The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-07-14
TUESDAY, JULY II, 1896.


Tho nomination by tho Chicago Con
venuon. Of Mr.. sowan. OF Maine TO be
the candidate for Nice-Pgesident was
lifting conclusion Of that conyenton-the
most emotional. hysterical, irrational
body Of It's size that ever assembled we
do verify believe.
When il was announced that sowah OF
Maine was nominated. everybody was at
once asking, "Who is sewan Of Mainef'
and no one could answer We think IL
safe 10 say there were not ono
hundred persons IN Virginia that had
ever heard Of sowan Of Maine. When
did ever such q thing as this happen
before? And how is It 90 Doe explained?
We can understand but one explanation
of II. and that is because Mr.. Sewall is
an Eastern and wealthy man. Taking
the head of the ticket from the West,
the convention would naturally take ITS
san from the East. and as politicians
know that funds are a desirable thing I'm
political contests, the convention thought
IL had lust as well put itself irto
touch with money sources by selecting
q rich man. So that wc have a con-
vention proclaiming itself the especial
friend Of the plain and poor man and
denouncing national banks particularly
selecting as one OF its stancard-bearers
one OF those very rich men it denounced,
who at the same time. IS president OF
a national bank.
This. OF course. IS one Of the most in
consistent of acts. But It is not n sur
prislng one. There IS nothing but in
consistency and irrational action IN the
proceedings of the convention, from
beginning TO end. Tho platform. rcpu-
dating every principle OF Democracy
which has heretofore been accepted as %
Democratic principle. seems. according
20 general understanding. To have been
prepared before the convention met py
those who are 10 run the Ioyn.ist cone
vcntlon at ST. Louis; with an IFS Popu-
llstlc demands. 80 was accepted just as
it had been prepared; none Of Che emil
nont men in the Democratic party who
have heretofore borne sos banners aloft
were thought of in connection with the
nomination for the presidency; and. final
~ the convention. in spasm Of hys-
terra. ran Off and nominated mere
youth. who was scarcely known Of bee
cause he ratified OFF before 80 q studied
piece Of sophomorical rhodomontade that
did not contain q single sound PROPOSE
ton. and aboundcd with nonsense and
anarchy n equal proportions from Dee
gnning TO end. Surely there i3 nothing
like this in the history Of politics. For
incons Istcncy. for irrational action, fof
conduct that discards reason, this is not
10 be matched anywhere except in the
extraordinary proceedings of the Jacobin
assemblies i'm The early stages or the
French Revolution. Tho Democratic
Convention has turned its back upon an
the old-tlme and cherished principles Of
Democracy. and 10 has adopted for De-
mocracys platform every ism and dam
gerous hcrosy that has cmanatod from
the disordercd brans Of an the cranks
that the troubled period since the war
has produced. Is assent TO their wild
propositions 10 constitute the test OF De-
mocracy hereafter? We wait the rec
spouse Of our acknowledgements Of the
United States with the deepest interest.
il this is to be the test of Democracy
then truly The Times Democratic TO the
core. as Il IS. SIS bcwildored and az q
loss TO know whore 60 stands.