The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1895-08-25
THE DEMOCRATIC CONFERENCES.

New York Tribune.
1t seems merely waste of time to
refer to the Washington conference of
silver Democrats. The world has
marched on and left them and their pet
issue behind. To cali them cranks Is
rather an insult to the genuine and un-
adulterated cranks who are not merely
partlsans. The free silver Democrats are
mainly partlsans who discover that the
financial dishonesty which the Democrats
have for many years cultivated merely
as a trick to win elections against Re-
publican good faith, now threatens under
the name of Populism to sweep the DEM
ocratic party off the face Of the earth.
In frantic anxiety for their party and
their own places these silver Democrats
rush to the footlights, protesting that
they are quite as crazy and dishonest on
the money question as any one else.
The lunatlcs that really believe that the
millions are ground down under the hoofs
of monetary despots are morally much
more worthy persons. however little can
be said for their mental capacity.
1t Is rightly said that the Populists
| themselves have hardly ever gone to
wilder extremes In monetary discussion
than appear in the address of these
silver Democrats In fact, the effort to
| out-Populst the Popullsts Is painfully
evident, 50 that few can be deceived by
| II In the least. on the surface there is
the pretence that the Democratic party
| Is, and always has been, quite as bad ana
| brainless as silver Democrats now pro-
fess to be, but that Is not quite the fact
1t has been vicious and dangerous In
It's tendencies ever since the War OF
Rebellion, because that trouble brought
/ .W. 4. .N..a. l.Ta ...1
| slavery Democracy through the enormous
resources which free people with faith
| in their government gladly offered for
| its support, Ever since that time the
dearest hope of the southern Democracy,
| ever the ruling force In that party, has
been to crush and hlmiliate the indus
tries and financial Institutions OF the
north by which suppression of the re-
hellion was made possible, Quite as ma
tura.ly all the Copperhead Democracy of
the north has taken sides with the south
ern repudlntors and lnnatlonists
But the Democratic party had not been
preaching these destructive notions long
ton wester and southern voters when II
discovered that Il was In danger Of light
ing fire which II had not the power TO
quench, Monetary and property interests
In the great commercial cities took alarm
anu us iIlpSt ClNltS give III ltNNl NNtiS
the only chance the Democratic party
has OF carrying northern states, the
crack In the party began which has since
been widening to break. The issue for
the last two years has been between tho
Democrats who hope TO save western ana
southern states by going even further
than the Populists in financial foolish
ness and dishonesty, and those who want
to save some eastern states by Keep
ing within telescope sight of business In
terests.
This conference does not make any
break. but vainly attempts to prevent
ore. It Is imagined that western and
southern Democrats, though crammed
with the demagogism and dishonesty
which the party has taught so long, may
be he'd within party lines until the con-
vention by the proposal TO organize ana
struggle for control OF II, and may then
be placated by some double-faced
declaration and swept away by partisan
habit and feeling into the support OF
any Democratic candidate. Exactly as
the same voters supported Mr.. Cleveland
In 1892. and men like Senator Vest
pledged their faith that he could be
trusted so the candidate OF 1896, the
Democrats imagine. may be trustingly
supported by silver extremists and Wan
street bankers. side by side, sacn think
ing the other Is cheated. II Is trick
which has been played many times and
succeeded once. The result is the reason
II cannot succeed again.