The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-08-22
Holding the POstmasters RespOn-
sibIe.

HIDkes
The silverite organs and the politicians
of the Allen w. Thurman stamp are now
charging that the postmasters and other
federal officials are controlling the state
democratic conventions which are declar-
ing for sound money. They refuse to adj
NIT that public sentiment is against their
1s to idea, but knowing that it is peces-
sary to explain why 1t is that democrats,
in their state conventions, are so generally
declaring against the free and unlimited
coinage of silver at the ratio of 16 to
they are trying to make it appear that the
sound money resolutions are being adopted
through the efforts of postmasters and
other federal officials and not because the
resolutions have the approval of the demo-
cratic masses. Is it possible to conceive
of more ridiculous explanation of the
stand that democrats in their state con-
ventions are taking in favor of sound
money?
We do not know whether the postmas-
tiers and other federal officials are taking
. an unusually active part in politics or not,
but If they are they are doing so on their
own account and not because they are in
structed to do so from Washington, But.
assuming they are active in behalf of
sound money, what particular influence
do they have? They are not one-tenth
of per cent. of the democratic voters in
any community and unless they were in
accord with the great majority of demo-
cratic voters they would not have any
particular influence in democratic conven-
lions. In what county in this state, for
instance. would the influence of the post
masters amount to anything in politics If
the majority of the democratic voters were
against them on the silver question?
The reason why, in regularly constituted
state conventions of democrats, sound
money resolutions are adopted is that the
great majority of the democrats are IN
favor of sound money. Every day the
number of sound money democrats is in
ereasing. Many of those who were sill
verites have abandoned the cause of sill
yer, as presented by the silverites, because
they have discovered that the 16 to l idea
means silver recommendation and "a debas-
InSy udu bScll AAlSlSu by the
silverite organs and leaders. The sole
purpose of the silver agitation was so care
fully concealed by the talk of bimetallism
and the money of the constitution that
they readily believed that free and un-
limited silver coinage at the ratio of Is to
would not lessen the purchasing power
of our silver dollar. AS fast as they ind
out the truth they get back into the ranks
of the Democratic party. lin -
/ No, the postmasters and other federal
officials are not running the state demo-
cratic conventions. The masses of the de-
mocracy are running them. and the fact
that they are running them in the direction
of sound money is alarming the silverites
Postmasters and other federal officials, if
they are active in them. are but an insig-
nificant part of them-so insignificant that
it is not worth noticing. That the silver
ties are attributing their defeat to such an
Insignificant factor. and are making loud
complaints of the presence of office holders
in the conventions. shows how weak the
cause of silver is and how rapidly it is los
ing ground.