New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-08-03
SILVER FORCES NOT YET UNITED.

Tammany indorses Bryan, thereby hurting
more than it can help him. Union Of all the
enemies of honest money and public good faith
has been assumed from the beginning of this
years contest. For mOIths the Republican
vote in different States has been constantly
compared with the Democratic and Populist
vote combined in all estimates by The Tribune.
1t was to be expected that the free silver ele-
ments would get together as far as possible.
and the union of them all on one Presidential
ticket was fully expected Nor has anybody
doubted that the corrupt Democratic rings OF
Eastern cities and States. which have lived by
robbing the people at once of their money ana
of the right of suffrage, would make haste TO
unite with the one consolidated body represent
ing rascality in National affairs. The party
toward which all upright and patriotic clti-
zens and genuine reformers are driven by ire
sistible events is precisely the one against
which all the forces of civic corruption and
government by lawbreakers would instructive
ly unite
The progress Of events thus far however. in
dicates much less complete union of the neither
forces than has been expected. On the Ma
tional field the hostility Of fiat-paper men to
fiat-silvec men. of POpulists to silver million
aires as we'll as to gold mllonaires. has
proved stronger than any had supposed,
and has resulted in separate nominations
for Vice-Presldent Mr. Sewall sets his jaw.
and declares that withdrawal Is not possible
for him. and it would. in fact, be fatal blow
to all the homes of his Democratic friends and
followers in Maine, who have seized and mean
10 keep control of the party. In all Eastern
States likewise the Democrats who have seized
the machine or hope to seize II for the support
of Bryan would find their task far more diff
cult if he were associated with Georgia Pop
ulist Broadly speaking. Sewall's retention is
necessary to the existence Of any silver De
mocracy at the East
But Watson has a jaw also. is full Of fight.
and has been telling the ugly truth about
Bryan so long and so plainly that he obviously
has nothing to lose by holding out Behind
him are the Populsts of the South. who bitterly
resent with ample cause Democratic refusal
for twenty years TO permit honest elections,
and the personal ostracism and literal persecu-
ton which all opponents of the Democratic ma
chine in Southern States have had TO bear. The
Alabama Populists expect to be cheated, az
usual. in the state election now at hand, and
declare that they will then unite with the Re-
publicans and sound-money Democrats for Nc
Kinley The Texas Populists are in the same
temper, and the division of Southern votes be-
tween two sets Of electors. Democratic and
Populist, would cause Republican success in
several States The Popuists distinctly desire
Democratic defeat, because they know that it
would make their party the opposition of the
future, and however anxious Democrats may
be to negotiate, 1t does not as yet seem possible
to effect any complete union of forces.
/ At the West fusion in name and form is more
/ easy, because the Democrats have no chance
! in a single State without the POpust vote.
Accordingly, what is called fusion Is virtually
a swallowing Of Democratic remnants by Pop
ulists and even where there is pretended di-
vision Of the electors and candidates, as in Ne
! braska, the men chosen as Democrats will be
found as much Populsts as the men chosen ms
! POpulists Democrats not of that sort are
organizing sound-money Democratic party
with really surprising rapidly and success in
all the Northern States west Of Pennsylvania,
which will not merely defeat Bryan and Alt
geld and the whole venOmOus tribe OF repudi-
atOrs and Anarchists, but will save basis
on which real Democratic party can be kept
alive Thus in all sections the union OF Or.
posing forces appears at present much less com
plete than was expected But when Governor
Mckinley was nominated his triumph over a
completely united opposition was reckoned
certainty.