New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-04-16
THE PROPOSED DEMOCRATIC STRADDLE.


THE PROPOSED DEMOCRATIC STRADDLE
Mr.. Chauncey +. Black. of Pennsylvania. was
one of the speakers al the Monticello cecbra ton
last Monday. He seems to have made trouble.
1t was funny too Ex-Governor BILLY" Rus
sell, Of Massachusetts. made n carefully pre-
pared speech In favor of the Add standard.
That did not make ripple for II had been adj
yertised and surprised no one. Senator Daniel.
Of Virginia, made a speech in favor OF free sill
yer coinage in direct antagonism to the views
of the Massachusetts statesman. but that, too.
had been expected, and made no disturbance
1t was only when Chauncey Black appeared as
q reconciler and harmonizer with a compromise
proposition that the calm surface Of things be-
gan to be rufiied. A Washington dispatch TO
our Democratic contemporary. THE New-York
Times" says that "gold-standard Democrats
reading the words of Mr. Black find 1t difficult
ITO characterize them in calm language I'm
portance is given to his uterances by the fact
that he Is president of the National League Of
Democratic Clubs. in which capacity he attend
ed the celebration the suppostion being that he
represented in some sense the opinions Of that
influential organization If he did not speak by
its delegated authority. Chauncey is wha; the
eral Zachary Taylor, who declared himself to
be "a Wing but not an ultra Whig, he Is not
an ultra goldbug" He Is willing TO compro
mise on the currency question "by an agreement
respecting the exercise Of the veto power by
"the President" That Is to say. he proposes
that it be agreed that the Democratic candidate
for President lis not, If elected. TO inerposc
ibis veto to embarrass or defeat any financial
Legislation which may be sent TO him by the
"votes of a majority Of the Democratic mem
"bers Of Congress"
This Is what the gOld-standard Democrats
find it difficult to characterize in calm Ian
guage." similar proposition, it will be re-
membered, was offered TO the Republicans
through the columns Of The Tribune some time
ago by ex-Congressman Thomas Fitch. Of Ne
vada. There was this difference In its effect:
that Republicans did not undertake to character
lie 1t in calm" or any other kind OF language.
They just looked it over and smiled. But why
should Democrats, either "goldbugs' or silver
ites have their calm disturbed by proposition
to straddle the currency question? The history
Of the party Is full Of straddles on this very
issue of honest money. They began straddllng
on the slavery question, and they have kept 1t
up ever since. They fell apart in 1860 because
the straddle at last got too wide. In 1864 they
straddled the most momentous question OF
American politics when they nominated Union
general upon a platform which declared the
War a failure On the currency question they
made straddle In 1868 when they nominated
Horato Seymour, who was opposed to the green
back heresy, and put him platform which
declared that all the obligations of the Govern
ment which did not expressly provide for pay
ment In coin should be paid In greenbacks.
They also announced at that time that II the
Republicans should succeed at the coming cleo
ton we should meet as a subjected and con-
"Quered people, amid the ruins Of liberty and
1.-The scattered fragments Of the Constitution. y
That straddled the whole future Of the Republic.
In 1872 they accepted the Liberal Republican
candidate and a platform which RENTED the
discussion Of the tariff to the people OF the
several Congressional districts. In 1879 they
nominated Mr. Tflden, and put him on a plat
form which denounced the Resumption act and
demanded Its repeal. In 1880 they nominated
Hancock who, In utter disregard Of the Free
Trade traditions Of the party. dismissed the
tariff as "a local ISSUE" and they adopted resou
tons in favor Of the Issue Of legaltender notes
by the Government and unlimited silver coin
| age In 1884 they began the apparently inter
| minable proceeding Of nominating Grover Cleve
| land, and since then either In the campaigns
or in his Administrations they have straddled
| the tariff, the currency question, Civil Service
Reform, the Monroe Doctrine, and pretty much
everything else upon which there was any
division Of sentiment In the party.
| And now they cannot characterize with calm
| ness a simple proposition Of Chauncey Black
that they should do once more what they have
been doing all these years, and the only thina
| they have done with any show Of consistency
straddle the money question. The simple souls
Straddle It! OF course they will There's only
| one thing left for them to do. 1t Is almost 6
certainty, by their own confession, that the sill
| verites will have q majority in the Chicago Con
vention. The platform will be adopted by {
| majority vote, and the svertes will make II
A two-thirds vote will be necessary to name thu
candidate and there will be the opportunity fo
compromise and the usual straddle. They ma!
agree upon Cleveland or Carlisle or Whitney o.
BILLY" Russell, but all the same the platform
will say one thing. and the candidate mean, o.
appear to mean. another. There Is not the re
hottest possibility that the candidate and thu
platform will be In harmony with each other
Unless, indeed, the silverites take the bits II
their teeth. force the fighting, refuse all offer
Of compromise and nomipate free-silyer can
didate upon a free-siiver platform. In tim
event the logical candidate would be Tillman
Of South Carolina. He would admirably all tn
bill But at present all signs point to the uslia
straddle. and the goId-standard Democrats woult
1 do we'll to review the history Of the party to