New-York tribune., 1896-01-20
THE PROPOSED NEW PARTY.


pariy devoted 10 the one issue Of free silver
coirayc. and declare that this is the auspicious
occ,sicn fer them. 1t is TO he devoutly hoped
that they will take that step without deii!'
Some of thcm have been called Republicans, II
IS true. and have sought and obtained conShc-
uous places on Senate and House commuters
and in party organizations rs Republcans' VINO
profess I, bc ready to sacrifice every other IN
tcrcst and thrust aside every other issue IN
order to do battle for free silver II would De
mucl, 70 their credit and to the G"oh oi 'he
country If they would cease to profess any AT
tlchmcnt 10 Republican principles. when 'hey
have not wherever there is office or inil''eh''
10 he secured by it, and to defeat Kepuohcah
principles and measures when they nave opp"r-
tnni;y The Republican party would De much
stronger without any such dcccp'lVe support
However useful or worthy any OF them ma! nave
been in The past. the time has really come Tor
them to determine. and to !ct the world Know
whether they are Republicans ~ rot.
II doubtless appears to them that they have !;
r,ro onuor;unity 10 draw away force from other
por,cs. Therein they are probably right. Ihr
Populist al,slirdty has made Itself so far oiicn-
s,vc and ridiculous in the States where il has
from that organizltion some back 10 their old
partics and some into Il silver movement on 'ho
ground that there is really nothing else tlat mas
vitality in the Populist platform. Presumably
a large part Of the million votes east Tor
Weavcr-C Clcvcland in 1S.G would 20 s'rllsh' I"
4 silver party. and they would he reinforced ny
some Republicans and many Democrats In
wcu NIGH half the States which remain nomi-
nallv Democratic il is extremely donb'iui
whether Il clear majority of the Democratic
voters would not go over 10 silver parry II
there were ono.
The idea that the result of the PRESIDENTIAL
election may depend on the action OF silver men
or silver States is not sustained by any facts III
nresent within the range of human Observation.
comnlotc scparation Of the silver or nothing
men from the Republican party would only
strengthen that party enormously in all Eastern
and Central States Between the Atlantic ana
the Mississippi in Northern States every one
of which was carried bv the Republicans ~ the
last election. are chosen 2O5 electors. not count
ing Maryland. Delaware and West Virginia
which were carried last year and choose seven
Teen more Beyond the Mississippi, Iowa anu
Minnesota would add twenty-five votes. not 10
90 further There il not one or these S'i''> III
which Il separation Of silver men would even
tend To- defeat the Republicans; not one in which
if would not greatly strengthen them II any
body imagincs that. with such a solid body of
States upholding Republican principles. every
state west or south of these could lee carried III
IN utterly hopeless fight for free silver. or for
Democracy either. he has not much grasp "f
facts
But that sort Of division would leave the Re
puhlicans "A minority in the Senate" II j. said
They are a minority there now. II would be
extremely helpfn 10 them and to The country
to have il definitely known that they do not AMI
cannot control that body. Nsp II would he a
blessing 10 know whcrc some ~ the senators
stand With Presidential victory a. hand, the
difficulty would be- To drive away, even win
stones and clubs, all the men who really ou-hl
fo be got outside the Republican lines, 80 iha'
the country could no longer hold the i"publ can
marty in any way responsible for them II they
will gr1ciously separate themselves in advance
:, many ~ are for free silver or nothing TAX
ng their lin dishes and forming party oi men
own. the Republican party and the people OF
the country will know a great deal better whom
TO elect hereafter.