The climax. [volume] (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1887-1897, 1895-10-09

which are in their nature advisory 10 the
next national convention. But State
convention is not invested with the au-
thority to override, alter or set aside Tho
platform of the last preceding national
convention" You define here truly ana
fairly the limited functions of a State
convention. Its ut erances upon nation
al concerns are not and can not be man
datory. 1t is only advisory" and ali
advice, l submit, may be, and generally
is, disregarded, without raising any
question of treacbery or insubordination.
There is a third consideration which
must not be overlooked. If, as Won de-
clare, no sOund-moRey Democrat can
support Hardin except at the sacrifice OF
his principles, does it not follow that free
silver Democrats can not vote for our
other nominees, all of whom believe are
understood to be for sound money, ex-
cept at the sacrifice of their principles ?
These deluded gentlemen we;must con
cede are as honest as we, they are as
much entitled to their opinions
as we, they are as free to hold them
as Democrats as we, and they are
doubtless as disinclined to surrend-
er principle as we. Is not your
dictum, therefore, an invitation, or rather
direct challenge, to these thousands of
loyal Democrats and honorable men to
scratch Tyler and Norman and Hen
bricks and the rest, as You propose to
scratch Hardin? A pretty campaign
truly you have here laid out, my dear
General, and pretty ending to it NAV
be expected. Mounted on that most
majestic and mettlesome hOhby-hOrse of
yours you are apparently engaged in
marshaling in hostile lines the two grand
divisions of our party, and in setting
them against each other, brothers and
comrades all, in fight to the death over
a purctilio, while the common enemy.
ably and resolutelv led, carries off and
lOots the undefended Commonwealth. l
will not believe that you car, on the sobt
second thought, sanction or advise so
preposterous a plan of battle.
Let me suppose, sir, that the Louis
vile convention had given you the nom
inatiOn for Governor-and indeed they
could hardly have done a wiser thing
what would have been your attitude to-
ward our free-silver people? Would you
have told them that you were a gold
bug, and that they were humbugs who
could not be permitted to vote for you
without a change of heart or a loss of
self-respect? Or would you not rather
have said, only much more effectively
than can say it for you, that we are all
Democrats agreed upon every issue but
one, that that one has no place or relev-
ancy in a contest for a State Office, that it
was an issue only pertinent or important
in national contest and only cOgnizable
By national convention, that next year
and at that great assize you meant man.
fully to do your best to have this issue
determined your way, while thew were
free to do their best to have it decided
their way, but that in the meanwhile
greater, because closer and nearer, ques-
tons were pressing for immediate settle
ment-party autonomy, and the preser-
Walton of supreme dominion in Kentucky
to Kentucky's natural and rightful rulers?
Surely there would have been no other
thought or command or invocation on
your part than to close ranks. dress to
the right and march forward. If You. in
the event supposed, could, with pro-
priety and honor, and indeed must, have
taken this course, why may not Gen.
Hardin be allowed and expected to dc
the same?
For the rest, not to prolOng an already
lengthy letter, you and know the head
of our ticket to be a true man, LOYAL,
courageous and capable We know that
for twenty years of brilliant political
warfare he has fought faithfully for every
opinion we hold dear, aud has fought
always where the fight was the fiercesi
and our line the weakest. The sin of in
gratitude at least shall not rest upon my
soul. Neither can l believe, as reluct
antly as l differ from YOU, that a sound
money Democrat ieopardizes his princi.
piles or soils his honor in supporting
Hardin. On the contrary, it is my judg
ment that a Democrat wLo refuses to
vote at all tamely surrenders his highest
civic privilege, and that a Democrat who
votes against Hardin distinctly sacrifices
his principle TO crafty his spleen.
Yours very sincerely, w. G. WEIGH.