The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-09-23

Ex-senator Davis and Democracy.
The fact that ex-senator Henry G.
Davis is supporting the cause of free
silver causes the Popocratic organ In
this city to overflow with JOY. and in a
somewhat gushing editorial that paper
says: II
Senator Davis has fairly won his title
ought to follow n long life of business
and political activity, but this campaign,
In which one of the fundamental prin-
ciples Of our government is boldly at
tackled and the attempt made TO over
throw government by tho people and to
substitute therefor government by Wall
street, In short. Plutocracy-has brought
out all the old Democratic war horses.
and Henry G. Davis is among them and
In the front rank.
This looks strange in the columns of
paper that only two years ago, when cx-
Senator Davis was opposing the re-
election Of William L. Wilson, was In
sinuating that Mr.. Davis was moved by
selfish interests. AT that time Mr..
Davis was aiding In the defeat of Mr..
Wilson on account of that gentleman's
attempt 10 have coal placed on the free
list in his tariff bill, and his success in
giving US free lumber. affecting disas-
trously two great industries in which
the ex-senator Is interested.
The Democratic press, in Its effort to
counteract the effect of Mr.. Davis sup
port Of Mr.. Dayton, charged that he had
always been a Republican at heart, and
that he was now working against the
Democracy's idol, MIR. Wilson, because,
being a selfish millionaire coal and
lumber baron. that was the natural
thing for him to do. Then Mr.. Davis
was "a srasping monopollst"--a, pluto
crat" so to speak. In an article pub
llshed by the Register during the cam.
paign of 1894, he was thus referred to-:
"Of course all Democrats understand
that from purely personal motives. both
ex-senator Davis and Col. T. b. Davis,
are using whatever influence they have
to defeat Mr.. Wilson. and are using it
especially on their employees, and have,
we ore sorry to say, converted some of
them. So Had Mr.. Landstreet and
ex-senator Davis, whom he represents,
been such Democrats as they had pro-
fessed to be in the past, as such they
should have been willing to, at least,
foregone some personal interest for the
benefit OF the great Democratic party"
The article then proceeds to score the
methods adopted by Mr.. Davis in aiding
in the defeat of Wilson.
Now we have the Register informing
the same readers what n good old time
Democrat Mr.. Davis Is, and how he has
buckled on the. arnior and gone into the
fight against the hosts of "piutocracy."",
One wouldn't suspect that only two
short years ago he and his business as
soc!ates, Mr.. Elkins, Mr.. Kerens. and
others, were being denounced as grind
ing millionaire monopolists," who were
only working for their selfish inter-
csts," and that he himself was being
charged with treason to the Democracy.
As To MI. Davis support of Bryan. he
Is u tribe inconsistent, though he may
be sincere In his advocacy OF free silver.
He helped defeat Mr.. Wilson in the last
campaign, because OF the congressman's
attitude toward the! tariff on coal and
lumber. Mr.. Bryan was associated
with Mr.. Wilson in his fight against
protection to these two great West Vlr-
gInla industries, and took even more I'D
vanced grounds for free trade than Mr..
Wilson did. In n speech supporting the
bill he declared that "a tariff on coal,
was absolutely indefenslble." Mr..
Davis felt that vital interests OF his
own, and those of the hundreds Of men
to whom he glvea employment, were at
tackled and he helped to retlre The at
lacking party from power to do any
further damage. q Y
Mr.. Bryan is as much ofa free trader
now, as he was then Should he be elect
ed he will not only have 1t in his power
ltnapprorc a bill that would force upon
Mr.. Davis and his great interests a de-
preclated currency; and an unsafe none.
tary policy, but to approve a bill which
would go further In the direction OF
striking a blow at those interests than
did the effort for which the ex-senator
sought the defent of Mr.; Wilson. at
This Is Mr.. Davis' position. and he
can only excuse i on the ground that
the tariff Is not an Issue" which is a
lfayorlts Popocratlc contention. But 1t
IS an Issue, for It finds a place in the
Popncratlc Platform, and the Republic
cans are pledged TO a restoration OF! the
protection to West Nlrginla's crippled
industries. 4