The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-07-24
SENSITIVE MR.. WHITNEY,

The Hon. WILLIAM Z. WHITNEY ap-
pears to be very sensitive man. He is
reported in an interview as feeling deeply
hurt at the way the Republican leaders
and the Republican press regard the
Democratic party in that they hold II re-
sponsibie for the free silver craze and rs
he is quoted IN an interview, "they jeer
at Democracy. Mr.. WHITNEY fears that
such course" will arouse the innate
party loyalty of patriotic Democrats; it
will make them angry and will result in
drawing sharp party lines"
Poor Mr.. WHITNEYs Alas for him and
all other sensitive patriots. Does he not
recall the little couplet to the effect that
''Sticks and stones may hurt my bones,
But words can never harm me.h
Mr.. WHITNEY declares that now Is the
golden opportunity for the Republican
party to express its patriotism and love
OF country, II 1t has any such. This is
great crisis, as Mr. WHITNEY truly says.
After the Chicago convention lie adds,
hundreds OF thousands of Democrats
stood ready TO declare themselves upon
that issue and were ready TO subordinate
everything, even to voting for.the Re-
publican candidate. "What was the duty
OF the hour?" demands Mr.. WHITNEY.
CLEARLY he makes answer to his own
question, "it was one that devolved upon
the Republican party and its candidates.
There should have been an immediate
recognition Of new situation and the
Republicans should have been the first
to welcome SOUND money Democrats to a
non-partizan union, subordinating all
other things to this question of Ma.
tional honor.
This sounds very well. The Republi-
can party, indeed, puts up no bars to
keep out any citizen from marching In
its ranks and voting for its candidates
and its platform. Ii welcomes, nay,
invites, all patriotic citizens to join the
standard OF sn honest dollar and good
government. Have not leaders and press
rejoiced at the accessions to the patriotic
cause OF distinguished Democrats and
important Democratic papers all over the
country? Here in Rhode Island, which
has little to fear of a Democratic major
ity, the Republican party organization
has extended a formal written invitation
to all sound money Democrats to sit at
the table and share In the triumph OF
patriotism yet to come. Why does Mr..
WHITNEY cry babyf Who has hit or
hurt him? There ~ no such "new sitaa-
tion" as Mr.. WHITNEY ~Uuld have US
infor, at.least for the Republican party.
The representatives. of tho Republican
party adopted platform at 81. Louis that
was sound and patriotic throughout. 1t
is not responsible for the "new situa-
tion." That situation was made by and
now confronts the Democratic party.
Just what does MIR. WHITNEY mean by
"welcoming sound money Democrats TO
q non bipartisan union. subordinating all
other things to this question OF national
honor? All other things are subordi-
mated to "this question OF national hon.
or" ana the Republican party accepts
the issue-just as II accepted the CLEvE-
LAND sound money challenge by putting
a gold plank Ia its platform far stronger
than any expression ever uttered by the
Democratic President, and challenging
the Democracy to match Sc or oppose 1t.
The Democratic party, through its repre-
sentatives at Chicago. chose to oppose 1t
ana as Mr. WHITNEY says, "huncreds OF
thousands OF Democrats stood ready to
declare themselves in opposition TO that
position" Don't they stand ready ,oday7
And II not, why notl The situation II
one, as Mr.. WHITNEY states, "for the
sinking OF pertizanship and the union OF
sound mcney mon TO rescue the country
from disaster" But what else TO unite
about Is more Advantageous for this
patriotic purpose than the Republican
stsndar Where tlse Is there anything
TO unite about 10 sound money votes are
not to be thrown away7 Who talks OF