Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-08-11
TIE prsAFFrcTIoN IN RICHMOND.

'Nt"AfANHH
tend 70 ALLEVIATE, TO a large extent, the
feelings OF the rural population Of the
state against their capital city," The
News refers to the Institution Of move
ment and the circulation OF petition, to
allure some and menace others, Of
the Democratic voters OF th@ city
to pledge themselves TO bolt their
party IN the pending presidential
election" Further. the News as
serts that there Is no disanection
worthy Of consideration anywhere in Vir-
ginia, save in Richmond, and to some
small extent in the two or three larger
cities.
And then the News gees on to say:
There has always BEEN or, at least IS
said to have been, an unfortunate Jeal-
ousy and distrust on the part OF the
people of the counties against the city
of Richmond. We ourselves cannot say
that We have ever noted the existence
of this unfriendly feeling; but the people
Of Richmond have thought that they dis
covered IL, and have often and earnestly
deprecated IT, If It does exist, the cir
cumst Ance TO which we have alluded can
but intensity &c.; and must tend to create
I Il, if it has not heretofore existed.
The rural population Of Virginia, the
farmers, with almost entire unanimity,
ascriDe their distress, the unremunera-
tive prices Of their crops, and the general
depression of the agricultural industry, TO
the demonetzatiOn Of silver, and the
consequent scarcity OF a circulating cur
rency. Right or wrong. they believe this
And they look TO the success OF the
! Democratic candidates nominated at chi
cago the success OF the popular uprising
for the restoration OF silver, as the sole
hope held out to them for the betterment
Of their condition. 1t does, then, look
to them hard TO see these few meE in
Richmond, who largely control the capt.
tai that employs labor, setting about to
divert the vote Of the laborers they en-
ploy from the candidates and the cause
they would probably and naturally sup
port. If left TO their own free choice. If
these men are so much wiser and more
conscientious than their felow-Demo-
cfats that they cannot fraternize with
then, why, the farmers may wei ask,
can they not act for themselves as their
consciences and their superior wisdom
may dictate, without setting themselves
to work by questionable means to in
huence others to aid them in defeating
the relief extended to the agricultural
interest by the action Of the Chicago
convention? And, then, as If 10 add IN
suit TO injury they do not. as rule,
seek to accomplish their purpose by argu-
ment and a dispassionate appeal to rea-
son. but by heapng upon these honest
and. as they arrogantly assume, ignorant
filters of the soil. through the newspaper
organ which speaks for them, all man
ner OF opprobrious and belittling criu-
cisrn-charging that they are too stupid
and thIck-skuTed TO comprehend the
finance question, and that they are
kocpinc political company with set or
highway robbers. scoundrels, Communists
and Anarchists.
All that the Democrats Of Richmond ask
is to be judged by results-by the
| results of the election which is to take
Mace on November 30. Then they expect
/ TO show the people Of this Commonwealth
/ that they are true Virglnians and loyal
/ Democrats At present, we are only
| skirmishing; only feeling for the enc
NV" When the general engagement
comes off on November Sd we expect to
rout them, horse, foot, and dragons
Let not the News and our other friends
| despair Of Richmond. The great mass
/ Of our people will abide the arbitramcnt
Of the National Democratic Convention
/ I'M good faith, and viii give to the Demo-
cratic nominees a hearty support.
That there have been some surprises
here. we cannot but confess. Men have
repudiated the primary election pledge
that we never imagined would do so, and
we have bundered in ordering a new re-
! gistration Of voters and in resolving
to have an early nominating convention,
but we shall get straight before long The
masses are with us. Without reference
10 whether they were gold men or silver
men before the Chicago convention, our
voters. as a rule, are ready to do their
duty as Democrats.
Another thing: Our opponents have
been more active than we have been.
They have done ten times as much mis-
sionary work" as we have. 1t is time
now that our City Committee and our
clubs were getting down to the work Of
organization, and were holding public
meetings for the discussion Of the issues
of the day.
A visit here from Mr.. Bryan would do
us a world of good. Mr.. Bryan promised
Major Daniel to come here somewhere
about the 18th Of September. and this we
hope ne win do. lie ought to come here
as soon as possible. We want the Rich
mond people to see and hear him. We
want them to have their enthusiasm
aroused for him. We want his speech to
help weed out the dlsanection in Rich
mond and we want il for distribution
/ ,brovpbout the length and breadth of this
Commonwealth. And If our friends will
but have patience with the Democrats
Of Richmond for a little while longer
they will find that we are going to do
our duty, as usual, and win great vic
tory over our opponents, come in what
shape they may.
The New York Journal Of Commerce
says:
Z 90 a md