Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1896-07-18
UNITE ON MCKINLEY.

upon all sound-money Democrats
that their duty to their country does
not stop with the expression of Their
disgust. The election of President
of the United States is not a mere
declaration OF sentiment; it is a great
national act, and may be--as it Ger.
tainly will be this year-fraught with
consequences most momentous, both
to the material welfare of the people
and to the future of our institutions.
Confronted with such situation as
now exists, what course is dictated to
a conscientious man? Has he a
right to consider his own personal
inclinations? Has he right to be
squeamish as to the performance OF
an act that may be distasteful to him,
if he knows it is the surest way to do
effective work for an object of vital
Importance to the country If man
thinks the election of the candidate OF
the silverites ard Populists would be
a national calamity, has he right to
Withhold his best efforts to avert that
calamity?
These questions answer them
selves. The duty OF every man who
realizes the gravity of the menace in
VOWED by the Chicago platform is to
oppose it in the only thoroughly eff
fective way. namely, by voting for
Mckinley. To no individual Demo
crat who may follow this advice will
the duty be more distasteful than to
the newspaper that gives it. But
this is not question Of the gratifica-
ton OF tastes or of the mere recording
of opinions. 1t is a question OF saw
ing the country from a great danger
Nobody who advocates the putting
up of sound money Democratic tick
ct has the slightest idea of its cleo
ton. 1t would be put up solely as a
means of giving sound money Demo-
Gratis an opportunity to "vote their
sentiments 1t would divide the
sound-money Democratic vote. It
would not even serve to show the
strength of the sound money Demo-
Gratis, for probably the great majority
OF these men would vote for McKin-
ley in any case. The aversion of the
majority of people to throwing their
votes away is well known, and the
result of the experiment of sound
money Democratic ticket would prob
ablyibe the very reverse of what its
promoters desire. 1t would make a
sorry showing at the polls, and it
would give the Republicans reason to
claim the entire Mckinley vote, swol-
len though it was by protesting DEM
ocrats, as given for Mckinley and
protection. On the other hand, if no
independent Democratic ticket is run,
it will be evident to all that large
part of the Mckinley vote was given
by Democrats who had refused to fol-
low their party organization into the
folly of silverism and Populism.
This campaign is going to be a
grim and determined contest on both
sides. No true citizen will shrink
from making his vote tell as power
fully as possible for the side that he
wishes should win. Even the mag
nitude OF the victory will not be a
mat er of indifference to him. He
will realize that victory for sound
money will be ten times as valuable
if it is decisive victory than if it is
won by small majority. 1t is i'm
portant that as many States as pos
sible be carried by the party which is
for sound money and conservative
craftsmanship, and that in each of
these States the party that stands
for debasement of the currency and
for the encouragement of fanatical
Populism be defeated by as heavy
majority as possible. This is not
year for taking to the woods, or for
throwing away votes on sentimental
candidates. 1t is a year for the
steri, performance of the duties of
citizenship. 1t is year for doing
your very best to set the country on
its feet again, and to keep it there,
through such an unmistakable vic
tory for sound finance that no one
will doubt its permanent establish
ment. And we are sorry for the man
who, seeing such duty before him,
can hesitate to perform it to the full.
Baltimore News.
.