The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1895-11-13
HOW 10 SETTLE THE s LIVER
QUESTION.

| elOQuent advocate OF SILVER III AmcilCd'
under the text "a House Divided
Against Itself Cannot Stand" offers
as a solution of the contest in the Dem
cratic party the submission OF the sal
YER question to a primary election.
Writing the day after the great Re
publican victories, he thus unfolds his
plan:
"In 1853 Abraham Lincoln made po-
litical application for a scriptural text
which has become part of our ma
TONS history. In opening his senate
| rial campaign against Stephen a.
| Douglas he said: a house divided
against itself cannot stand, and then
proceeded to apply the principle to
| the political situation as it presented
| itself at the time. He insisted that the
union could not exist half slave and
half free and concluded with the
prophecy that the nation would not
| fall. but that it would cease to be di-
vided. The Democratic party occupies
the same perilous position to-day that
the union did in 1858; it is house di-
vided against itself, and it requires
no prophetic powers to fOresee that
|
party must fall 1t is for the Demo
Gratis of the country to decide which
result shall follow. There is an ire
| pressible conflict raging within the
| Democratic party between monOmetal-
lists and bi-metallists, and the conflict
| must continue until one side triumphs
completely Compromise is no longer
| possible; we must either join England
| IF
| standard, with silver used only as "a
token money, redeemable in gold, or
| we must throw the influence of the
United States upon the side of the
| double standard.
''The northeastern Democrats de-
clare that the restoration of the free
and unlimited coinage of silver on
| equal terms with gold at the ratio of
| 16 to / means reputation, national
| dishonor and financial disaster. The
| western and southern Democrats, on
the other hand, believe that the gold
standard means extortion by the cred
| itor class, financial depression indef-
nitely extended, and misery to the
masses of the people. There is no
middle ground between these two
| ideas. If the Democrats of the north
| east are sincere in their opinion, they
| cannot be expected to surrender their
convictions in order to please their
| party associates. If the Democrats
| of the west and south are sim
cere in their opinion, they cannot be
expected to surrender their conyic-
| tons. Not only is surrender of con-
yictions improbable, but it is also inn
polite. If the Democrats adopt a
straddling platform and nominate a
straddling candidate in 1896, he will
receive less votes than a straight-out
goldbug or a straight-out advocate of
free silver. The northeastern Demo
crat will distrust and desert such
candidate because he is not committed
to the gold standard; and the western
and southern Democrat will distrust
and desert such candidate because
he is not pledged to free coinage. He
will lose votes from all sources without
drawing votes from any source, and
the party will not only be overwhelm-
ingly defeated, but will be democrat
lied for subsequent campaigns. The
Democratic party need not expect nor
hope to win another national cam
paign until it becomes all mOnomctal-
lie or all bi-metalIic.
''The United States will finally adopt
as it's permanent policy that financial
system which best protects the rights
of the majority of the people and best
conserves the interests of the country,
and that party only can, or should,
permanently administer the govern
ment which carries out the policy
which is best for the people a ma
jority has a right to rule both in the
country and in the party. The policy
Of party should be determined by
majority of that party, and the voters
will not be satisfied with anything
less, if they appreciate the rights and
privileges Of citizenship.
''IIow can the opinion Of the voters
of party be determined? In only one
way, namely, by primary election, at
which every voter shall be permitted
to record his opinion. Conventions
and caucuses may misrepresent rather
than represent the voters, because del
egates, unless bound by instructions,
may carry out their Individual opin-
ions rather than the opinions of those
whom they are supposed to represent.
The danger of misrepresentation is
greater upon money question than
upon nay other kind of question. The
World-Herald suggests that the com
mittee be petitioned to submit the sill
yer question to a primary election.
LET theissue be made plain and dis
tinct between the single gold standard
and the immediate restoration of the
free and unlimited coinage of gold and
silver at the present legal ratio of IS
to /, as such coinage existed prior to
1873, without waiting for the aid or
| consent of any other nation, such gold
and silver coin to be a full legal tender
for all debts, public and private.
'Let it be understood that the nation
al convention shall adopt a platform
and nominate a candidate in accord
ance with the views expressed at the
primaries, then tho party will not ouly
hold those who favor the policy de
| clared for and those who are willing
to surrender their own convictions in
order to retain the party name, but it
| viii draw to itself those who believe in
| candor and honesty in politics and who
| favor the policy declared and whose