The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-05-09
A NATURAL UNION.

The announcement from Chicago that
the Populists will unite with the Demo-
cratic free-silver advocates is not sur
prise to those who have observed the ten
dency of the Populist movement. Chair
man Taubeneck of the National Commit
tee of Populists has made refreshing
declaration that the old political parties
are breaking up, and that the contest next
year will be between the silver advocates
on the one hand and the gold men on the
other Mr.. Taubeneck added this: 1.-THE
contest will be one in which the South and
| West will be arrayed against the East. The
battle-ground will be in Indiana, Illinois,
Iowa and Minnesota. If the South and
West stand together for free silver they
will win
This shrewd politician seems to have left
no ground whatever upon which might be
based an assumption that the West and
the South might prove unequal to the task
of enforcing the issue of free-silv coinage.
When Mr.. Taubeneck was asked if the
Populists would stand ready to unite with
the Democratic silver party" whatever
under the sun that may be), he replied:
eve certainly do. If the party should
win it would be a victory for the Popu-
lists"
Our Democratic friends may take what
ever consolation is possible from such a
declaration as this. They will understand
from the notice which Mr.. Taubeneck has
given that if, even as party, they adopt
free coinage of silver as a shibboleth, the
Populists will take the credit of it.
The zeal and earnestness which charac-
terize the workings of the Populists COM
mand the respect and admiration of all
good citizens. If there were no other
ground upon which to base an estimate of
their patriotism, we should still have that
of a political policy which could have no
present hope of reward in the shape of
spoils. And we are not ready to believe
that the Populists, even if they should join
with some wing of the Democratic party
are guarding the interests of such office
seekers as may happen to be among them.
We believe that they are working earnestly
and conscientiously for the establishment
of certain ideals which they believe will
best serve the public good; and it is no re-
proof to the conscience which animates
them if we should say that we regard their
methods as falling far short of their aspira-
tions.
The Populists, as well as all other good
citizens, are aware of the fact that so far
as the Democratic party is concerned the
issue on the silver question is being made
up at Chicago, and that by the action of
the Illinois Democrats the Democratic
party must stand or fall. Mr.. Cleveland
and Mr.. Carlisle, with whatever backing
they may receive from England and Wall
street, may no longer be regarded as the
leaders OF the Democratic party on the
coinage question. So far as the Democracy
is concerned, the West and South have
taken the lead in spite of the East, and
henceforth will guide the policy of the
party on this, the leading political issue of
the day. In this view OF the case it must
be interesting to the Pacific Coast Popu-
lists to reflect that in following the silver
wing of the Chicago Democracy it ignores
the fact that millions of dollars have
been recently staked at Chicago by friends
of the Cleveland administration to employ
daily journalism to defeat the end which
the Populists hold dear. And all this leads
us to conclude that the Populists might
employ their strength to more profitable
advantage either by Withholding their sup
port from the weakest wing of the
Democracy or by throwing their moral
support to the great, broad party of the
peopls-the Republican party-and ascer-
tanning if it is not possible to find with
that element a broad ground on which all
American patriots may stand.