St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1896-02-08
COURTING DEFEAT.

A portion of the Democrats in a num-
Der Of the Southern states have profit
ed by the example Of Mr.. Buck" Hin
richsen, of Illinois, and propose to Sc
cure such action as they desire upon
the silver question this year by the ex-
pedient Of calling premature, double
headed conventions. The policy is to
have single convention in each of
those states. to nominate candidates
for local office, and also to choose dele
gates to the national party convention.
and to pass resolutions instructing those
delegates as to how they shall vote
upon the party platform. The clear pur-
pose Of this is to forestall public opin-
1on; and to secure, if possible, the COM
mitment Of the Democratic party of
those states to the free silver side be-
fore the sentiment in favor of that idea.
has entirely waned. These men have
been successful in Texas, where the
state central committee conceded the
form of two conventions, but has di-
rected that the delegates to both be
chosen at single primary election. A
campaign to the same end has been
going forward vigorously for some
weeks in Georgia, with good prospect
Of success. The movement. is under
way in Tennessee and Alabama: and
the carrying out over so wide an area.
at the same time, of a chosen plan in
tnc thot
the free silver leaders,
without reference to the wisdom or
unwisdom Of Incorporating free silver
plank in the national platform. every
man VINO knows anything about prac-
C1cal politics understands that this is a.
movement whose first effect will not
be SO much to secure a declaration for
rree coinage as to insure a split in the
party. Men on both sides have right
TO their opinions on the silver question,
and a right to express them The issue
has been so sharply made and so Wig
orously debated that neither side will
permit or acquiesce in a snap iude-
Inent by the other. Our own view,
frequently expressed, is that this oues-
tlon has no business to be made q test
OF Democracy, or an issue with which
the whole fortune Of the Dartv sbe1,
be bound up. 1t Is an economic o1es-
uon, on which Democrats ought to he
willing to differ when they cannot
agree. Nothing is palmer than that
to set it in the forefront and reouira
OF every Democrat that he renounce
hls allegiance to the doctrine which
happens to be, in his particular COM
munity, in the minority, will insure
the division Of the party itself into two
factions, resulting in the inevitable de-
feat of both.
This is the only possible outcome of
the policy that has been inaugurated in
the Southern states. The silver oues-
tion is not and ought not to be an
issue in any state convention. except
possibly, where a United States SEN
ator is to be elected It will come
before the national convention. The
holding of single convention for state
and national policies is always and
everywhere improper. Altogether diff
ferent questions are raised, and the
same man may reasonably find him
self with the majority in one case and
with the minority in the other In the
choosing Of delegates, man may be
selected to represent given county or
district on one set Of issues, because
they are paramount with it's voters. who
would not be chosen by the same
voters at the primaries to represent
them in a national convention. The
whole programme is illogical, domineer-
Ing, and intended only to forestau the
deliberate judgment and action of the
party on national issues. It arises. as
we have said before, out of detern1in-
alton by the party machine in these
several states to perpetuate it's power.
Those who have a majority in state
committees and believe that they can
retain it In a convention called early to
nominate state officers, do not propose
10 take any chances Of losing their