The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-07-10


Democratic representatives OF IL States
and territories voted against the free sill
YER platform at Chicago. Republican
representatives OF 20 States and terrific
ries voted against the gold plank at st.
Louis. In neither case did oil of the del
egations OF the states so represented vote
unitedly, most OF the votes in the anti
plank columns being split with their col
leagues on the other side. In the Re-
publican convention, OF the 20 anti-goid
States, the delegations OF only elk voted
unitedly against the gold platform. in
the Democratic convention, OF the IL
anti-silver States, 10 delegations voted
unitedly. But, geserally speaking, II may
be said that as to sectionalism the silver
sentiment in the Republican convention
was about the same as the gold senti-
ment in the Democratic conyention-2O
States as against II respectively for the
most part grouped in sections.
The silver strength in the Republican
convention, however, was only little
more than one-third thar OF the gold
strength in the Democratic convention
that is the 20 States that developed silver
delegates at st. Louis gave q total OF
110Ia such, while at Chicago 3Ol dele
gates stood for SOUND money. These
figures have a two-fold significance.
They show that the st. Louis convention
was more strongly imbued with the
triumphant sound money spirit than Was
the Chicago convention with the victori-
Gus silver delusion-a situation fiattering
to both-and they indicate further that
the Republican party has less to fear
from Its silver break than has the Democ'
racy from the sound money kick within
it. The sound money strength at Chi
cago was nearly one-half that Of the sill
yer strength, while the silver showing at
St. Louis was only about one-eighth
that of the gold strength.
And this indicates that in the splitting
Of party lines the Democracy as q po-
litical organ ization has much more to
fear than has the Republican party. Not
only was the silver vote in the st. Louis
convention far less than the gold vote in
the Chicago convention, but OF the 20
States represented IN the silver column
OF the former net less than eight are al
most surely Democratic under any cir
cumstances, and II every Republican
State represented in the anti-gold col
umn ct 81. Louis, IL we except Illinois,
which, only cast two votes out OF As, and
Michigan, which cast three out Of 2S
against the gold plank, gave its electoral
vote to the Democratic candidate on
free silver platform the loss to the Re-
publican party would be only 81
electoral votes. Tnis possible and
q part OF II almost certain loss under
ordinary circumstances would, in
deed, be serious, but Republicans
may view 1t with complacency II they
stop to consider that Democratic New
Jersey with 10 electoral votes, doubtful
New York with SO and such ordinarily
Republican states that voted for CLEvE-
LAND in '92 as Illinois, "a votes, Indiana
IS, wisconsin..l2, will almost certainly vote
for MCKINLEY and sound money and
contribute not less than 81 electoral votes
to make up possible Republican defici-
ency of 81. The State OF New York alone
furnishes more electoral votes than Colo
rsdo, Idaho, Nevada, Montana, Wyoming,
Utah and California put together. To be
reasonably certain OF New York and New
Jersey with their 40 electoral votes is
worth a big handful OF the surely silver
and so possibly this year Democratic
states. II is not likely as we have before
taken occasion to point out, that New
York and New Jersey could be carried
for the Democracy next November, even
on a sound money platform. They surely
will not be now. And it is probability
amounting to as reasonable certain ty as
is possible in politics that Missouri and
Kentucky and very likely Tennessee will
be added to the Republican column on