New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-07-20
RIPPING WHAT THEY SOWED.

Th. exhibition which the Democratic party Is
now giving Is not an essentially new one. ana
vet II Is instructive and presents one or 'w'
peculiar features Everybody who is familiar
with the political history ~ III" country SINCE
the War knows that that party as party mas
uniformly championcd ami advocated every I'M
sounl financial theory that has been brolct'd'
every dangerous proposition that has been al
vonccl II fought against the issue ~ green
hacks I'm fine " War anc In favor ~ green
hack imitation after the War. when II consoricd
with the Grecnback party. II fought against IN"
rosump,ion Of specie payments which would
make the grcenbacks rs good ms gold. II IA
yorcl The pnvmeni Of the principal Of The public
debt and the interest thereon IN grccnbacks be-
fore the resumption of specie payments " haS
been the constant, bitter. persistent foe Of 'h"
National banking system. Always and almost
everywhere lis watchword has been CHEAP
money As soon az the value ~ silver bullion
began to decline IL took up the cudgcl In behalf
Of the free and unlimited coinage OF silver ho''
lars and for years Us most prominent ana III
fiuent!al leaders ring The changes on The crime
OF 1873" They taught the rank AMI hle OF their
party TO believe that the financial prosperity o'
the country and the pecuniary salvation 81 the
"toillng masses depended upon free ana unllm-
tied silver coinage Alarmed by the starting
and rapid growth Of Popullsm In the South ami
IN some of the Western States. many of me
Democratic leaders. In order 10 prevent whole
sale deserions from the party ranks. 80 far
Welded 70 the demands Of the new party that II
became exceedingly dficult-inhced often I'm
possible-to distinguish between Democrat
and n Populist This Democraflc-Populist com
binaton ruled the majority Of the last House OF
Representatives with a rod 81 Iron. ana was
powerful enough 20 carry income tax legislation
through the Senate OF the United States. The
Democratic party had been busy for more than
thirty years sowing the wind. ana 1t had now
begun to reap the whirlwlnd.
The elections OF 1904 opened The eyes Of Demo
cratic leaders wider than they had been opened
before in n generation A halt was called. and
an effort begun to undo some Of the mischief
for which they were responsible. "Currcncy Re-
form" was the frs, thing that seems to have
occurred 10 President Cleveland. who instructed
his Secretary OF the Treasury to prepare a plan.
That plan, which the President cordially ap
proved, proposed. among other things 10 dis
criminate against grecnbacks and National bank
notes and In favor Of silver certificates. and to
Administration would not consent TO any sub
stantial modification Of the scheme. and especial
" did It insist upon the "wldcat" currency feat.
IRE. The National Treasury was In straits ana
the Democratic-Populist majority In Congress
stubbornly refused 10 pass any measure for It's
relief Free and unlimited coinage of silver or
no legislation" WAS the ulimaium. That was
the situation at the expiration Of the Lid Con
gress, except that the strain upon the National
Treasury had been relieved by a sacrifice sale"
Of Government bonds Then be IN thc crusade
In behalf Of Sound Money" which IL now in
progress. 1t Is a peculiar one. because nearly
all The active leaders are men who for years had
been strong and consistent and presumably sin
cere advocates Of the free and unlimited coinage
Of silver They mainly responsible for the
frec-sver sentiment that dominates the Demo
cratic party today and they are now striving
TO undo their own work Three OF these. men
are members Of the Presidents Cabnet-the
Secretary Of the Treasury, the Secretary OF the
Navy and the Secretary Of the Interior II IL
not unnatural. perhaps. for conii1ing Democrats
whose esIlver opinions were formed. strength
ened and confirmed by these men through long
years OF effort argument and persuasion, 10
wonder at the transformation and hesitate To
abandon opinions that have become earnest and
sincere convictions. The same observation ap-
piles with equal force to Colonel Morrison. OF
Illinois; to Representative Patterson Of Tenncs-
see; to Governor Oates, Of Alabama: to exRepre-
sentntives Bynum and Cooper Of Indiana; to
Senator Mills, Of Texas. and others who might
be mentioned. Whether earnestly and sincerely
or not these men are apparently attempting to !