The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-08-20
THE GOLD MEN ARE ESTOPPED.

denounce, as particularly oDJectloha-
bile the union of forces between the
Democrats and Populists on electoral
tickets. and grow red in the face de-
nouncing what they term Is deal IN
consistent with principle" This little
coterie of boiling Pharisees, with
hvpocricf that is as offensive as 1t Is
pervasive, spread broad their phylac-
teries. and thank God in nasal tones
that they are not like other men
even the Bryan supporters. They call
themselves "the true Democrats, ana
characterize their betrayal of their
partv as "an effort to preserve the
time-honored principles of the Demo-
cratic party" They say their prayers
with their faces turned toward Buz-
Yards Bay, and take no counsel that
is not approved by Cleveland, Whitney
or Don Dickinson.
Is it wrong for the Democrats and
Populists, who have nominated the
same man for President, to act in
concert to secure his election? The
gold Democrats say so.
Let us see what they thought of vot-
ing for Populists in 1892.
1t will be remembered that in that
year Mr.. Whitney and Mr.. Dickinson,
acting with the full knowledge and APP
proval of Mr.. Cleveland, made trip to
the West and forced the Democrats in
Kansas, Colorado, Idaho, North Dako-
ia, Nevada and Wyoming to withdraw
the Democratic electoral ticket and TO
vote for the Weaver electors, thus re-
curing every Democrat in those
States to vote for Populist President
and President As a result of this
action, Weaver carried Colorado, Idaho,
Kansas and Nevada. Thus Mr.. Cleve-
land and his right hand men gave the
Popuiist nominee for President all the
electoral votes he received except one
from North Dakota and one from Ore
gon And it is the very men who en-
gineered this voting for Populists and
elected them who now denounce Dem
ocrats for following their example.
If it is wrong, itsdoes not lie in the
mouth of Cleveland, Whitney, Dick
inson, or their followers to criticize
a precedent they themselves estab-
lished.
THEN it was good politics" to vote
for Populist electors in order to COM
pass the defeat of Mr.. Harrison; NOW
it is ~dishonorable" to make a divi-
sion of electors, not to defeat some
body as then, but TO secure the af-
firmative vote of electors for the NOM
inee of the National Democratic conven-
ton. This sort of logic may satisfy the
boilers themselves, but it is too much
like the fable of 1T depends on whose
OK is gored" to satisfy fair-minded
men.
As a matter of fact, aside from the
justification of precedent, there is, un-
answerable argument why the silver
men should vote for the same set of
electors. They are not officers. They
draw no salaries. They are mere a
gents selected to do a particular thing.
There is no case in history where an
elector has not been true to his trust.
In quite number of States the adyo-
Gates of silver have more votes than
the Republican party. BY casting
them for one electoral ticket, Bryan
gets the whole electoral vote, and the
vote for President is divided be-
tween Sewall and Watson in proper
tion to their respective strength. If,
instead of dividing these agents, each
silver organization should insist upon
having all the agents or none, 1t would
be equivalent, in States SO situated, to
the silver men voting for Mckinley and
for gold Such a course would be the
identical one that would please Mark
Hanna, and fasten the gold standard
upon the people. The silver men are
too wise as well as too patriotic to play
into the hand of the gold men, whether
they be Republicans or boiling Demo
Gratis, or Democrats who stay in the
party to make trouble.