St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-08-01
TROUBLE IN KENTUCKY.

The situation in Kentucky is not,
according to the statements Of the
local press, a satisfactory one. The
difficulty lies in the disposition eX-
hibited there, by the defeated party
in the Democratic convention, to re-
fuse to abide by the decision of the
majority. 1t is this same DISPOSE
ton, shown almost everywhere by
the advocates of the free coinage
of silver, to hold their belief in their
pet theory higher than their party
loyalty, be they nominally Demo-
Gratis or Republicans, that exposes
them to a criticism as just as it is
severe. 1t is this which entities
them to less consideration at the
hands of party convention than
they would otherwise receive.
The fight on the free silver issue
in Kentucky was openly and fairly
made. The state was filled with it.
The nation rang with it. Nobody
abused Senator Blackburn and his
partisans for raising the free COIN
age flag, and attempting to rally
about it the Democratic party of the
state. That was their privilege, as
citizens and as Democrats, if they
believed such a policy to be wise
and right. And that they did. The
contest was carried into every dis
trict, and eliminated in the fight
over the platform in the state con-
vention. The opponents of the free
coinage policy won. By a decided
majority they not only reaffirmed
the national platform of 1892, but
explicitly commended the admins
trative acts of President Cleveland
and Secretary Carlisle. That should
have settled it. With true and hon
orable men there were but two
courses to pursue after that; either
to abide loyalty by the decision of the
convention, or to renounce it and
with it their allegiance to Democ-
racy.
This is not what the Blackburn
Democrats have done. For a little
while they We're stunned by their
unexpected reverse. At first it was
said that Senator Blackburn would
accept his defeat and stand by the
ticket. Then it was said that he
A little later he reappeared in it
with new activity, but in an attitude
inconsistent with the right to wear
the name of Democrat. Mr.. Black
burn has been and still is pushing
his campaign in the legislative dis
tricts with ardor. But no man can
say without conditions that he is
running as a Democrat. He asks
for the votes of Democratic electors.
He assumes a right to the party
name and standing in the state.
But he repudiates the party plat
form. He throws off his allegiance
personally, and is reputed to have
Sdlu lHdC the next senator VIII be
either himself or a Republican. That
report he has not denied, as far as
we have seen. Practically, there
fore, he is a third party candidate,
running in the Republican interest,
while still claiming to represent the
Kentucky Democracy whose COM
mand he has refused to obey.
1t is desirable that the situation
should be understood, for several
reasons. In the first place, if there
should chance to be any reverse in
Kentucky, we desire to know just
where to place the responsibility
1t would be claimed everywhere as
a rebuke to the Kentucky platform.
But it would be nothing of the kind.
For the Republicans, in whose inter-
est Mr.. Blackburn seems to be cam
paigning, provided he cannot succeed
himself, declared unequivocally for
the gold standard. Both parties
having formally repudiated the free
coinage Of silver in that state. the