The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-07-24
REPUBLICANS IN TROUBLE.
MIR. Whitney Says the Gold Democrats
VIII Not Now Support Mckinley


Will Not Now Support Mckinley.
New York, July 23-W. C. whitney
was asked to-day if, in his Judgment.
there would be a third ticket nominated
by sound money Democrats. He replied:
VI think events and the course of the
Republican leaders are making it newt
able. The general situation is far worse
to-day, in my opinion, than it was ten
days ago. The Republican managers and
candidates have shown no realizing sense
of the situation. They have failed to
avali themselves OF great opportunity for
benefitting the country. If the present
condition of affairs continues for any
length of time, sound money Democrats
are bound to organize and it cannot he
prevented. The truth is there does not
seem to be in the East II realizing sense
OF the seriousness and sincerity of the
free silver movement. You may call it il
craze, but it has captured the imagination
of the great mass of people throughout
the entire West and South and it has a
much stronger following in some por-
lions of the East, not closely allied to
large commercial centres, than is general
ly supposed.
81 was satisfied before we went to
Chicago that nothing could be accom-
plished in the direction of changing or
modifying the free silver idea, and said
so. Nevertheless it was our duty to 90
there and emphasize the strength of the
convictions of the Eastern Democrats
and, further, to afford the country an OBJ
ject lesson, showing so plainly that it
could not be misunderstood the I'M
Democratic and revolutionary spirit
which dominated the movement In this
we were successful. The Democratic
mask.swas pretty effectually removed from
the face of the Populism which had forced
itself for the time being into a position
of control. That was all that the sound
money Democrats could hope to ac-
complish and that they did effectually
and unselfishly.
'There never has been in any party
convention such a vigorous declaration
of independence as was exhibited at Chi
cago when POD delegates refused to par
ticlpate in the selection of candidates. ~
"What should have been the next step
in the fight for the preservation of ma
tional honor and sound finance:''
There should have been an Immediate
recognition of new situation, and the
Republicans should have been ready to
welcome sound money Democrats to a
non partisan union, subordinating all
other things to this question of national
honor. 1t was a new issue. 1t dwarfed
all others. But Mr.. Mckinley con-
tinues to discuss the tariff, which has
eceased to be an actual issue in this cam
palgn as completely as slavery, and the
Republican press and leaders persist in
deriding all Democrats EN- masse.
''Such n policy persisted in can have
only one effect. 1t will arouse the innate
party loyalty of patriotic Democrats: it
will make them angry and will result in
drawing sharp party lines. 1t is difficult
enough for a Democrat to contemplate
the possibility of voting for Mckinley. If
they continue in this line one thing will
certainly happen-the sound money Dem
ocrats will nominate a third ticket and
thus divide the sound money vote in the
great battle gorund of the West to save
the vote from drifting back to the Chi
cago ticket The Republicans will need
in November all the aid they can obtain
from sound money Democrats
1t is evident that the free silver vote
Is to be united. 1t should be opposed by
! IA solid and united sound money vote. 1t
neve can be, if in addition to Mckinley.
Democrats must vote for McKinleyism
| and all that it represents. The issues of
| the past should be buried until the coun-
try has been rescued by patriotic action
from its present peril
1T ought to be plai II to all thoughtful
| ana patriotic Republicans that the time
for all American citizens to drop for the
time being party and work together ear
| nestly ana intelligently for the common
good. To triile with so serious situation
as this or to attempt to ignore or BELT
tie it, would be both a blunder and a
crime l think that at the present mo-
ment the multitudeS. of sound money
Democrats represented by the 254 dele
gates who refused to vote in the Chicago
convention are fully awake to the danger
which confronts the nation and are will
ing to cooperate heartily and honestly
with equally patriotic members OF other
parties i'll any rational movement to
stamp out this heresy. How long they
will continue in this frame of mind no
man can tell. But one fact is certain. the
present responsibility for meeting this
situation rests upon the Republican can
didates and leaders and if they are to act
lntelligently and periodically there is no