Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-10-28
since 1873 the Restoration of Sill
yer Has Been the Established
Doctrine of the Democratic Party.

Doctrine OF the Democratic Iafty.
To the Editor Of the Dispatch:
For the benefit Of all citizens who have
been misled in this memorable campaign
by the professional politicians and the
subsidized press, / shall briefly review the
glorious fight OF the Democrats party
for the reconciliation Of silver. Every
Democrat who has not cast principle
aside will remember the stormy cam
paign OF 1876 They will recall that in
that memorable campaign the Demo-
cratic party gained control Of the Senate,
the House OF Representatives, and elect
ed Samuel j. Thden President OF these
United States by a popular majority OF
2Joco0. and a majority of twenty-one IN
the Electoral College. BY radical de-
parture from the manner In which the
electoral votes must be counted. accord
ing to the American Constitution, the
Republican party placed the election
returns from Florida. oregon, South
Carolina, and Louisiana in the hands Of
a commission of their partisans. who
stole the vote OF these four States,
thereby defeating Mr.. Tilden by a ma
jOrity of one.
This was not only a defeat for the
Democracy, but also a defeat for BIZ
metallism, and on account OF that Re
publican perfidy our people are suffering
to-day. Just after that campaign, on
December -. 1876, Mr. BANDS bill for
the resumption Of silver coinage passed
the House by a vote Of l6S to g.
During this session Of Congress there
were 16S Democratic representatives,
and 107 Republicans. on January 10, 1873
the Senate resolution declaring that
bonds were redeemab.e in silver dollars
was agreed to by the House, by vote OF
1s9 20 70 During the same session
OF Congress. on February Is ISIS, the
B'and-Allis0n bill passed the House, over
the veto of President Hayes, by a vote
Of 100 10 %. Although the silver
question seemed 70 be settled by this
compromise, Mr.. Springers bill for the
full restoration Of silver was passed by
this Democratic Congress, over which
Samuel J. Randall presided, by a vote Of
40 10 102 During the succeeding Con-
gress the Democrats, having a majority
Of eighteen members, passed the Warner
free coinage bill by a majority of seven
teen.
From 1851 to 1883 there was a Republi-
can majority in the House. and no silver
bill was passed.
On February 26, 1885, just six days be-
fore Mr. Cleveland began his first term,
when John G.. Carlisle was Speaker, the
House refused 10 consider a bill for sus-
pension Of silver coinage. on April 8,
1856, Air. BANDS free silver bill was de-
feated in the House by a vote Of 126 10
lG3. The whole minority vote was cast
by the Democratic members. on June 5,
1880, Mr.. BANDS substitute for the Win
dom silver purchase bill was defeated IN
the Republican House, OF which Thomas
b. Reed was Speaker. by vote of 1l6 TO
40. On June 18th a free coinage bill
was defeated In the House by a majority
OF seventeen. The minority vote on both
Of these measures was cast wholly by
Democrats. In November 1880. the De-
mOcracy regained a majority in the
House. and assumed control March 4, 1891.
on March Z. 1892. the House agreed
TO make a silver bill a special order for
March oath, by n vote Of 100 TO 50.
on the day set apart the gold-standard
Democrats bolted the decision of the
Democratic caucus and Joined the Re
publicans in opposition 10 the bill. The
Republicans and their allies spent the
day in flibustering and In making
dilatory motions. until the time assigned
for the consideration of the bill was used
up, when AR. Bland. knowing that the
bill, II passed, could not become a law
during Mr. Harrison's administration,
bdNb up Alt HSut.
on March /. 1894. Mr.. BANDS bill 10
coin the seigniorage in the Treasury
passed the House by a vote OF 16S to 129
This bill also passed the Senate, but
was vetoed by President Cleveland. On
February Z, 1895, the Democratic House
refused TO authorize bond issue, by a
vote Of l62 to l25 On February 18th the
House refused to make bonds redeemable
in gold. by vote of 167 10 10.
On March 4. 1895. the Republican party
assumed control of the House, and during
the first session of the Republican Con-
gress the bill to authorize the issuance
Of bonds which had been defeated in the
Fifty-third Congress. was passed. Only
one Democrat. Mr. Hutchinson, Of
Texas. voted in favor Of It. on February
IL, 1886, the Senate free silver substitute
for this bond bill was rejected by the
House by a vote of 215 TO 80. only ninety
OF the ninety-eight Democratic members
were present when the vote was taken
and sixty-four OF these voted I'm favor Of
the substitute. HUNTER PARISH.