. but a man who sprung from
the people like Abraham Lincoln, and re-
presenting not the money power but the
interests Of the masses, would have signed
the bill although college professors might
have stigmatized him as a rail-splitter."
Wild Man Stewart, of Nevada, said of
it:
"All the cant and subterfuge by which
leaders of the Democratic and Republi-
can parties have obtained the votes Of the
people are swept aside, and the policy of
gold contraction and bonded slavery is
declared to be the unalterable policy Of
the administration"
And even our own representative, Mr..
Wise. who, Of course, speaks TO some ex-
tent for the South. said
Most of the Democrats In Congress,
/ think, will be compelled TO break with
Mr.. Cleveland"
1t is clear, then, that the Democrats ac-
cept the message as a plain declaration
from the President that no bill to coin
false dollars can ever become a law while
it can be arrested by his veto.
That the matter is going to become
in the South one for the most active and
energetic discussion is perfectly plain.
We have already said that we do not
believe it is possible to divide the white
people here with ii. but the possibility Of
such a division must be contemplated and
men must begin to consider which side
| they will take if a division occurs. MIR
| Wise says: "Most of the Democrats in
| Congress viii be compelled to break with
Mr. Cleveland" Very we'll then; if they
do, this inevitably means division of the
Democratic party, and, in that case, The
| Times wishes TO announce at once that
it will be found with Mr.. Cleveland, and
| not with our members of Congress who
break with him. For, disguise it as you
may, if the break takes place Mr.. Cleve-
land will be maintaining the Democratic
principles Of sound money and protection
Of property and vested interests. while
those who break with him will be con-
tending for debased money and the war
| upon property and vested rights. which
that means. Not only so, but those who
break with him will be compelled to 80
to the Populist party. for there is no diff
ference in principle whatever between a
Populist and a person demanding free
coinage of silver in the name Of Democra-
cy. We say this with great deliberation.
and let us see If it is not true.
The breath Of the body Of the Populist
! party Is its proposition concerning money.
All its other claims are referable to
this and are merely another way of stat
ing that one. The true idea of money is
that il is precious metal which is valued
according to the labor required to dig it
from the earth. extract it from the ore,
and fashion it into coin. But the populist
repudiates this idea He says money
| emanates from Government: that Govern
mont makes money by It's command as
! God said Let there be light, and there
was light" Consequently. says the Popu-
| list. If the Government stamps on a
/ piece Of pasteboard This is a dollar" and
makes il legal tender for a dollar IL
| is dollar In every sense Of the word
The free coinage advocate says if the
| Government stamps on piece of silver
worth only AZ cents the words This is
Il dollar" and makes it legal tender
for dollar it becomes a dollar in every
sense Of the word. Where. then, is the
| difference in principle between the Popu-
| list and the advocate of free coinage?
| If, then, the southern members Of Con-
| gress are going. as Mr.. Wise thinks to
break with the President on this question
they must so to the Populists or bring
the Popuists 10 them, In which case The
Times is going to stand 10y Mr.. Cleveland
and on the everlasting Democratic prin-
ciple OF sound money and protection to all
property rights.