The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1895-05-17
The Democracy And Homes. Yonsy.

{
tiDn of Cook county on the zin q
May iast, which were heraldcd
throughout the country as a grea.
triumph for the free silver svindie
The League had selected reliable
men TO visi; all the polling places in
Chicago on election day and count
the voters. According to the sworn
statements Of their agents, primary
elections in a more or less regular
fashion were held in only nine Of the
thirty-four wards. In six wards the
delegates were named by the ward
clubs, and in the remaining nineteen
wards the delegates were named by
the ward committees. About two IN
FIVE hundred Of the 156,47z Demo-
Gratis Of Chicago who voted for Cleye-
land.in 1894 participated in these de-
legate elections. The address declares
that in one day more Democrats join
ed the Honest Money League than
there we're members OF the county
convention.
There is no doubt that the great
majority Of the Democrats Of Chicago
upon full count Of the votes would
be found in opposition to the free sil.
yer humbug. Chicago is too a COM
mercial and industrial city, and as
such is too intimately connected with
the worlds trade, to abandon the
sound principles OF currency. The
silyerties appear to have controlled
the Democratic delegate elections
simply because their opponents stayed
away from the polls. AS the county
machine is largely controlled by the
silyerItes, the friends Of honest money
did not deem it worth while to attend
an election for delegates to "snap"
convention. But if this species Of
tactics should prevail wherever the
advocates Of free silver coinage boast
Of their control Of the Democratic
organization the result might be an
ticipated in the nomination Of free
silver candidate for the Presidency in
the next Democratic National Con-
yention and in the dismemberment Of
the Democratic party. This heresy
can be extirpated from the Demo
cratic party only by fighting it wher-
ever it may rear its head. Upon this
depends tie fate Of the Democratic
party now and in the future.
No Democrat, then, who is interest
ed in the success OF his party can fail
to watch the free silver movement
with the greatest concern. Should
the next Democratic National Con-
vention place free silver candidate
on free silver platform the question
would not be so much whether the
Democratic party could be saved as
whether 1t would longer be worth the
saving. If the Democratic party
should adopt this programme the Re
publlcans, who are now much divided
on the monetary issue East and West,
would be constrained by party policy,
if by nothing else, to declare un.
equlvocally, for the first time, for hon.
est money; and they would achieve
an easy victory.
With the party lines in 1906 thus
clearly divided it vould be vain to
attempt TO hold conservative Demo.
Gratis within their organization by
pointing out the dangerous tendency
OF the Republican party its spolia-
tory tariff policy; its devotion to
monopoly; its strong inclination to
paternalism in government, and its
loose construction Of the organic law
whenever the law may interfere with
its partisan projects The Demo.
cratic party is as necessary now as
ever to the maintenance of the true
principles OF popular government and
the protection Of the rights of the
many against the interests OF the few.
But the Democratic party would
shamefully betray these principles and
these rights if it should make itself
the leader Of a movement to debase
the nations currency. Should the
Democracy 60 to destruction on this
policy, as it inevitably would, it
might be long before new political
party could be organized to success
fully defend the Jeffcrsonian principles
of government. On this ground party
leaders-ex Speaker Crisp, Senator
Voorhees,, Senator Morgan and the
rest-who seek to drag the Demo
cratic party upon free silver deadfal
for platform, have assumed heavy
weight of responsibility. They never
can atone during the rest of theil
lives for this betrayal Of the honest
money principles of Jefferson, Jack
son and Benton,
There are those who still hope that
both the great parties may be able TO
tide this great question over another
Presidential election. 1t is believed
by many Republicans that the issue
may be clearly evaded by a declara
ton in favor of international bimetal
lism, and by many Democrats that the
old phrases about maintaining q
"parity" of value between gold anc
| ciluar nos, ear,,a ana pnA.a tarno d.