The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-06-10
The RepubIIcan FinaneIaI PIanl..

The Republican Financial Plank.
There is a growing doubt as 10 what the
character Of the republican financial
plank VIII be. and II is causing great un-
casl1czs among business men A week or
so ago il was thought that the sound
money sentiment in the St Louis conveu-
ton would Doe so strong that there would
be 40 dmcu,ty ia securing q declaration
on Tie money question tina, would satisfy
even the extreme advocates OF the gold
standard. Within the last few days. how
ever. the impression has got. abroad that
the convention may adopt an inconclus.ve
and indecisive money plank. How well
This impression is founded cannot be sta
ted with any degree OF accuracy. It
grows out OF the talk Of the western sup
porters Of Mckinley. who seem to have
become alarmed by the manifestations OF
the silver sentiment among the democrats
of the south and west. They are afraid
that republicans as well as democrats are
afflicted with the silver craze, and. hence
they are discussing the ACCESSIBILITY Of
making some concessions TO the silver
sentiment.
No greater mistake could be made than
TO adopt a policy Of that sort. To make
weak declaration against silver would
help the silver movement. The silverites
would Immediately announce that the
sound money sentiment was decreasing.
and the announcement would have the ef-
feet Of causing voters having no decided
opinions to hasten to the silver standard.
because they would regard the silver par
~ as the one likely to be victorious.
The proper and wise thing for the St.
Louis convention TO do is to make a de-
claration on the money question that
would have the approval of every sound
money man in the country. II is clear
that the Chicago convention is going to
declare for silver and the &c to ! ratio.
That appears to be admitted. Such being
the case the republicans ought 20 make
just as strong declaration for sound
money. There would then be a clear issue
between the two parties.
Unfortunately for the republicans the
man they are going to nominate for pres
ident is not as positive in behalf of sound
money as his party would like him to be.
He will stand upon any platform his par
~ makes. If it should declare for limited
silver coinage he would accept the nomi-
nation. He prides himself upon believing
in the people and in following them. He
was practically a silverite when the sill
verites We're getting concessions for silver
from republican congresses--the Bland
Allison act and the Sherman silver pur-
chasing act He is for sound money now.
SO his friends say, and the reason is
probably that the sound money element
is much the stronger in his party.
Il is not to be wondered at therefore
that under the circumstances there is a
great deal of uneasiness among the
friends Of sound money. They are afraid
that the politicians in their efforts to sat
isfy everybody will satisfy nobody. With
the certainty that there will be declara-
ton for silver at Chicago small conces-
sions to silver at ST. Louis would not pre-
vent the silverites in the republican party
from leaving that party. Such men as
Senator Teller and those who follow him
place silver above everything else, and
nothing short of silver platform would
satisfy them.