The San Francisco call., 1896-07-04
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
FATE OF DEMOCRACY.
GALyANIc SHOW OF LIFE ONLY-A DooMFUL |
PROPHECY.

GALyANIC SHOW OF LIFE ONLY-A DooMFU1
PROPHECY.
To the Editor of the San Francisco CdlE-SIR: It
does seem to me past belief that men of sense
can be led as they are led all the time by
shams which mere boys not yet in their teens
should see through at once in times like those
in which we now live. AS I write tonight
July p the air throbs with threats from DEM
ocratic throats that gold shall not rule the
party. Grant that those who shout so loud and
vex the air with threats so dire mean to down
the gold power. 1t is just here that these men
play the fool: The gold forces go there for
the sole purpose of being put down-to blind
the fool people. No man who thinks can fail
TO see that two gold candidates would divide
the gold vote, and gold men have no party
they are for gold just as railroad men are for
their own schemes.
Let us look at the fight now on at Chicago in
a light as broad and clear as that of high noon
To divide silver men and keep them apart is
the one task now in hand by gold men. In
fact 1t is the sole hope left them. But as part
of their sly scheme they must keep up a sham
fight for gold TO fool the people, and, sad to
say, the people are fooled-far more of them at
least than man of sound sense would think
could be made fools OF by such trick. "Di-
vide and conquer" 1t is an old rule. 1t works
well in the present game of politics.
But my aim at this time is just to say word
on this point ana pass on to quite another
thing mean the fate of the Democratic party
What write here shall be the truth as near as
can see it and state it. / trust the time is
now past when men who claim to be fair will
think it worth while to try to make the false
seem to be the true. This is a time which does
in fact try mems souls, and they want the
truth.
As turn to the East N my thought tonight
can see no hope for 8 silver Democratic can
didate for the Presidency in New York, New
Jersey or Connecticut, and of course not in
any other of the gold ruled States OF the North
east. That means, if we take a full sense of
the change OF political feeling now sweeping
over the land, that Democracy in all those
States at least will go to sleep this fall beside
its old-time foes, the Wings, and be as dead as
they are.
Silver will not save them in the South. 1t is
too late. Texas is gone. Men who know the
facts apd will tell the truth viii say at once
that the gold Democrats of Texas have split
the party in twain where it was already safe
for the Populists. II is much the same in
think these FIVE great Southern States are lost
to Democracy. Populists in all the States will
unite with silver men on the terms proposed
alone-at st. Louis July %. They cannot and
will not unite with Democrats as party on
any terms; they do not think of such thing.
Nor will silver Republicans join them. Silver
Democrats OF good sound sense can in fact
have no hope that they viii win. Infatuation
now seems to possess them at the assembling
conVeD ton. But infatuatiOn is q breath soon
lost in thin air.
There will be real union OF silver forces at
St. Louis by the Populists and true silver men
separate but not antagonistic platforms Good
Democrats will vote the Republican ticket
Only infatuated partisan Democrats who think
they are silver men will vote the Democratic
ticket. Democracy will be third in the race
and will break its neck. 1t will disappear as n
National party next November.
close with doomful forecast of the fate of
Democracy, made in March, 1898 soon after
Mr.. Cleveland was inaugurated, by Julius
Erickson, and a copy of it was filed with the
librarian at Washington at the time, and an
published in Boston. 1 can only give extracts
from it, for IL fills three pages of the Arena vol
10, No. 4, for September, 1894 II is entitled
IAN Astrological Forecast OF the Administra-
tion of President Cleveland"
While l am not much addicted to astro-
logical or any other kind of prophecy, bibli-
eel or Chaldaic,. confess that this forecast
made profound impression on my mind when
1t was published in September, 1894 the more
so that at the time it was made, Just after Mr.
Cleveland was inaugurated, IL was the general
and successful administration ofour National
affairs.
Ny first quotation is made from the third
paragraph, p. 537: "The Presidents judgment
in many cases Will be decidedly at variance
with the policy which the public will expect
to emanate from the head of the Democratic
party" land he viii have a far more
troublesome, annoying and anxiously vexa-
Lincoln"
On p. 5SS. at the close of the eighth para
graph, 1t is said: But the most disastrous
time of the whole will even tuate in 1896, and
the close of his term will witness the most
startling changes in the political history of the
United States"
next (the ninth) paragraph: "The indications
point to an entirely new party, the formations
OF new principles, new men and new ideas,
which will lead to the relegation of the Demo-
cratic party to the black forest of oblivion
The Cleveland administration enters with the
nlare OF trumpets and q blaze OF glorys but