The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1896-04-01
"a Democratic National Convention.

the Republican National Committee,
has just completed careful analysis
o. the probable silver strength IN the
next Democratic National C0nven-
ton lie estimates that the FREE COIN
age wing will have at le.s! 100 najori-
t.. This would enable the silver men
to frame the platform, bnt they would
lack the requisite strength to name the
candidates. In the Democratic Con-
venti0n it takes two thirds to nomi-
nate, and if the estimates of Mr..
Dodge are correct, and the gold men
sand firm. they can absolutely block
a nomination. That they will stand
irm is almost certain. The influences
behind goldite politicians are of such
character that theyvery seldom weak
Ell. The power which makes them,
absolutely controls their actions. The
gold power is one that is thoroughly
organized, it knows no party fealty,
and in the eastern states, particularly.
very few public men care to defy it.
Should the silver men absolutely dom
mate the convention there is scarcely
doubt that the gold standard Demo
cratS would refuse to support the tick
ct. The National Bimetallist very
truly says thatthe action of the Cuckoo
Democrats in the Kentucky Legisla-
ture, which body has just adjourned
without electing Senator, is conclu-
sive evidence that when the master
speaks they obey. The same paper
goes on 20 say that Kentucky Delnoc-
racy has always been true to the silver
cause. Uutil within the last year
there has never been a shadow of
doub: that Kentucky was free silver
state. Bat the maiign influence Of
Cleveland and Carlisle, backed by the
money power of Wall street has done
its work. We now ind a small con-
tingent of that party in the legislature,
masqueradiug as sound money" men,
and stubbornly refused to support the
regular nominee, Senator Blickourn.
That gentleman's Democracy has new
er been questioned. and he has guard
ed the interests of his constituents
with rare fidelity. Up to the very
moment of Mr. Cleveland's election,
Blackburn and Carlisle were apparent
" perfectly agreed on the silver ques-
ton. and their votes were cast On the
same side. Now we find a few 50 called
Democrats in the legislature opposed
to his reelection, because, forsooth,
he stands on the money question pre-.
cisely where he has always stood, and
where Mr.. Carlisle seemed to stand,
until he became the puDpet OF Cleve-
land. If goldite Democrats in Ken
lucky will thus stultify themselves, 1t
IS safe to conclude that the same
class of men in the National Conven-
ton OF that party will do like
wise, and refuse to support
silver candidate on a silver plat
form. But Mr.. Dodge suggests a
compromise. the silver men taking the
platform, and the gold men the candi-
date. This would substantially be the
case of 1892 right over. More aptly,
the situation would be expressed by
the old gag, the law to the North and
the Niger to tie South" A silver
platform with gold candidate would
be the worst thing that could happen.
Hundreds of thousands of silver Dem
ocrats would be deluded into support
ing the ticket, and even if successful,
no legislation in the interest Of silver
could possibly oe had. But such
combination could not win. Not a
silverman outside the Democratic par
ty would support it, large numbers of
silver Democrats would refuse to be
duped. and the party would be buried
out of sight. Nothing would please
the Repu olican leaders better than for
the Democrats to name a gold candl-
date on silver platform. Such a
combination though, is hardly prcba-
bic. The incongruity is too great
No gold standardist with any self re-
spect could accept a nomination on a
straightout silver platform. Some
qualifying phrase would have to go
in, and that would mean gold. This,
is about the true situation OF affairs,
and we see no way out of it but asplit
in the Convention, which we believe
is inevitable. The gold bug Demo
Gratis, who are in the minority, care
nothing for the country or the party.
They believe in rule or ruin, and if
they can't use the Democratic party to
further their selfish ends they will do
all they can to wreck it. On the other
hand, the silver Democrats, who con-
stitute four ffths OF the party, cannot
afford to surrender their convictions
to please the gold bugs in the party,
split or no split This being the case,
we see very little prospect for harmo-
ny in the pexI National Democratic
Convention, and consequently no
chance of 2 Democrat succeeding
Cleveland. Times and Democrat.