Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-07-09
FREE SILVER TACTICS
An Effort to Force the Hand of the
Democracy.
RANGE COMBINATIONS FORMED
For the Purpose of Comering the
Democratic Party.
SO q TIL ERN POP ULISTS

The fact that the populists in Kentucky
desire the defeat of Gen. Hardin, the dem
ocratic candidate for governor, and that In
Alabama an open alliance between the pop-
uiists and republicans is on the cards and
ilkely to be consummated, presents a new
feature In the maneuvering Of the day.
What Is the meaning of it? The Kentucky
populists denounce Hardin because he con-
sented to stand on gold platform But if
he is defeated Bradley, the republican can
didate, will win. and he is standing on q
Platform much more pronounced in its dec
laration against the populistic idea of
hnance than that Of the democrats Nor is
there the slightest agreement on the sub
oect between the populists and the republi-
cans OF Alabama. There, as in Kentucky,
the one party Is for and the other against
Tree silver. But the popullsts are willing
IN that state, as in Kentucky, to unite with
the republicans against the democracy.
Forcing the Issue.
A well-accepted explanation of this al
lance Is that the populists are anxious to
see the democracy driven into a corner on
This money question, and are willing to as
sist' directly or indirectly, in the drive.
they are opposed to the gold policy in any
form and as championed by anybody, but
championed by the democracy The repub-
ncans have never stood for anything else
They have never had but the one flag living
ana that flag is still flying. If they return
to full power in March, 1897, popul.sts and
everybody else will know what to expect
But the democracy had, until recently, been
the party of silver. 1t had pledged itself
repeatedly to free coinage, and had come to
be regarded as the sole hope Of the cause
now all is discord and contention. The
n n ri Sy,iit ;v,
subject One faction Is for and the other
is against silver but the faction favoring
the white metal seems, according to the
populistic idea, to lack the courage to come
ouI and take the one step that might force
the ISSUE
And SO the popul!sts will endeavor to
force the hand of the free coinage wing
of the democracy. They want the demo-
cratic party broken UP. They want the
free silver men in that organization TO be
obliged to choose between silver and anti
silver. with new organization represent
ing the former and the republican party
the latter. If, therefore, by helping to de-
feat, either directly or indirectly, demo-
cratic candidates in any of the states,
ruption can be forwarded, the populists
will consider it work well done. The popu-
lists believe that only through democratic
disruption can free silver win, and their
faith is that a good sound drubbng ad-
ministered all along the line this year will
open the eyes and strengthen the resolution
or all the real friends Of silver in the DEM
ocratic party, and bring them to see that
new alignnents are absolutely necessary
to put the silver issue through.
May Postpone the Issue.
But would not this necessarily postpone
the Issue? If the democrats are to lose this
year. the republicans are to win, and re-
publican success this year might be fol-
lowed by republican success next year. And
the republicans, once more intrenched in
national power, might defy for some years
t,c best efforts of the strongest new or
ganiZation constructed out of the populist
party, and the bulk of the disrupted demo-
cratic party Senator Stewart holds that
if next years battle is lost the silver men
Will be routed for good and all. In his
carefully selected language for campaign
ing purposes, "the chains of the people will
be riveted for at least generation" and
the gold men will administer on the af-
fairs of the world But, all the same
the populists are wishing for democratic
defeat, and in order that it may be ac-
complishedar are willing to strike hands with
the most pronounced gold men in the re-
publican party.