The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-06-22
MIR. wHIrNEYs MANIFESTO.

1
strong minded, sagscious and thoroughly
well informed american citizen. He
knows what's what
He has Just issued a statement TO the
Democratic party ana TO the people at
large in which, however, as was to have
been expected from a man OF Mr. WHIT
NEY 'ssgacity, he keeps in plain view
| the distinction shat at this time is as
broad as yawning chasm between the
Democracy and the people Of this coun'
try. He warns the Democracy that free
coinage plank in the Chicago platform
will be disastrous 10 the Democratic
party, as its approval by the people IN
November would be disastrous to the
country.
There is nothing new in Mr.. WHIT
NEY's plea against the adoption of free
coinage, pending international arbitra-
tion, although If we may judge from the
instructions that majority OF the Demo
cratic State conventions have imposed
upon their delegates to Chicago, the plea,
SO far as the Democratic party is con-
cerned, is not ill-timed, however unsuc-
cessful it may prove to be.
And yet 1t may be asked what is the
Democratic party to do for an issue II 1t
is not to adopt a free coinage plank at
Chicago? Despite the Presidents decla-
ration upon the passage OF the Wilson
German tariff bill that the fight for tariff
reform had only just begun and would
be kept up, the President himself dictat-
ed the abandonment OF tariff reform as
an issue for the campaign OF 1896, and
the whole strength OF tho administration
was devoted to forcing upon the country
the currency Question as the dominant
issue. The Republican party accepted
the gage thus thrown down and in re-
sponse to an overwhelming sentiment
within the party and the demand OF the
commercial, financial and business in
terests of the country irrespective Of
party, plank was adopted at st.
Louis that was dangerously near the
impolitic in its agressiveness In behalf
OF the gold standard. Meantime in
every Democratic State convention the
power OF the CLEVELAND administration
working through thousands of Demo
cratic federal Office holders, making use
Of means that only the strongest faith in
the sanctity OF the end could justify, has
sought to hold the Democracy to sound
money--any kind of sound money, so
long as il meant something besides free
silver coinage at the ratio of 16 to 1. In
this effort the administration has failed
dismally, and q majority of the delegates
to Chicago, II not the necessary two
thirds of them, are pledged to free silver
coinage.
That the silve issue will be drawn be-
tween the two parties, however, is not
necessarily an evil thing for the Demo-
In position to make fight. II has
abandoned the tariff reform ground,
and that ground is untsnable, even II it
chose to make another stand on II after
three years OF tariff reform disaster
Outspoken for sound money the Democ-
racy cannot win an eastern state. Out
spoken for free silver 1t may capture a
few hitherto Republican States In the far
West and hold its own in some parts OF
the South. Mr.. WHITNEY regrets to see
sectlonalism enter the Democratic party.
But the Democratic party has ever been
maintained by sectionalism. II has until
recently been kept alive by the solid
South. The solid South Ia now broken.
But perhaps there is hope for the suster.
ance Of the Democracy IL it can make up
for the loss OF States in the South by
capturing the boiling Republican quin-
tette in the West and perhaps a few other
Western States where the Republican
party il united for sound money but
where 1t is not impossible that the Demo-
Gratis could secure majority OF the votes
on free silver plank.
NEW YORK is now short of two sensa-