The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1896-07-31
THE POLITICAL SITUATION.

The situation is this. Democrats
in the South, who despise the Re-
publican party for its sectional hate
of the South, will vote, solidly, as
they have voted for thirty years, for
the Democratic nominees. A few
there may be, who in the love of
their gold, can forget the insults and
wrongs of these many years of Re-
publican rule. But they are few,
and their influence is small, and
they will make no change in the
solid South.
In the North, Republicans who
love the name for the enemies it has
made and the pensions it has paid,
will vote for Mckinley electors.
Whether they are for silver or gold,
they are first and last for that party
that will build up protective wall
around their fortunes, that will tax
the people and drain the treasury to
pay their pensions, and that will
retard the growth of the South and
attempt its humiliation by all sorts
of vicious and sectional legislation.
But there has grown up in the last
few years, very large independent
class of voters. There was a time
when the old parties controlled the
country. When the independent
voters influence was not felt; when
his absence or presence at the polls,
was hardly noticed. But that time
has passed. The independent voter !;
that man who may vote with this
party this year and the other party
the next; that man who is dissatis-
fed with his surroundings and hopes
for better things under changed con-
ditions--that class composed of
many classes, holds the balance of
power, and can elect or defeat either
of the nominees of the old parties.
They turned the Republicans out
four years ago and elected Cleve-
land. They rebuked the present adj
ministratiOn two years ago and
elected house full of Republicans.
Where will they go, who will they
vote for this year?
About one million of them belong
to the American Silver Party. This
party has grown up in the last two
years. Estimates show that about
three-fourths of their number have
been drawn from the Republicans ;
the others, save a scattering few
from the Democrats. This party
met at st. Louis last week and de
clared for Bryan and Sewall, and
their million votes, nearly to a man
will go that way.
The Populists, with two million
voters in their ranks, and the pref
test opportunity any party ever haC
to subordinate craftsmanship t,
principle, also met at st. Louis las
week and disguised the country b!
doing the silliest thing they coult
possibly have done. If it was not
serious matter, their convention
would be a bowling joke. Som
people think they were bought IL
and paid to split the ticket, Other
think they were buncoed an
actually made to believe that th
tail could be made to wag the dol
Why they did it, by what manner {
reasoning they reached their mo-
remarkable conclusion, we are Ill
able to determine. That they faile
to make good their oft proclaime
virtue of patriotism" as again
'partisanism;" that with greatne
within their reach, they proved pi
headed if not treacherous that wi
the eyes of the country and ii
hopes of their ranks turned up,
them, they sent them away disa
pointed and sad, not to say deceiv,
and disguised, are truths whi
their leaders will find troublesor
to explain to their honest constit
ents at home.
But the Populist party is in t