Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-05-06
THE DANGER TO OUR PARTY.

To the Editor OF Ile OiSP"lO"'
VIII you please notice the pubhshed
Telegram of Hon. Don NJ. Dickinson 10
Washington, announcing, In tone OF
triumph, that Michigan had declared lor
Sound money" sent twenty sound
money delegates to the Chicago conVen-
lion. out of a total of twenty eight, and
adopted the unit rule? And this was
the work of a convention which (without
taking any account of the corrupt prac-
tices charged against the gold-standard
leaders, consisted Of 3G6 votes for the
free coinage OF silver. and IA against IL,
"a bare majority of IS. Was there the
slightest disposition 70 compromise OF
10 show any consideration for the Dig
silver majority? No; with an iron hand,
the friends of the administration ana
the eold-standard suppressed the minority
and adopted the unit rule. and now are
boasting that Mlchgan's twenty-eight
votes will be cast solidly for the gold
standard. But what a different tune 90
they sing i'm Virginia, where it Is con
coded that the friends of true bimetal-
ism (Which means the free and unlim-
tied coinage of both gold and silver upon
equal terms are in the majority We
are told here that the unit rule Will
never do: that the minority must be re-
cognized. and the silver Democrats are
e. Does not the Dispatch know that, with
solid delegations and the unit rule
from the gold States and divided dele
g,tions from the silver States, BIZ
netallism is foredoomed TO utter de-
feat? The brave, the logical, the SEN
sible thing for the frec-silver Democrats
10 do at stanton is the adoption of the
unit rule. If they are sincere friends
OF silver. if they believe that its destruc-
lion as standard money was the most
gigantic crime of this or any other age,
as was said by John G.. Carlisle In l6S'
if they are really tired Of the grinding
depression Of prices produced by the
single gold standard. then they must
strike with all the force they possess!
IL Is plain that the rulers of gold stand
ard sentiment will hesitate at nothing
TO carry their point. They VIII wheedie
and caiole. If possible, where they
are In the minority; but they
crush with the tyrants heel where
they have the power. They VIII never
Compromised is a death-struggle, and
the sooner the silver Democrats recog-
nlze this fact the better
Now. will the Dispatch have the fair
ness TO print the foregoing from Nir-
cinian and a silver Democrat?
SOUTHWEST.
Dublin, Va. May 4th
In the matter Of adopting the unit
rule az stanton, we are not 50 much
concerned about its bearing upon the
currency question as about its bearing
upon the future OF the Democratic party
In Virginia.
That the majority will have the right
10 pass such n resolution-that they Will
have plenty Of precedents, too-we do not
question. But we insist that il Is a
power the majority would better not use
The Virginia Democratic Convention OF
1892 could have instructed ''for Cleve-
land" or against Cleveland" but IT did
not do so. why? Because it would
have endangered the harmony Of the
party in Virginia. What was true as
10 the condition Of our party in Virginia
in 1892 may be true as TO its condition
when our convention meets at Stauntor
on June ith next. and. in that event
we insist that it would be bad poll
ties for the convention TO adopt the unit
rule. We repeat: Better a divided dele
CATION TO Chicago than a divided party
at home. Furthermore, we contend that
as a means of determining the wishes OF
the people, the long-sanding Virginia
rule is better than the unit rule
Because Don Dickinson has hopeless
~ divided MS party in Michigan, w
are not bound 90 divide ours in Nir'
sinsa To Michiganders the unity of oul
party In that State is Of inconsiderabl'
importance. while 10 US the unity of ON
party In Virginia is a matter of surpass
ing Importance. With them, a rupture
would mean little; with us, 1t would NEAR
much.
The free-silver Democrats OF Halita,
and Gloucester counties take the RICH
view. They are uncompromising free
silverites. but are not willing e
stake our party's entire fortune upoI
the turn OF the stanton convention.