New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-07-22
THE OOZINE OF HOKE.

Poor H0ke His courage has all OoZed away
Even the example Of his fellow abinet officers
could not stlffen his backbone His sawdust
has all run out. He has backslidden; he has
Topped. That great mind tina: came up from
Georgia n silverite. sat at the feet Of Cleveland
and with Carlisle learned to fight for honest
money has gone baci. to the support Of silver
His paper, which was so brave an advocate of
sound finance before tie Chicago Convention,
after days and nights Of silent watching has
declared for Bryan and his platform. OF course
1t makes faces over the Dose but 1t swallows
: ii just the same Free silver may mean de-
preston. panic and ruin. and HOke since he be-
came Cabinet officer believes It does. but
perish the country and let hard times reign for
ever If Ilokc can only keep his grip on the
Georgia machine and not let his rival in The
Constitution" office get the inside track TO pop
ular favor. SO IIoke and The Journal have
discovered that the platform, in spite of It's
frce-silver bias is n declaration in favor of
the maintenance Of n sound currency" and are
determined 10 stand by the PLATFORM free sill
yer. free riot and ALL
We are sorry for Hoke. Not so much for our
loss as for his His influence even as a mem
Der Of the Administration does not appear TO
have been so great but that his views were ut
terly scorned ut home, and we doubt not the
sound-money cause will get on as well without
him. But 1t Is different with HOkc. Can he
get on so well without sound money? He be-
came convert to and an aggressive champion
Of the maintenance OF the present gold stand
ard. He wrote for it. he spoke for it. his paper
carried on a campaign for IT, He was defeated,
but not dshOnored. Even his opponents re-
spected him. Now he surrcnders his convic-
TONS says the Chicago platform Is a good
enough sound money declaration for him, even
If II does make ill-tempered remarks about the
Administration to which he belongs 1t Is said
he Is ambitious, and thinks he must put his be-
liefs in his pocket and trim TO Georgia prejudice
II he Is to have political future. He seems to
think that his constituents are the kind of pco-
pie whom he can impose upon, by telling them
one thing is right today and Offering TO concede
that the opposite Is right tomorrow. If the
constituents will only give him something. He
does not ask to be a leader. He just wants to
be mouthpiecc, and he will sound any note
desired If only somebody will blow through
him. Perhaps Hoke thinks that IS the best way
to achieve his ambition.
1t depends upon what that ambition Is 1t
may gain him office 1t will not win him re-
spect. Let him look toward Massachusetts.
young man lived there who was prominent
In the Democratic party. He had stood out
against things which he did not believe in
pretty strenuously for several years Last
spring he was invited to go to Virginia and
make speech He said II he did he should
speak his convictions, and they might not be
agreeable to his hearers He was asked to
gloss over the money question, and talk about
Protection and monopoes and party traditions
and other harmless things. He said he would
not do It. Then he was invited to come. any
way and he went and told the Nrglnians what
he believed TO be true, and, though they did
not believe as ne did. they honOred his manli-
ness William f. Russell died the other day,
and from one end Of the country to the other
came kind words and eulogies from political
friends and foes. Men who had fought him
were the first to pay tribute Of respect to him
as an honest man, who did the right as he saw
II. had the courage 10 face defeat for cOnvc-
ton, and was never trimming to suit either
Massachusetts or Virginia prejudice Hoke.
do you think trimming on silver will make peO-
pie speak that way about YOU?