Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-10-22
IN. w...,cb...tt. platform.

We stated last week that the utter
/ ances OF the Massachusetts Democratic
/ State Convention must be taken az indi-
/ eating what might be incorporated next
/ year into the Democratic national plat
form on the currency question wall
street is OF this opinion; for the New
/ York Journal OF Commerce says that The
action In Worcester encourages that
paper 70 hope that next year the national
conventions will not try To occupy bo'h
sides of this question. but VIII nave
gathered courage and ciearness OF vision
to commit their parties TO the support OF
a bank currency and gold standard.
"A bank currency ana gold
standard" That is pretty PLAIN
talk, Bu, our New YORK con-
temporary repeats the same words
In substance when II goes on to
say that when people in the West ana
South antagonige the free silver craze.
even politicians In the East see that they
can afford to declare for the gold stand 4
ard. the withdrawal Of the government
from banking. the retirement Of the
greenbacks and the expansion u The
bank currency 10 meet the necessities OF
business"
Here the Journal gives a list Of the
schemes which the opponents of free
coinage are going to advocate and which
may De expected to appear next year in
the Democratic national platform. First.
we are TO have the single gold standard
Next. the withdrawal Of the government
from the business Of banking. Next, the
retirement Of grecnbacks or demand
notes And finally the expansion Of the
bank currency to meet the necessities Of
business.
1t will depend upon what sort Of
bank currency and OF banks are
provided as substitute for our present
system whether the people will take 10
it." or not. We give some more signif-
cant extracts from the Journal:
THE Massachusetts, Democrats are en-
titlel to hearty commentator for their
courage in declaring for what they know
10 he right without trimming their sails
to catch southwestern breeZes. Next
year there will be a national election. and
it, influence has already been apparent in
the outevings Of several conventions
held his year.
This action will make ii easier FOR the
sound money men in other parts Of the
country TO be frank. II weakens the free
silver men everywhere not because there
was any doubt about what the people II
Massachusetts whether Democrats or Re
publcans wished, but because there has
been doubt AZ 10 what they were deter
mined TO fight for and 10 get
This declaration will have an influence
for good on party platforms yet to be
framed this year and next. but il also
is Influenced by some that have already
been adopted. If the Democrats of Ken
lucky and Iowa had not declared against
free silver. and If the Memphis conven-
ton OF May had not shown the strength
Of the sound money sentiment I'm the
South. the politicians Of Massachusetts
might have suppressed a frank and open
statement in favor Of the gold standard.
and thrown around the known wishes Of
their constituents some long and upn-
telligible form OF words about inter
national bimetallism. or at least eX-
pressed hope that something or other
would happen to restore silver to the
position ii once occupied
1t is far-cry from free coinage TO
the utterances Of the Democrats OF Mas
sachusetts.