The broad ax., 1896-04-04

1
Chicago Chronicle: The democratic
party Of the United States faces grea
opportunity such as is seldom pre-
sented in the career of party, a nation
or an individual. 1t was in an almos
hopeless minority at the state elections
two years ago. At the opening Of thi:
year Il was almost ready to permit
the presidential election to go by de-
fault. Within a few days 1t has beer
surprised by a situation in which the
gravest possibilities are involved.
The republican party will be dis
rupted by the silver question this year
as the democratic party was disrupted
by the slavery question in 1860, or IL
will be compelled to adopt a platform
and enter the presidential campaign
with silver pledges to restore the Sher1
man act or to recognize silver" In
some still more vicious measure to de-
bauch and degrade the currency.
The republican party must challenge
defeat as an honest money party or 1t
must surrender to the silver conspira-
tors on a makeshift, false and fraudu-
lent platform. The republican silver
contingent will desert unless its de-
mands are granted in a platform which
the honest voters Of the country will be
compelled to reject.
In this supreme political crisis the
democratic opportunity is presented.
II the democrats shall adopt platform
Of which honest-money sentiment is
the inspiration-the platform Of Jeffer-
son, of Jackson, of Benton and of Tilden
and il candidate with faith in the
platform shall be nominated, a new
era of democratic advancement will be
installed, leading to permanent demo-
cratic supremacy in a majority Of the
states and in the nation. The path Of
democratic duty is the path Of safety
and the path that leads to eventual vic
tory.
But the history of the past is an ad-
monition that democratic party leaders
may be blinded by false visions Of sue
clss, through shameless compromises
and by prostitution. The disastrous
Greeley campaign of 1872 is an instance.
The democrats then agreed to abandon
an honest tariff platform and to rele-
gate that question to congress-a make
shift. a straddle and a fraud-for the
purpose of temporary success with the
most malevolent and grotesque enemy
of the democratic party for its les;ier
and presidential candidate. The over
whelm'ng defeat which followed this
utterly false and perfdious policy re-
tarded the restoration OF the democratic
party ior more than twenty years.
But that lesson was unheeded. Fat
nous IL pulses prevailed. A few years
later the pernicious greenback false
hood aid heresy became popular |
among .mocratic politicians and blind
leaders C. the blind. They adulterated |
platforms with the vicious
element IF faith in q dishonest finan-
iial sysaem. They formed a combine
with the loose factions that had codes
Of belief but little removed from the
rascality Of reputation. This policy
was as disastrous in its results as the
coalition with Greelyism.
The supreme question now presented
to honest democrats relates to the
course which shall be pursued in view
Of the silver rupture in the repub-
lican party. False and blind leaders
again will present their claims to lead
ership. The quacks and imposters will
,ffer again their fallacious- pleas. Hon.
democrats, conscience demo-
rats, will be told that by Just one more
.reacherous departure from democratic
another surrender, by
mother act Of diseased prostitution-a
temporary victory may be gained, in
,luding the spoils and plumber Of office.
This is immoral counsel. What
nay be Of more interest to time-serying
politicians, it will lead only to a worse
than all those OF the past
I II shall be followed. Democrats can
lot outbid republican schemers, con-
pirators and corruptionists for the dis
lonest vote of the country. False is
ues will fail, and each successive fail
Ire will be more disastrous than any
Ehich had preceded.
Democrats should adopt an honest
money platform to be followed by the
animation of an honest-money candi-
ate on entering the campaign of 1896.
'othing can be gained but everything
Till be lost by a silver coalition. A
ingle honest campaign for honest {
honey and an honest tariff may end in I
resent defeat. But 1t will be fruitful e
good and will prepare the way fer a a
ING series OF democratic victories in a
he future. which will be Of permanent +
alue to all the people Of the country. c
Attacks on Secretary Morton. o
chicago Chronicle: The partisan re- a