Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-07-24
WHITNEYS APPEAL
He Urges the Cooperation Of All
Sound Money Men.
REPUBLICAN FIGHT ON A DEAD ISSUE
Thinks Events Indicate Another
Democratic Ticket.
AN OPPORTUNITY LOST

N OP p ORT U NIFTY LOST
Ex-Secretary w. c. Whitney was asked
yesterday in New York If. In his judgment.
there would be a third ticket nominated by
sound money democrats. He replied:
Il think events and the course Of the
republican leaders are making it inevitable.
The general situation is far worse today, in
my opinion. than it was ten days ago The
republican managers and candidates have
SHOWN no realizing sense Of the situation.
They have failed to avail themselves Of
great opportunity for bencfitng the coun-
try. If the present condition of affairs con-
tinues for any length Of time sound money
demo .rats are bound to organize, and 1t
cannot be prevented.
THE truth Is, there does not seem to be
IN the east realizing sense of the serious
NJ 80 and sincerity of the free silver move
ment. You may call 1t a craze, but it has
captured the imaginations of the great
mass OF people throughout the entire west
ard south. and it has much stronger fol-
loving IN some portions Of the east, not
closely allied to large commercial centers,
tran is generally supposed 1t is the result
OF reading and agitation. 1t has become a
fixed opinion and an unreasoning one.
Il think 1t may be accepted fact
that the vast majority of free silver be-
levers at this time are not open to convic-
tion. Their minds are made up, and they
are quite little inclined to reason upon
the subject We're the delegates whom
they sent to Chicago.
Il was satisfied before we went to Chi
cago that nothing could be accomplished
In the direction Of changing modifying
the free silver Idea, and / said SO. Never
thelesS. 1t was our duty to go there and
emphasize the strength of the convictions
or the eastern democrats, and, further, to
afford the country an object lesson show
ing SO plainly that it could not be misun-
dersto1d the undemocratic ard revolution
airy spirit which dominated the movement.
In this We We're successful. The demo-
cratic mask was pretty effec:ually removed
from the face Of the populism which had
forced itself for the time being into posi-
ton Of control. That was all that the
sound money democrats could hope to ac-
ccmplish. and that they did effectually and
unselfshly.
There never has been in any party con-
Eention such vigorous declaration of in
dependence as was exhibited at Chicago,
when two hundred and fifty-four delegates
70 fused to participate in the selection of
candidates.
A Lost Opportunity.
what should have been the next step
in tho fight for the preservation of national
honor and sound finance? We had sud-
denly come upon a new and very great
crisis, one that called Tor the sinking of
craftsmanship and the union of sound money
to rescue the country from disaster Hun
dreds of thousands OF democrats stood
ready 10 subordinate everything, even to
voting for the republican candidates. What
was the duty of the hour? Clearly it was
Gre that devoved upon the republican party
and its candidates There should have been
an immediate recognition OF new stua-
ton, and the republicans should have been
n Falr nd lr,,
Gratis to bipartisan union, subordnat-
Jig all other things to this question of ma
tional honor
1T was a new issue. 1t dwarfed all 9TH
ers. An opportunity was offered 10 fight
for the established institutions of the
country. tie fundamental things that I'M
derlie party differences-law and ORDER
national honor, common honesty, the in
teSrity OF the courts-all such things, with
out which we do not exist as a nation al
all. A single glimpse at the Chicago plat
form and at the spectacle OF one-third of
the democratic party in open revolt should
have been enough to have shown them in
stantly the necessity of a new alignment
of parties upon non partisan lines. No
greater opportunity for patriotic action
was ever offered a party, and it has all
been thrown away.
Deriding All Democrats.
What has been the course of the re-
publican leaders and the republican press =?
They have insisted upon putting the free
silver enthusiasts and the sound money
democrats in one class and denouncing all
together under the name of national de-
mocracy. Mr.. Mckinley continues to dis
cuss the tariff, which has ceased to be an
actual issue in this campaign as complete
ly as slavery, and the republican press and
leaders persist in deriding all democrats
en- masSe. They jeer at democracy and
yet admit that the doubtful states are
those where republicanism has been domi-
nant for thirty years. Such a policy, per
sisted In. can have but one effect. 1t will
arouse the innate party loyalty of patriotic
democrats; 1t will make them angry, and
will result in drawing sharp party lines.
1t Is difficult enough for a democrat to
contemplate the possibility of voting for
Mckinley, or 10 look upon him as the lead
er OF any great cause and the present
course Of the republicans Is tending to
make 1t impossible. If they continue In
this line one thing will certainly happen
the sound money democrats will nominate
a third ticket, and thus divide the sound
money vote in the great battle ground of
the middle west to save the vote from
drifting back to the Chicago ticka. The
republicans will need in November all the
aid they can obtain from sound money
democrats.
IF they think they can hold their nat
urdl strength through the middle west or
even in some parts of the east, by the
single tendency to party allegiance they
are mistaken A free silver enthusiasm
has obtained a hold upon republicans
throughout the west and farming commu-
mites OF the east quite as strong as upon
the democrats, and they cannot be diverted
from their purpose by either appeals to
party loyalty or discussion of a dead is
sue.
A Time for Union
1T ought to be plain to all thoughtful
and patriotic republicans that the time
has come when it is absolutely necessary
for ali good citizens to drop for the time
being craftsmanship and work together earn
estly and intelligently for the common
good. To trif1e with crisis so serious as
this. or to attempt to ignore or belittle it,
would be both a blunder and a crime
Il think that at the present moment the
multitudes of sound money democrats rep
resented by the two hundred and fifty-four
delegates who refused to vote in the Chi
cago convention are fully awake to the
danger which confronts the nation and are
willing to cooperate, heartily and hon
estly, with equally patriotic members of
other parties in any national movement to
stamp out this heresy. How long they will
continue in this frame of mind no man can
tell. But one fact is certain-the present
responsibility for meeting this situa ton
rests the