Smyrna times., 1896-11-04
NEW ALIGNMENT OF
OLD PARTIES.
Many Democrats Who Find Themselves in
Republican Company Will Stay.

Two years ago during the exciting
canvass for the Governorship of New
York, Mr.. Morton being the Republi-
can candidate, and Senator Hill that of
the Democracy, one of the ablest and
most experienced of the Democratic
politicians of that State said:
"The Republicans are sure to win.
because the great body of the intelli-
gent wage-earners have discovered
that protection means wages, and they
have gone into the Republican party to
stay. The amazing majority of $50,
900 which Morton received proved the
accuracy of this politicians prediction.
There are some things which have
occurred in this campaign which indi-
cate that a good many men not wage
earners, in the technical sense of that
term, who have hitherto been Demo-
Gratis, but who are supporting McKin-
ley, may find it easy to stay with the
Republican party. The future of the
Democratic party is itself so problem
atical that many persons are are of the
opinion that even after the election
POpulism, under one name or another.
will absorb what is left Of the Demo-
cratic party, and as between that and
the Republican party thousands of
Democrats will not hesitate to make
the choice of the Republican party.
In private we sometimes hear men
who years ago were conspicuous as
Cleveland Democrats saying that they
were going to vote for Mckinley, al
though they did it with many com
Functions. But on the whole, such
expression of opinions as these are rare.
They are exceptions. Thousands of
Democrats, who have decided to vote
for Mckinley, have also been impressed
with the idea that there was something
wrong in the Democratic doctrines as
preached four years ago, some lurking
influence in them which in part ac-
counts for this amazing development of
reputation, and other obnoxious views
in the great body of the Democracy in
the South and West.
Whether the national Democracy
after election is going to be able to
crystalline into a new organization the
remnant of the Democracy which holds
to the true Democratic faith, or
whether there will be long period of
decentralization in that party to be fol-
lowed, by and by, by new conserva-
tive political party, as ex- Mayor Hewitt
thinks is likely to be the case, is some
thing that remains to be determined.
Democrats and Republicans have been
making acquaintance with one another
during this campaign, and the friendly
relations which are established between
those who are making battle in COM
mon cause, although it may be in
different way, are likely to soften re-
membered political aninosities and
make it easier for men hereafter to act
In common accord upon political mat
ters.
The common opinion is that there is
going to be, by and by, difference of
view upon currency questions, upon
the best system of banking, upon the
relation of the Treasury Department
to the currency. These are to be
questions of policy and not principle.
1t is recognized that those who hold
that the Government should have no
other relation to the currency than
coming of gold and subsidiary cur
rency, and, on the other hand, those
who believe that the Government it.
self should issue paper money based
upon its Indebtedness, do not differ on
principle, but only upon subjects of
e1pediency, and the impression is that
by and by, as a debt becomes reduced,
there may be new alignment of party |
lines based upon these questions. But
the problem of the immediate future
involves legislation and administration
which will do away with the unhappy
conditions which have prevailed for
four years, will quicken industrial |
development, and will seek vastly to !
increase the trade re ations of the |
United States, especially with South
American countries.