The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-08-16
THE DISPATCH ON THE SOUND
MONEY MOVEMENT


The effort Of the Dispatch to belittie
and disparage the movement TO form
sound money league in Richmond is not
strong There is little or nothing in any
of the grounds 1t brings forward rs
evidence that the movement lacks sup
port.
The fact that there are only 100 names
on the list Of signers that has been pub
lisLed, while 1919 Democrats voted for
Mr.. Cleveland at the last presidential
election. counts for nothing The city
was not extensively canvassed for sigma
lures and many men who were applied TO
expressed their hearty sympathy with
the movement and declared their inten-
ton to vote with the signers. though
they were opposed to signing any agree
ment to form a league.
The Dispatch need not think that 72C
represents the Democratic vote that will
go with the league. II need not be sur
pri.ed If six or seven times that num-
Der were nearer the mark.
one point the Dispatch makes we wish
to comment upon particularly. II says:
1--WE are also quite sure that many
persons who signed the lists did so, not
because OF any desire TO see Mckinley
elected, but because their business en-
vironments almost compelled them TO
sign Whenever the NAMES are taken and
classified under the business employ
ments OF the slgners. this view of the
case will. We think. be apparent 10 all
10 init fo~ Sc If hot
employers coorced their men into sign
ing the paper. There was an intimauon
in some paper that the Chesapeake and
Ohio railway had done this and the
sound-money club that has been formed
at its shops at once met and branded
the statement as falsehood
We have known OF but one other
statement Of this sort. and that was at
once investigated and found to be with
out a shadow Of foundation, and we
think the authority for it regrets now
having ever made the statement.
We do not believe there has been a
particle of coercion applied TO any sign
er of this paper. But this we can tell
the Dispatch. There has been considerable
attempt at coercing men who wanted
TO sign into retaining from doing so.
and there is at this moment a general
sort of intimation going out from Popu-
nstDemocrats that it Will be bad day
for all those who take part IN the move
ment for sound money, and resistance
to the revolutionary measures proposed
in the Chicago platform.
The Dispatch says "the Democratic
party OF Richmond has made two aston
ishing blunders in this campaign. The
first was In the action taken by our
Electoral Board in ordering a new regis
tration"
Well! Well. wcll,!
"Our Electoral Board" is then 'the
Democratic party" or a part Of IT,
We had an idea that the Electoral
Board was a creature OF the law that
stood for the people. and not for any
party. 1t never entered into our head
to suppose that the Democratic party or
any other party could speak o. the
Electoral Board OF the city Of Richmond
as "our Electoral Board" and. thank
Heaven, from what we know OF Rich.
monds Electoral Board, the Dis2,tcn
makes a most egregious error when il
speaks OF them as ''our Electoral Board"
The Electoral Board OF the city OF Ji'ch-
mond is composed of three indeper dent
gentlemen. who know their dulles to the
VA
courage to perform rh.aA They have de-