Birmingham state herald., 1896-05-13

dSo anu BOiQ
 States. For 16 to 1. Against. MiSsourl '..... ...,.... 4 NashlhSton ......... ...... oregon ......... ............. Mississippi ........ .... .... IS 1oiofauo ......... .....,.... :. Massachusetts ...... ...... 30 Rhode Island ...,.... :. AIdpduia ........... ........ 2z <; Pennsylvania ..... ......... .. 64 Mlenlsan ...... ............. II H
 New Jersey ....... '...... ........ 20
 Nebraska 16 (contested).... :. ..
 1otdl ........ .............. l53 l35 In Nebraska the regular democratic
 organization has held it's convention and
 elected a solid free silver delegation,
 while the gold standardists-wh bolted
 the party last year-and their followers
 have gotten up a contestlng delegation.
 Th,s contest will be settled at Chicago
 and whether the free coinage men or the
 goldbugs control that body 1t is safe to
 say that if the matter is determined fair
 ly and upon its merits the free silver delegation will be seated.
 An analysis of the above table will dis
 close its most interesting and impressive
 features. Except Michigan, which
 chooses presidential electors by con-
 gressional districts, it is safe to say that
 not one of the states above named that
 have chosen "sound money" delegates
 will in November contribute single
 democratic elector to the electoral col
 lege, whatever may be the financial
 plank of the democratic platform, wheth-
 CT it be for the free coinage of silver or
 for gold monometallism The very good
 reason for believing that under no cir
 cumstances will either of the states-ex-
 eept Michigan-in the foregoing table
 that have declared for the gold Standard contribute to the election of democratic
 president is found in the fact that in no
 instance that can now be recalled has
 Massachusetts done so; Rhode Island
 has not lent her aid for that purpose
 since 1856, nor has Pennsylvania since
 the same year; while New Jersey, which
 in 1892 (under the influence of a plat
 form declaration that was everywhere
 construed as a demand for the restoration
 of bimetallsm as 1t was pr.or to 1873
 gave democratic plurality of 14,S74, in
 1894, after a full years operation of the
 British financial system as enforced by
 the present administration, to the election
 of which that state had contributed it's
 ten electoral votes-New Jersey wheeled
 into the republican column, elected a sol
 iu ItpuDllCdIl utltBdllon lO COIlS lSSS pJ
 pluralities ranging from 293 to F, 3S0 and
 aggregating 48,47s, and in 1895 returned
 legislature composed of eleven democrats
 and seventy republicans, or a republican
 majority of fifty-nine on joint ballot.
 Can any of the gold standard organs
 that have been parading the action of
 these states in electing gold standard
 delegations to the Chicago convention,
 and apparently rejoicing over the pros-
 pect of states that will not contribute
 mite to the election of the nominee or that convention controlling its organiza- tion and dictatlng the democratic plat form, against the declared will of those states that can and will Go all that can and will be done towards the election of | a democratic president-can these parties | find any comfort or encouragement for l the democratic party or democratic prin- ciples in the foregoing facts, when the only states upon which the party can rely are most determinedly opposing the financial declarations of a faction of the party in those states that are hopelessly republican, and as firmly demanding that | the ancient doctrines of the party be again proclaimed and maintained?
 On the other hand, an examination of | the above total will show that the states l that have declared for free coinage Will l beyond question elect forty-nfne demo- | cratic electors in the event that the con- vention declares for the free and unlim- l ited coinage of both gold and silver in l language so simple, positive and un- l equivocal that it cannot possibly be mis- understood, misconstrued or perverted, and crowns the work by the nomination l of a candidate whose life and record are l in perfect accord with the platform, and | whose character is assurance and guar anty that the party's pledge to the people l will be honored and redeemed. With | such platform and candidate it is more | than probable, it is almost certain, that l the electoral votes of the other states in | the list that have already declared for l free silver will go to the democratic par | ty and help to elect a democratic presi- | dent and overthrow a republican major | ity in the house of representatives. We | confidently believe and predict that there | is not a. state that will give democratic majority in November If free coinage tri-
 umphs at Chicago which will fail to send l full delegations to the national conven- tion with instructions entirely favorable | to silver while many of the central | western and northwestern states that 1 have heretofore been republican will | surely go democratic in November and remain steadfastly so, provided the party | convention expresses in its platform the | almost unanimous will of the states that | are safely democratic.
 Not one of the occasionally democratic
 states, principally in the east and along
 the north Atlantic seab Nrd, that have | been clamoring for the gold standard, l and where democratic conventions have declared for it, can be regarded as offer | ing any promise to the democratic party 1 in November under any circumstances.
 They will go republican. as they usually | do and it is simply madness to hope oth- | erwise. The democratic party must rely
 upon the southern, central and western
 states to elect a democratic president | and to secure their support must adopt a 1 platform in harmony with the wishes of | <eA Al