Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1895-05-15
THE CROSSING OF THE ROADS.

Upon the eve of party battle, which
will, in all likelihood, determine the
political complexion of Kentucky at
least during the next four years. and
which may decide the fate of the Dem
ocratic organization both in and out
of the State for all time, the Courier
Journal takes leave to say few plain
words to such Democrats as are willing
to listen to the disinterested admoni-
tious of unselfish patriotism.
We have reached point where the
roads cross. The money question, al
ways more or less disruptive to Demo
cratic unity, has hitherto been kept
within bounds. Other questions, co.
heslve in character. have held it in
allegiance. AT last, however, it is at
the front; and, as it win down at no
mans bidding, it will have to be met.
In the beginning of the controversy,
when the issue assumed the form of
fiat money against sound money, and
involved the public credit, the Courier
Journal took its stand against the pol
icy of initiation and upon the side of
the national integrity. 1t sought to
steer the old weather beaten battleship
of Democracy, which, after so fearful
a tempest, was still. strangely, and by
the mercy of God, af1oat, off the break
ers of greenbackism. In measure, it
succeeded; but not in time to save it
many reverses incident to luckless
seamanship. The sailing would have
been half again as easy ii the siren
voice of cheap money, and plenty of
it, had not lured SO many of the ma
rines, and other unthinking landsmen,
from truth and duty.
With the resumption of specie pay
ment the agmoney spectre was laid
to rest. But not so its vOtaries. From
one cause and another, they are wed
ded to the idol of imitation. They
were not to be cheated out of the FOOLS
paradise they had constructed in their
minds eye. Baked of It's realization
through the greenback door, they
watched and waited
They had not long to wait. Present
ly a little wicket gate was opened in
the wall of the national finances, and
a hand of silver was stretched forth to
beckon and to entice. Oddly enough
they did not swarm to this as sponta
neonsly and as unanimously as one
might have looked to them to do. AT
ter all, the hand was silver; 1t had a
market-value; it had been bona fide,
undepreciated money. 1t still approx
mated gold. 1t was not debased
enough to suit them. So they contin-
ued to watch and to wait, and, while
the true friends of the public credit
and sound currency were making an
honest, though a mistaken, effort to
save silver-to- hold it to It's place
alongside OF gol.i--they did not irrevo-
cably commit themselves.
In spite of all efforts, silver continu
ed to go down and down and down.
At last it got cheap enough to suit
their purpose; and, the required point
of degradation reached, the cry went
forth all along the old greenhack, in
fiation line, "have at them. Tige!''
and, with black flags flying and Chi
nese gongs beating, 10, the mad rush
is upon us!
Far be it from any purpose of the
Courier Journal TO question the SINGER
ity of these gen. lemen. They are just
as SINCERE as they were when they un-
dertook to upset the war amendments
as unconstitutional and void. They
are just as sincere as they were when
they proposed to pay the national debt
in greenbacks. They are just as sim
cere as when they denounced Tilden
and Reform as a Wall street snare.
They are simply i'll Judging men, full
of prejudice and ignorance, making up
in noisy assertion what they lack in
the essential elements of reason and
truth.
The Courier-J ournal enters it's most
earnest demurrer. 1t has no organiza-
ton to back its word, no pachine to
support its protest, 20 appealing voice
to its party associates except the still,
small voice of these types. 1t is the
especial friend or enemy of none of the
various aspirants for office. 1t will
not have representative in the com
ing State convention. Nobody need
heed its counsel if he does not want
to. 1t has neitl.ef the power TO coerce
nor the wish to menace. But, in all
seriousness, it declares that, if this mad
scheme is pursued to the end threaten
ed by its authors, it will drive tens of
thousands of Democrats from the
ticket without detaching a hundred
vino have hitherto voted the Republi-
can ticket. Wrong, in itself, it will di
vide and wreck the Democratic party,
open highway for the confident and
united Republicans to march through,
and next year turn over every depart
ment of the Government to the Re
publican party.
ours is a great and growing country
1t is progressive and powerful nation.
No party which is not true to the ma
tional spirit and credit will ever rule
at Washington Whatever may be
thought in detail of Mr.. Cleveland's
first and second Administrations, no
one can say with truth that they have
not been true to both. Under the far
sighted leadership of Tilden, under the
sturdy fidelity of Cleveland, the Demo
cratic party has been recovering the
poise and balance which preceding
years of misadvisement and misadven
ture had lost it. Is it at one fell swoop
of folly to sacrifice all it has gained,
and to go to pieces at last upon the
rocks of treason to the spirit and the
credit OF the Nationg
Letthinking Democrats turn these
things ever in their minds Let them
cast up the balance between the men
who are leading this frantic movement
with the men who are trying to stay
it. and then let them ask themselves
whether those who would precipitate
a money experiment, proposing to risk
upon a single venture our whole nnan-
cial fabric, are, in deliberation, in
learning, in character, such men as
ought to be, as would be, intrusted
with private transactions of the high
est moment.
1t is none of our funeral. What the
rest cap stand We can stand. But we
are impressed by the belief that the
Democratic party will never rule on
any such terms, either in Kentucky OF
in the nation; but, if by some strange
agrarian coalition such policy could
gain temporary ascendancy at Wash
ington, it would engulf the country in
disasters so untoward as would drive
its authors into perpetual exile and
odium.
We do not despair. For some mys-
FERROUS purpose the life of the Demo
cratic party has been prolonged. A
party that has survived so much sure
ty was not born to die. But, if we are
to hope, our hope mnst be in the sober,
second thought of the people. We
have no faith in the men who are in
politics for what they can make out of
politics. They are after the offices.
and, their objective point being the
offices, they care for nothing except
the prevailing popular mood. 1t is
not truth, but the drift of the wind,