St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-04-09
WHO FOR NINETY-SIX.

with all political parties now in a
state of flux; with individuals in all
taking new positions under the law
of cohesion that operates in politics
as well as in the material world:
with the silver craze dissolving the
ties that have held men to their
parties, the eye Of every Thought
full man turns to the next year to
see, if he can, what it will bring
forth of political changes. When the
battle of the standards is fairly on
In the great heterogeneous of ss@
parties that will assemble next year.
following the skirmishes now in prog
ress, what will be the outcome?
Which party will fly the silver gray,
and which the yellow banner? If
neither do, if the straddlebug writes
the white metal set up and rally
around their banner?
Already public opinion is crystal
liZfng. The leaven of silver is work
ing in both of the old parties.
Neither can charge the other with
4.
each men are dividing on the gold
and silver standard. The opposition
is daily hardening into a crust i'm
penetrable to sensible compromise.
Before the conventions meet the
opinions Of the men who will control
them will have become fixed. There
is now no standing ground for pre-
diction. The situation admits only
of speculation. This may be interest
ing. if profitless and erroneous. The
whole situation may change COM
pletely before the conventions meet.
AS that time approaches the political
currents run swiftly and change
rapidly So that any conjecture of
the outcome must be made on. GEN
eral tendencies and permanent
forces.
The storm center of the political
Held is silver. The market value
of it is IS cents an ounce. It's pro-
ducers want it raised by edict to
$1.29. That is, they want more than
free competition will give them.
This calls in play the Republican
policy applied to a new product. It
appeals strongly to men of that
party. In fact it is difficult to see
now they can deny it, This is one
reason, we take it, why the move
ment finds lodgment so largely
among the Republicans. For the
same reason we apprehend that. when
democrats sense the real purpose
and spirit of the movement. those
VINO have been drawn toward or
into it will recoil. They will have
either to abjure their Democracv
or their silver notions. Those nom
lnaliy Democrats, but in fact and
spirit paternalists, will, of course. re-
main with the silver protectionists.
Ii these forces work out their nat.
ural effect we may expect to see tba
hepuDilcan convention controlled
by the SilVerites, and the Democ,,a +io
by the men willing to utilize siIva,.
measured by gold, but refusing If
fictitious terms of measurement
But supposing that this Should not
happen; that the Republicans. skilled
IN such featS, should execute an.
other artistic Straddle that wopId
nave a gold foot in the East and
silver one in the West, and that the
sllver1tes should dominate the Dem.
ocratic convention with demand
Tor free coinage at 16 to 1. With tba
Republicans lodging and a majority
OF the Democrats, with the Populists
out for money so per cent value
and 30 per cent breath of con-
gress,' what should the Democrats
who refuse to deny their lord or to
be a particeps criminis in the pros
t1tutlon of the party do? Will thew
take to the woods or will they stand
by the deserted colors, and make
fight for the preservation of Democ-
racy and the Democratic party?
And If they take the latter course.
who will be their leader? Already
this contingency is being consid-
cred, and already men are talking
OF Cleveland as the candidate. Sue
cess is not contemplated or expected
by them, but they are impelIed bv
feeling of self-respect, of loyalty to
principle, belief that they will thus
preserve the ark Of the covenant of
Democracy around which men can
reform when the craze dies away
and sense returns. With the Repub-
icans straddling, and with a thirtv-
year record redo1ent with vicious
compromises and heretical finace.
they might appeal with success to
the common sense and honesty of
the mass, but this is problematical.
These crazes have to have their run
like mumps and measles. and one