The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-08-25
A Hazardous Undertaking..


Senator Harris. in his Washington in
( terview the other day. speaking OF the
t recent conference Of slverites in Wash
ington and their purpose 10 organize a
campaign within the Democratic party
/ for the purpose of controlling the national
democratic convention next year in the
interest of silver. said that il the silver
ties failed in their purpose they would
cheerfully accept their defeat and willing
~ do all they could for the success Of the
democratic ticket Would they?
Not long ago there was a contest between
the sound money and free silver coinage
democrats in Kentucky. and the sound
money faction won by a big majority.
The sound money faction made the plat
form. and then. for the sake of harmony
in the party. they nominated Mr. Hardin,
free silver coinage democrat, for gov
efnor What has been the result? Mr..
Hardin has practically repudiated the plat
form of his party, and in his campaign
is. making free silver coinage speeches.
And the siverite newspapers of Kentucky
and other states are applauding him. And
for what? Can it be said that Mr.. Har-
din is doing something that is creditable?
Is he dealing fairly with his party?
When he accepted the nomination for
governor he practically said that he bow
ed TO the viii of his party. He entered
into contract that he would conduct the
campaign on a sound money basis. He
accepted a trust TO carry out the will Of
his party as expressed in its platform.
He was under no obligation to accept the
nomination. lie was free to decline it If
he thought he could not conduct cam
paign in accordance with his partys prin-
ciples In fact, he was advised to decline
it by Senator Blackburn. He chose to ac-
cept it, and his speech Of acceptance led
the convention to believe that he would
not violate the trust reposed in him.
How has he discharged that trust? The
answer to that question is found in his
first speech in his joint debate with the
gubernatorial candidate Of the Republican
party. and in the protests Of the sound
money democrats throughout the state
His free silver coinage declarations have
had the effect of disorganizing the party
to such an extent that there is talk of
asking him to withdraw so that another
candidate, who would have a better
chance of carrying the state, could be NOM
mated. And the apprehensions of the
democratic managers respecting the in
ability of the democracy to carry the state
with Mr.. Hardin at the head of the ticket
Il Ill aarn arat
enthusiastic and express themselves con
hdent of success.
we calrattention to the situation in Ken
lucky in connection with Senator Harris
declaration for the purpose of pointing
out the follyof expecting harmonious
action IN the national democratic eonven-
ton If the purpose of the silverites in
the Democratic party to organize cam
paign in behalf of silver within that party
is persisted in. If defeated, instead of
accepting defeat cheerfully as Senator
Harris says they would, the silverites, if
thoroughly organized. would in all prob
ability, do pretty much as Mr.. Hardin and
his silverite friends in Kentucky are doing,
And if they should adopt that course the
defeat of the national Democratic party
would be inevitable. Therefore, if Sena-
tor Harris and his fellow silverites who
held the Washington conference are sin
cerely anxious for the success of their
party, and desire to preserve their cheer
fulness, they should abandon their scheme
for organizing a silver party within the
Democratic party.