Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1896-11-09
THE BATTLE ENDED.

OF the country, was fought out at the
polls on Tuesday last. It was great in
the tremendous issues involved, in
the number of participants and the
excitement incident to the stirring
canvass. The issues were largely pub
lie honor and business. The sudden
projection of the silver question into
the platform of the great democratic
party was thing that disrupted and
startled the country. Other issues, in
volving principles which in the minds
of all statesmen were hazardous,
alarmed thinking and patriotic men; ];
and they stood aghast at the condi-
ton of things, as they foresaw the
threatening consequences. 1t is a
notable fact that Democracy was split
on lines unlike anything, except it
may have been the secession doctrine,
ever seen in this country.
It was the intelligence, the wisdom
which rebelled. The rank and file in
large measure clung to it for party's
sake Such is the strength of party
name and fealty that majority will
cling to it, though it abandons its
traditions and its principles, and
though it may drift off to political
! perdition. This was an instance where
a party was put in such plight by be-
wildered, selfish and dangerous men,
| that it's best element was compelled
to abandon it.
When such Democrats as Cleve-
land, Whitney, Villas, Palmer, Wat
terson, Phelps and hundred of it's
! ablest statesmen and best men felt
compelled to fee from its candidates
and it's platform, something must
have been the matter. Strange that
more honest, patriotic Democrats did
not flee to the woods. The result
shows that thousands abandoned, for
the time being at least, the old organ
! ization and voted direct for RepubIi
can candidates. Others remained
away from the polls. The National
Democracy and its admirable caDdi-
dates afforded good opportunity for
voting off for those who must be
Democrats, while they would not vote
for Bryan.
Almost the only important issue be-
tween the Republicans and the Ma
tionals was over the tariff, and this,
not one of the magnitude which ali
enated to any great extent. Hence,
many Democrats who will not leave
the party could vote for Mckinley
without abrading their feelings or
their consciences. Up to the time
when the silverites captured the
democratic party, the struggle seem
ed to be pretty well settled. There is
no doubt that large majority of the
people favored a higher. tariff and
believed Mckinley to be it's best ex-
ponent. His nomination seemed to
be a solution of the political problems
of the day.
1t soon. came to be seen that the
steady, silent work of the owners of
silver mines had been eXerting an in
huence on the minds of the people in
the Western and Southern sections
the assembling of the Democrats at
the Chicago convention, it was appar-
ent that silver would control the con-
vention. The intelligent, unbought
Democracy tried hard to stem the
tide and to overcome the influences of
reputation and destruction, but
wa s unable to do it. Tt must be a
battle at the polls. How it has been
waged and how it has ended we well
know. On the one hand the contest
has been one that was directed to the
candid sense, the patriotism and the
interests of the voter. On the other
hand there has been an effort to stir
the passions, excite the prejudices
and enlist the feelings of men in eff
forts which tend to pull down and
destroy. The candidate himself,
gifted in the arts of oratory, and
man that has the power to move his
hearers has rode up and down the
country offering nothing but the un-
certainties of free silver as panacea
for nations ills; striving to anita
gonize the interests of capital and Ia
Dor; to convince the laboring classes
that their employers are dishonest
and avaricious robbers; to show that
all moneyed men and institutions are
to be distrusted; that the rich are
robbers; the poor are sufferers, whose
sorrows have been occasioned by the
Industrious and the thrifty; in short
his speeches have been on the mar
rowest, most irrational and the most
dangerous lines which any. man, not
an anarchist or socialist ever utter