Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1896-06-22
PUT BA \ THE CAUSE

lism, and disA Id
PUT Ban y THE CAUSE
Of the double standard the world over.
"It is a question not what we wish,
but what we are able to do. a strong
man may undertake task too great
for his strength and break down.
'It cannot be denied that the feeling
among our people is that this free
coinage by the United States alone will
not give us the gold and silver money
at a parity with each other (Which is
the assumption upon which it is taken),
but will bring us to silver monometal-
lism and a change in our standard of
value, and that change, it is believed,
cause immediate ruin to our industries
and no permanent good to any one.
This feeling is general and intense.
whether these differences can be
reconciled, it is impossible to antici-
pate. The Democratic party stands for
principles desirable to be maintained
for the good of the country. Most any
sacrifice might be asked of Democrats
for the sake of the party and they
would cheerfully make it.
But if the delegates from this To-
cality should go 10 that Convention and
represent that the rank and file OF the
party would follow the lead of our
Southern brethren and vote for the
free coinage of silver by the United
States alone. they would be misrepre-
senting the state of public opinion
here Whether it is so or not, 1t IS
considered proposition to debase the
existing standard of value.
And the same feeling Of
INDISPOSITION TO COMPROMISE
with the matter for votes or anything
else is as active and dominant here in
our party as it was found in the Repub-
lican party when il bore down and
overpowered the Mckinley machine.
personally it is my opinion, if the
Democratic party goes on that plat
form at this time, they will get the
form at this time, they will meet the
most disastrous defeat that any party
has ever had in this country. l under
stand it is honestly believed in and
people think it will bring relief from
their present troubles: but between
now and election day it will be pretty
thoroughly sifted and the people OF this
country will not face the fall OF
values. the loss of confidence, the gen.
eral distress and ruin which would
come 10 their business interests in such
a change in their standard OF value as
would arise from such action. And 1t
will, in my opinion, overwheim the
persons who undertook it.
1T ought not to be necessary Tor me
to say anything Of personal nature.
I find myself. however. spoken OF here
and there as a possible candidate; not
very seriously or prominently, but sur
fciently to attract attention, if l should
fail TO notice it, 1t sometimes affects
ones influence in cases like the pres
ent. have no personal motive in en-
tering this fight. / have said that
would not be a candidate. l will add,
copying the emphatic language once
used by the late General Sherman Il
think l remember it correctly, L will
not run if nominated, nor serve ii
elected
Il am not foolish enough to suppose
that any eastern man could be nCmi-
mated by this convention, much less
that l could. | sympathize thoroughly
with the feeling in the south that has
caused the uprising and will find its
expression at Chicago, but as to the
principle which the uprising has
brought forth and the issues being
framed, I entirely disagree.
"WILLIAM C. WHITNEY"