Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-09-30
UPTOWN OFFICE. xss EAST BROAD
neutrality-suspicious. 80, 1894.
Tha Situation.

On certain occasion. when an eloquent
member OF the British House OF Commons
had Just finished an impassioned appeal
which had stirred the hearts. excited the
sympathy. and aroused the passions OF
that body. another distinguished states
man moved that the House adjourn and
allow the members an opportunity 10
pass Understandings upon the question
which had called forth such a burst OF
eloquence. Following this example the
Democrats as well as the Republicans,
may well ponder the late Hill demonstra-
tons at Saratoga before they come to a
conclusion on the subject. The situation
is changed. "and such a change"
The nominee and the platform Of the
Syracuse convention must be taken to-
gether. Mr.. Hill made a speech before
the platform was reported. which indi-
Gated Just what the platform would be on
some subjects. 1t is. therefore, his plat
form as candidate for President, and
must be accepted as such.
We say the platform is Mr.. Hill's. and
we cannot doubt that 1t is. We have
seen him spoken OF as IL he could not
be relied upon to stand upon the New
York platform. But that platform was
not intended to be for bimetallism. except
as everybody is in favor of bimetallism,
though IL declares against "the single
silver standard" We do not doubt for
moment that Mr.. Hill was consulted be-
fore any part of the New York platform
was prepared. nor that he will be recog-
nized everywhere, North and South, as
agreeing with the businessmen and all
the other people Of his State on the sub
Sect OF the free coinage of silver. How
ever. it looks to-day as If in 1896 there
might be a condition of things not here
tofore expected TO obtain. The veil is
drawn between us and the future, and
nobody can forecast the fate of the silver
problem.
As to the income-tax. Mr.. Hill has. in
his Saratoga speech and In his platform,
boldly staked his political fortunes upon
the abolition OF that tax. His sagaclty
IS rarely at fault, and he knows whence
will come the support which, II any
thing, is to make him President In 1886.
Recollect that Mr.. Cleveland was nomi-
mated In 1899 by a convention which did
not agree with him on the silver question,
and that II has been said that he would
have been nominated II he had taken
the other side of the question. So 1t is
possible that the ground-swen IN favor
of Hill may accumulate such force before
1896 as to compel his nomination without
reference to his views on the income
tax-or any other question. The best OF
our modern prophets cannot tell to-day
how the present situation Will be
changed.
And then the Republicans. what are
they going to do about this new condition
of things? Won't they take to cover
nm the silver question, and try to APP
propriate to themselves the coming
clamor for sound currency? Won't Reed
and the rest Of the Republican leaders
who have recently manifested DISPOSE
ton 10 "let-up" on silver, now hasten
70 resume their position as mono
ynetallists? Are not these same Republi-
cans "headed-off'' on the tariff question.
also? Hill and Hills platform declare
AGAINST any early general revision OF the
German tariff The Republicans VIII not
dare to declare for a renewed agitation
OF that question. So the Saratoga conven-
ton has made new Democratic plat
form. and knocked into smithereens
the proposed Republican platform.
Who but David Bennett Hill could
have done all these things?