Delaware gazette and state journal., 1896-06-25
WHITNEY ON TnG SITUATION
Plain and Vigorous Statement
of His Position.
FREE COINAGE MEANS DISASTER
The Democratic Party Would
Be Overwhelmed.
Says lie Is Not "a Candidate for the Nomina-
ton for President. and Would Not Accept
the once If Eiected-Docs Not Relieve an
Eastern Man Can lie Nominated.

whitney tO-uay spuL tue lOlloWlHb W
tile press:
. / find il necessary to make pub
lie statement emhodying my views OF
the situation, TO correct misconceptions
and 10 save the time now occupied in
answering questions.
Far too great Importance has been
attached 10 my decision to so to the
Chicago Convention,
= / have been practically out of poll
tics for four years, and there are now
many Eastern Democrats who can do
much more than can for the party.
shall not assume any position Of lead
ership. NV decision to stay about is
simply based on the duty Of every per-
son who believes in tho party for its
principles, to stand by and lend his aid
and take his chances when great
crisis is upon it. There can be no
question but that a great crisis is upon
tho Democratic party Fundamental
differences of principle exist inside the
uarty, marked almost by sectional lines.
''Tho great question to my mind ia
whether the party meets in convention
now as in 1860 with issues and differ
ences that are for the moment irrecon-
cilable. For the past Is years leaders
of public opinion in the South and
West have been advocating as the great
remedy for existing ills the FREQ coin
age Of silver at 16 TO l, with or without
the corporation of other nations 1t
has como 10 90 believed in there quite
generally and conscientiously. A large
majority of the delegates 10 the comiug
Democratic convention have been
elected by the people for the purpose
of Incorporating that doctrine into tho
platform of the Democratic party. Our
people, on the other hand, entirely dis
agree with these views, and believe
almost universally that it will bring
general ruin TO the business and pros
perity of the country. 1t is deemed a
new doctrine when proposed to be in
corporated into the platform Of the Ma
tional Democracy. 1t is true that in
no previous platform of the party can
it specifically be found. Consequently
no party obligations heretofore assumed
oblige them to subscribe to 1t. Under
these circumstances If the results of
the Democratic convention should be
TO establish as the issue of this cam
paign the FREQ coinage of silver at a
ratio of l6 to !, Independent of other
lttillI
likely TO arise, it is to be seriously
apprehended that disruption of the
Democratic party might occur. Ger
tainly no substantial following could be
secured for the doctrine among Eastern
Democrats They might not vote the
Republican ticket for other reasons
lbelieyiug that the Republican party
stands for other issues that are detri-
mental to the country, but the Demo
Gratis in tho East would not, in my
opinion, vote for it.
This movement for free coinage
purports 10 have for its object the
establishment and maintenance of gold
and silver as the money of tho country,
upon equal terms with each other, and
at u parity of purchasing power. If,
by the proposed measure, that object
could be secured, there would be nd
substantial Engagement in the party.
Every national Democratic platform
that has heretofore spoken upon the
subject, Las declared for both gold and
silver money 1t is our traditional
policy. But the maintenance of the
double standard at the present time
Is not aquesgluu Of desire; il is cues
tion q ability. The commercial value
of siIynr has declined greatly in the
marEets u the world.
Whatever the causes are and who
ever If 70 BLAME, the fact is that silver
has declined and free coinage now, AT
~ tp /. ls the same as our ofTprin, for
all the silver in the world about twice
what It is selling for in the market.
International exchanges have TO M
paid in gold, And ii would seem plain
that, if va, under these conditions.
open our mints tn the free coinage of
sllpcr agi luld ut ration Of cnmpara
tive value which is largely at variance
with tine commercial value of the two
metals we must tako the entire silve,
surpius ourselves. and aone maintain
~ IaGly Wlth gold, or else We shall 90
TO a silya. basia.
france, in 1878 closed her mint,
against h.Vet. and lftor this experiment
Qeened herself unequal "a the tasl
eiN9''Anu III that time il was much lesl
uftahutLtur SILVER WAS then al pgr wifi
gold 1T ihe ratio IN use, and oven Eng
lahA mlnts IN ludia were upnn to Tho
lr'e coinage OF silver. Ii the eyperi
AtAt oi maintaining the parity OF thf
l'g metals ~ coinage standard was
uIiieutt tAon ii would seem ia be unsi
tlNGly Anr9sl8 now without intarna
tlnnal agreement CpFuUnF Franpp
I4r'Fiumi it..} aud Austria believe in
Z H14Alt HiAlaard and dr4lre TO- pptab
llSl lI,nGt u9 one. tWo DIR thrpp III tIpu
ottm themselves Hpir 10 maintain tht
esthte stAHtHulh rfru Wth tfIn GO
oprAIion oi iAe United Staics. If III,
result li lae measures proposed w1ult
le To carry Me- tu silver baats it is uG
lNt tRht haeb d PROPOSAL wOuld VA Il
mo Nlth the principles Of the Drm0
tlailt parry. II Is not the Joint stand
tiH rilA = rtrala7ng pnWprUf tht
iA@tHet9 FlNity With zach uther bu
~ "a c4i- Et from ube STANDARD /,
#hylAff H- that change bein4 10
deprnelatry s5ju.
aud 10 M also fntt, ide from tb
HEsgaea N any Democratic pgariiI
10 H5lhln NJ thatynu cannot have esri
u disturbances ut values AS would rom
ifHil NAAnGinE from d god t0a sjlya
lh7i3 "ItlaI5 4lGh a -u9rt 10 ruafi
u'n,e!, iu4 boarding of ElI ana ang
uhHli1A "f tnlr available nlrngttf65
N!NIlWm .a Woull Bring in the opiDi6,
to. 'H' people, tAe-Wur-t Uanlc and dis
tIss @e A,He e,er seen In flisu0ugtry
ite .tEsiinr clas3U3 ar3 ufrrag40
10" II iHa obligations, mdrttare4
ra.lr7a3 aAl otherwise arc 9Qite gen
efat.y ra%RRin VI a1ld yeIg wonf
s.t'I bNte te 6e Uaia In ecli. Int Mia
.g' he eulrrcra, aa nsqaI
telI@ t.u pa3rar aiHa-os
t-ss p62onett, uurrortirg 10 h
IN '.ai interest Of yaa iGiut standari
a,q5t M9.laauao aaoa, Il
'aF r##rI.u-
+r aRa 0aH baon time wbe,
.'a G5 pents VI international nrtiei
'1F0leH.e ID tn. .at standard Were 4
". A5 i'i o'slIH a7al tsa prescott mo