The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-05-10


"when / throw a rock in the dark and
q dog bowls. 1 know my shot has taken
effect" Is an old saying that all of us
may resort to upon proper occasions.
Vest, dear Vest. he Of Missouri, let his
mouth OFF last Thursday in the Senate,
and he made a wall that means a great
deal. We trow. said Vest:
am a delegate to the Chicago Conven-
ton against my viii, sent there by my
people I'm the discharge of my duty and
as public function, because l believe IL
TO be q duty and not because l desired
20 go. ! have stated. under much criti-
cism In Missouri, that | was a Democrat
under all conditions; that 1 intended TO
abide 10y the action of my party; that
was too old to hunt for a new political
home; that 1 should die as l have lived
1n the party OF jefferson, devoted to his
teachings and principles. But l serve no.
tice now that If this convention at Chi
.cago is TO be made up OF Federal Office
holders, brought there 10 oyerawe and
override the wishes of the honest ma
Jority Of the Democratic party throughout
the United States, IL is no Democratic
convention with me. l shall abide the
will OF the majority Of my party honest
Hy assembled and honestly expressed. /
derstanding. The Democratic party is
lpsrty of honest expression and not OF Fed
ieral patronage.
! Which we understand 10 mean that
West sees the National Democratic Con-
lvontion Is going to adopt sound-money
platform and nominate a sound-money
candidate. and that Vest is therefore go
ing TO bolt and 80 over to Tillman. Alt
geld. and the other anarchists.
/ Very well, so be 1t. and Joy go with
West and all like him. We have once
before said that the Democratic party is
now Ike q herd OF cattle some Of which
khave tuberculosis. They will communi-
cate It to all unless the infected are pick
ID out and slaughtered. The Democratic
party must do as wise men do with their
injected herds. They slaughter the last
ono of the infected animals, and the
silver contingent the option of mending
their ways or being given up. We can
not afford 10 have them poisoning the
rank and file any longer. Defeat is bet
ter. far better, than victory on their
principle. They injure the country TO the
extent that they are thought TO have any
influence in governing IL.
Vest had some newspaper extracts read
in the course of his TRADE. in which the
President was charged with having used
all the influence OF the administration to
control the Michigan Convention In favor
of sound money. and then he said:
/ caused that newspaper extract 10 be
read because these private letters are here
10 substantiate the statements which have
been made. and l say this roeTetfully-I
say II as Democratic senator with re-
luctance. IL has been forced upon US.
The issue has come IN spite OF all that
could DO done 10 prevent It,
II the extract that we have already
quoted did not prove that Vest was pre-
pairing 20 bolt and Join Tiilman and Alt
geld. this paragraph would seem TO put
the matter beyond doubt. Vest is going
10 quit. The places that knew him will
know him no more. Vest Is going 10 be
an obsolete. Wen. we can stand II II
Vest can. and. in bidding him goodbye.
we will softly whisper 10 him that we
would cheerfully part with dozen much
better men than be for an assurance that
the Democratic party intends TO plant
itself upon q sound-money platform and
nominate a sound-money man.