Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1896-06-05
Fanny ae7lsI....e. fHE 3. 1886
THE DEMOCR ATEC STATE CON
VENTFON.

The Democratic State convection which
began its session here yesterday SPEAKS
without doubt, the VIII If large majority
Of the Democratic parry OF the i7Jate. Ils
voice should be respected as the voice VI
the party. It's utterances have, Tor the
most part, been decided on before its as
sembling. That it has been p0ssi lie at any
time since the Assem- bling Of The legislature
last December to have changed the charac-
ter Of those utterances. We regard do d
matter of extreme doubt. What ire calieo
The sound money people in Virginia have
proved themselves but a feeble folk as lar
as the promotion of their IDEAS vas COLI
cerned. They have not held as many pupilc
meetings in behalf OF their theory as you
could count on the fingers OF one na1lG' anu
of the eighty or one hundred papers III Vlr-
ginia not more than dozen have been OUT
ssaspoken gold standard. While the silver
{ people were issuing circulars and organlz-
ing TO carry the county meetings we gold
bugs lay fiat on our backs. 1t was good
position in which to be walked over, ana
we were walked over.
We do not look to the declaration OIL the
Virginia Democratic convention to-day
with one-half the interest that we dld d
few months ago. Then it was probable thai
the vote of Virginia in the Chicago con
wention might decide between the gold and
silver stapdards#44ow we have 10 believe
her yottsaould turn ii neither one way MOI
Hat In of a
tional Democratic party at that convention
will be for free silver at IS to Z without
waiting for the cooperation Of ny Other
nation. Everything induces the Oelief that
this year is to be the year Of the nal due
Between gold and silver i'll Amer IAN poll
tics. The strain has been and stlll is Sc
hard: the times have been and stu are sc
hard, that the people have come to the con-
elusion THAT they cannot stand another
four years 6f it. The stress and train OF
the times have sent thousands Of men into
the silver ranks who are ye, lied with
doubt as to the Outcome should they bt
victorious. The only question at now
seems to await settlement IS CAL ne fight
be made direct and final All election
with both great parties straddling would
eqly continue the strain 30 matte which
PARTY won: for if the silver people have
made one thing more apparent titan another
it is that they will get q direct Tote o.
she people on their theory; if nor low thei
at another time II the matter OF chance
of success the argument may be sci down
this way:
IF both great parties adopt ne gold
standard, the Democratic party 4aying to
bear the blunders Of It's last congGes SIS, the
hard times, and tile fact that aeCause OF
these hard times their tariff bill as not
Welded sufficient revenue, will be Qefeated.
If both great parties ADOPT q straddle the
weight would still y, against lhe Democ-
Iaey.~~
If the Republican lake stra1ile, as
seems likely. and toe Demoera5s the gold
standard, the Iatta could aotgeJ tnc party
8 10 unite on it.
IF the Republicans take h square golG
standard and the Democrats take the
square silver standard, thess silver waters
which have been rising with such unac
countaJie rapidity IN both town auo coun
try may become . I30l ana sweep Ell The
country
Should il sweep t1e country, the &C untry
passes from q god TO silver standard. Il
cannot do this wiJhoul taane stur-
6 b&nce. Senator Daniel WHO is Vie laste1
spirit of the convention admits this with
candor He says: "Ont currency stem
is so complicated and 50 Le-o1 osoaeous
that we cannot make any change in il
whatever without producing some distur-
bance. / believe that the excited state OF
the public mind would lead to considerable
commotion if there were free coinage, but
think that would settle down into bet
ter condition than would follow cOntrac
tiOn." 1t is, we think, inevitable that q
panic more OF less acute will follow the
change. 1t may not be as acute as that in
1898, which followed passing from paper
to specie redemption, because the country
is now SO exhausted from four years OF
stringency and depression that the crash
cannot be as great. How much suffering
ties down., still further down, is very hard
to tell.
So much for the financial work the con-
vention will take a hand in and the out
come OF it if it is successful. Another
matter is worth considering We do not
think, looking to holding the party togeth-
Ell in this State, that the adoption Of the
unit rule would be wise. From present
appearances it would not add three votes,
ii that many, to the silver strength al
Chicago and that three will not be needed
We have two strong objections to the unit
rule, first because it is not just in itself
and is used to make men vote one way
when they think another, and second. it is.
certainly In Virginia at this time. impoli-
tic.
In the matter of the constitutional con-
vention we feel very little interest in what
this State convention may do regarding it,
There will be a. constitutional convention
held Notwithstanding the stupid snarls of
the late Republican State convention, or
anything this Democratic convention may
in this State to carry on the present
Il county system Of government is
- people, Democrats and Re
kd, and they are going to
way out Of their t:ou-
~ by a Demo-
Iaose to ay