The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1895-04-12
RANDOM POLITICAL MOVES.

In no d%omorAlizcl q condition that Il Ia
necessary TO hold, in m Off yoar, d con.
vention 10 patch up harmony, comes jus.
at tho time when the leaders and some Of
their mouth organs aro industriously on.
gagged In tho hopeless tnsk OF trying to
convince tho people that there 10 fac.
tional trouble in tho Republican purity,
and carries with 1t its own comment.
The %suggs.tion for q convention for the
laudablo purpose named was. | bolioyo,
made frat by Mr.. George Washington
Tippett, In his excellent papor, the
Point Pleasant Daily Register, aud has
met with tho favor OF ono or two other
organs, notably the Charleston Gazette.
Tho Wheeling Register has not, n, yot,
giron tho project its hearty endorse.
mont, probably for tho reason that, with
its usual lack OF frauknoss concerning
tho true condition Of its own party, II
cannot bring itself 10 admit that thoro
Is 4 necessity for reorganization, or that
any decentralization exists.
ia
Tho proposition Is that tho conyen.
ton shall DO hold in Charleston "somc.
time in June" and Of course the papers
In the southern part OF tho state Oh.
Enthusiastically fall into limo. A Charles.
ton convention would mean, beyond n
doubt, that the Charleston faction Of
tho party would control IL and have
matters pretty much Its own way. Per-
haps this Is tho eas tho papers "up
north nr0 mostly Withholding their en-.
dorsement. Ii 1t WAS Brother Tippe,,'s
hope to set tho party in tho state on fro
with enthusiasm over hia idea no made
a mistake in suggesting tho location.
Aside from this consideration, however,
1t is not likely that there will be A ready
response from the rank and file OF tho
party. It will take something more
than m appeal for harmony to convince
tho disguised Democracy OF West Vir.
ginia that the time Is ripe Tor tho kind.
ling OF the fires OF enthusiasm for tho
decrepid affair. Before they can get up
a heart for reorganization they will have
to DO convinced that there really is n
National Democratic party any more
that is a party with any defined princi.
pie or any united nosition on any pub.
lie question. The miserable failures Of
tho late Congress, aud the difficulty
that n Democrat now.a-days has in de-
termining in his own mind "where his
party lie at on tho issues OF tho day,
have contributed to bring about 4 state
OF indifference regarding the welfare Of
the party organization that is positively
depressing.
In justice to my old and honored
friend, Mr.. TiDpett, | should remark
that tho construction Of a harmonious
machine is not the only purpose back OF
his pathetic call Tor a state convention,
for he distinctly states, though Incl
dentally, tina. another grave duty CON
fronts tho state Democracy. 1t il tha,
the party must place itself squarely
the great question now agitatlng
the people Of tho whole country-,he
free and unlimited coinage OF silver, as
Il legal lender on an equality, as to pur-
chasing power. with gold" Tho time,
lie says. has come when the Democratic
party must speak ~ unequivocally on
this question or so to the wall. No one,
perhaps, knows better than Editor Tip
petit that the matter with the Demo
cratic party to-day is'that il is unable to
agree with itseIf'upou this very ques.
ton, and just how he expects the dis.
rup,ei aud disorsanized IVES, Virginia
contingent to settle the question and
map out a feasible plan for tue har.
monizing oil the elements, lie fails 10 ex-
plaiI. A majority OF West Virginia
Democrats are undoubtedly Tor free aud
unlimited coinage on a 10 to | basis, re.
rardle's OF international agreement, hut
4 very re'pec,ably sized minority are
not so radical. Both would be repre.
scented at II state convention, and then,
more than cvcr. would DO apparent the
fact that Mr.. Tippeit's task OF restoring
harmony in the organization is ns hope.
less as i- the problem OF where the
Democratic party stands on any other
public question.
In indorain. Mr.. rippett's pathetic
appeal for n State con invention TO reorgan-
ize the scattered hosts and declare ior
free silver. the Charleston Gazette saws
it hopes there will be no objection IRON
any quarter, and c%ontinuea: "rhe no.
ces-ity for such an assembly was mover
more apparent, and il, may make its
work OF n character beneficial TO the
party. There is not ut present the high
est degree OF party harmony existing
among tho Democrat, OF the state, aud
a distinct onuaciatiOn OF principles, III
dicating tho position OF the party on
sevora! questions, chiefly that OF coin.
age. would have tho elect OF promo.in.
unity to- greater degree than We per
haps even imagine" Well, perhaps il,
would aud perhaps il would not. Past
experience has demonstrated that West
Virginia Democratic conventions have
not been very promoiivG oil unity. Now
that this coinage question has come up.
there are mora breakers ahead. There
will be tho radical i~rce.coinage fanatics,
the conservative bime.alli.t.. tho 50.
called '%gold.bugs," the fiat money
crankS. aud all the theorists OF all the
populistic elements that comprise the
remnants OF the once glorious Democ-
.Iacy, aud-then there will DO fun.
Where tho unity will come in remains
to DO seen. Perliap,it will not DO down
On the bills.
-
The prospect for ipn Is very much in
evidence at the very'tail end Of Editor
Tippott's plea for n convention, which
iIu winds IN with the iollowin. indis-