The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-07-28
The Possible Danger in Amerlcn

The Western and Southern States OF
the mon have rerolted against property.
II things were always what they seem
which IN America they very often are
not, that would be the meanina. OF fhe
course which the convention OF the
Democrat party now sitting I'm Chicago
has resolved 10y h0avy majorities 70 piir-
sue, and even as Il O. the PROCEEDINGS are
OF the deepest interest 10 all English
men There is, at all events a chance
that Governor Altgeld Of Illinois, who is
ruling the convention, may get his
way, ana may nominate and
carry his candidate. and n lie does
the loss IL the British investor Will run
up 10 tens OF millions. while the blow
to Democracy throughout the world viii
be the most severe that n has endured
IN this generation. The SILVER men have
completely captured the Democrat Con
Neution, they have Obtdincd-lt is said ~
revolutionary means twO-thirds ma
Joilty adj they have accepted and are
ABOUT formally 20 issue. a platform. about
the Gaming of which there can be no
mistake. They have no notion ~ "fool-
ing around their object. They not only
declare that silver ought 20 be made le.,,l
tender az ratio Of 20 To-. that is. af
nearly double Its commercial price with.
out waiting FOR any international agree
ment but they avow their intention OF
Whaling If they can AN contracts for
payment in gold. thus. as they opcnlv
acknowledge, reducing an debts by one
hai, while increasing equally the price
~ all commodities produced i'm America
lney specifically refuse 70 AN holders Of
United States bonds the option Of de-
manding gold. and they declare that n
gold standard is a British device. favored
also by the Eastern States. for plunderiur
inc American people. They demand. more
over, such revision OF the Constitution
as VIII make an income tax. which has
recently been disallOwed by the supreme
Court. fully legal and do not conceal
IN their speeches that they intent in should
De graduated and heavy They. I'm fact
declare that they Will 10y law DEPRIVE The
creditor class Of half its property. that
they viii fine the rich for being rich. and
'hdt they regard capitalists, bankers. and
an VINO adhere 10 4 gold standard as foes
OF the body Of the people Their enthu-
slasm in the cause is indescribable ana
Their violence and contempt for their own
rules, which have been most marked.
snow that they think they have a per
eHplofy mandate. and that in their judy
mcnt the electors are determined TO wait
no longer but 10 enforce their views il
necessary by revolutionary means. in
Guiding, If that cannot be- avoided. the
expulsion OF the Eastern States from the
Union. II r. carefully recorded that "see-
uonal feeling" has much 10 do with
the extreme character OF the resolutions.
ana that the Western delegates are treat
ing The East In a way and with Language
when indicate both contcmpt and hate
th.nly concealed under an assertion re-
peated every ten minutes, that the East
lenders"
Views OF this kind strike Englishmen
Of property as go nearly insane that thew
attach 10 them less importance than they
deserve. They are, IN fact. unable 10 be-
he'e that majority can bee found any
where IN America holding such opinions
and expect that az The polls the Silver
party viii lie hopelessly defeated We.aIso
expect that, because we still believe that
the American people IS one of the "DeO-
pies OF the Bible" and Will not knowing
~ do anything which Christianity for
bids, but We are more alarmed than most
of our contemporaries We know TOO well
that the American opinion" spoken OF
I'm this country is nothing but the opinion
OF the Eastern States. now FAR out
weighed in importance by the West. We
We're elected. I'm spite OF very heavy eX-
psndityc by the gold men, in order TO
defend these Wild proposals. We see That
these proposals are moderate when COM
pared with views like those OF Mr.. Alt
gold. Mr. Boles. and Mr. Tillman. and that
Mr.. Altgeld is the elected Governor of
Illinois population three millions and 4
quarter. that Mr.. Boies Is the Governor
Of Iowa population nearly two milllonsl,
and that Mr. Tillman. besides being Gov
ernOr OF South Carolina, Is the accepted
mouthpiece OF the whole Popullst party.
which throws heavy vote in ~ least
SIX States. We have noted for years in
the West the increase OF Socialist" feel
ing az regards all property except free
hold land. and the popularity Of an de-
nunciations OF trusts. railway companies.
banking corporations. and great private
owners Of capital. We have not forgotten
that the wild experiment known as the
Bland act. which ordered national pur-
chase Of all surplus silver. was received
with enthusiasm i'm the West. or that the
arguments for that act were said To be
as much dictated by Socialist feeling as