The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1896-05-12

news can doubt that the Democrats
of Ohio, on fair vote and an hon
est count, are for silver by a very
large majority. The Democratic
State Convention Of 1891, held at
Cleveland, resolved in favor offree
coinage by clear majority. There
had been no wire-pulling, and the
election OF delegates had been with
out reference to the question. The
resolution was spontaneous eX-
preston Of the Democracy OF Ohio,
through the regularly constituted
agency. In 1891, under similar
circumstances, in the State CON
vention at Columbus, the majority
for straigh Tout free coinage res
olution was large and easy to get.
The language was as follows: ave
dissent from the Presidents views,
construction and treatment of the
silver quo stion, and therefore be-
lieve that silver should be restored
to the position it occupied AS money
prior to its decentralization by the
Republican party, and TO that end
we favor the unlimited free coin
age of silver at the legal ratio of lG
to |, and with equal legal tender
power" This was adopted after
the defeat of minority (gold) re-
port by vote of 46S to $40.
In 1895 the Democratic machin-
cry in Ohio was run under Admin
istration influences. The primar-
les and County Conventions were
attended to early in the interest of
the opponents of silver; but the
best the gold men could do for
themselves, after all the setting up,
was to readopt the Chicago plat
form of 1892, which is interpreted
both ways as TO bimetallism.
In 1896 the friends of true bimet-
allism in Ohio should be watchful
industrious and uncompromising.
The testimony that the silver SEN
timent has had tremendous
growth since 1891 is overwhelming.
Everybody can see it. The gold
men know ii, and if they under
take to carry the Democratic Con-
venti0n it will not be by a straight
appeal to the people, but by smart
management and packing the con-
ventions. The recent Democratic
State Convention in Michigan was
not representative of the majority
of the party sentiment. Undoubt-
edly the silver principle is as strong
in that state as it is in Ohio, but
the power of the Federal Office
holders and the trading expert
ness Of the Dickinson crowd was
too much for even the majority.
Michigan was manipulated. The
managers Of the gold side were
doubtless fortified by the men who
have already been enriched by the
gold and bond policy, and who
want to force the people to con-
tinue to pay tribute to them.
The bimetallic Democrats of this
state-the men who are for honest
dollars that are good for all classes
of honest men should be alive to
the situation. They have such ad-
vantage in the popular faith that
they should not hesitate to go in
to Il hot fight even with Federal
power and Wall street ammuni-
tlon. They should not be wheedl-
ed into compromising with the mi
nority. They should not be trick
ed with soft words about harmony,
or clustering threats about eXcom-
munication. They should be for
han mony, of course; but being in
the majority they have the best
right TO dictate the terms on which
there shall be harmonious action.
They should push the silver work
with confidence, and If necessary
with heat. If the gold hugs win,
upon the silver mon will be the hu-
initiation of defeat by an inferior
force in nunbNs.-Enquirer. er.