Evening star., 1895-05-09
They Will Not Desert the Demo-
cratic Party,
EVEN IF SILVERITES CAPTURE IT
They Will Wait Until the LegisIa-
ton Period.
MIR. BRICES SIGNIFICANT LINE

| A line IN the letter addressed by Senator
Brice to friend in Ohio respecting silver
| in the coming democratic convention in
that state fixes attention and is considered
| important. Mr.. Brce takes a pronounced
| stand on the subject. He is opposed to
free coinage, and deplores the enthusiasm
| shown in democratic circles in Ohio in
! favor of that policy. He announces that
| he will fight it to the full extent of his
| ability in the convention. He believes that
| a deliverance in behalf Of silver will, if
| adopted, cost the party many votes at the
| polls. Many sound money democrats will
| either be alienated outright, else be
| driven into temporary Indifference as to
party success But, for his own part, Mr..
| Brice boldly declares that he will not fore
| go his party allegiance for moment, no
matter how strongly silver may score. He
will still be found in the democratic ranks.
| and still battling at the old stand for demo-
| cratic victory. In other words, II the dem
| ocratic party in Ohio declares for free coin
| age at the state convention, Mr.. Brice, who
believes that free coinage would ruin the
| country, will, nevertheless, support the
ticket nominated on such platform. and
| thus. fer the time, indorse the policy he so
| greatly fears and so roundly denounces.
| Already Suggested.
| This utterance Is in strict accord with
| suggestion recently made in The Star. The
| subject under discussion was the probable
! course of sound money democrats in the
next national convention in the event Of
| the capture of the convention by the
| friends of silver Would they secede, and
either put up a ticket of their own. or go
| over openly to the republicans: Or would
| they swallow their discomtiture, help along
| the party under a standard they deSpised
| and trust to luck and the future to balk
the game of the silverites when the ques-
tion should come before Congress for legis-
lation? Reference was made to the history
| of the fight for tariff reform, and to the
course pursued by the protection demo-
Gratis. who, though repeatedly beaten with
| In the party ranks as to tariff deliverances.
| kept their places in the ranks and in the
end won their fight. After the adoption of
| the most extreme free trade platform in
national convention they turned their at
tention to Congress and made 4 tariff lill
that suggests the platform about as much
| as birthstone does the land of pure delight.
| The platform denounced every shade de-
gree and species of protection and commit
| ted the party to the extirpation of the
whole principle from the government's
| revenue policy. The tariff bill passed
bulges with protection and might have been
| supported by Mr.. Randall himself had that
| sturdy character been spared to the coun-
try. Among those who rendered yeoman
| service to the party on that platform were
Mr.. Brce, Mr.. German, Mr.. Murphy and
Mr.. Smith, and it SO happened that they
were the very men afterward to throw
| over the platform and force the party in
legislating on the tariff to yield to the de-
rands of the great business interests,
| which, after the battle at the polls had
| been won, raised the flag of conservatism
| and insisted that no extreme step in revis-
| ing the law should be taken. They said
about free trade what Mr.. Vanderbilt is
| reported to have once said about the pub
| lie.
| The Policy Entered Upon.
| Has not this policy been entered upon
| with regard to silver? Is it at all likely
| that sound money democrats will suffer
| themselves to be driven out of the party by
| the free coinage contingent? Is not it
their purpose to keep their seats even at
| the expense of some temporary discomfit-
| ure and, considering more the value of
| legislation than that of mere campaign
| bloviation, try to put spoke in the wheel
| of the silver coach while it is on the way
| through Congress?
Such is regarded as the present aspect of
| things. The same men that won the tariff
fight are again on deck. Mr.. Brice, Mir.
| German, Mr.. Murphy and Mr. Smith are
| against free coinage as they were against
| free trade. They will do as much to defeat
| the one they did to defeat the other.
Mr.. Brice is the first to speak. His is the
| territory now in evidence. The democrats
of New York, New Jersey and Maryland
| will declare for sound money. Ohio Is on
the eve of shouting fer silver. Mr.. Brice,
| therefore, comes at to the front.
| He is against free silver, but he will sup
pert his party on free silver platform.
Why? Is not it because he does not be-
| lieve it possible for silver to win in the
end? Is not he thinking of the tariff fight?
| Could he, with his views on the subject of
| finance, and considering the enormous bus
| mess interests he represents in New York
as well as in Ohio, support his party on
| free coinage platform if he thought for
! me ment that the platform would ever be
converted into law? Free coinage, in his
| opinion, would wreck the public credit.
| Would he, could he. assist in doing that?
| A Inference in the Two Cases.