The record-union., 1896-07-24

the sound money Democrats. lie Ie-
Piled:
II think events and the course of the
Republican leaders are making 1t IN
evitable. The general situation. he
continued. sis far worse to-day, in my
opinion, than it was ten days ago. Ihe
Republican managers and candidates
have shown no realizing sense OF the
situation. They have failed to avail
themselves of a great opportunity 1or
benefiting the country. If the present
condition of affairs continues for any
length of time sound money Democrats
are bound to organize, and it cannot be
prevented The truth is, there does not
seem to be in the East a realizing sense
of the seriousness and sincerity of the
free silver movement. You may call 1t
a craze. but it has captured the imag-
nations of a great mass of people
throughout the entire West and South,
and it has a much stronger following in
some portions of the East not closely al
lied to the large commercial centers
than is generally supposed. 1t is the
result of reading and agitation. 1t has
become a fixed opinion and an unrea-
soning one.
II was satisfied before we went to
Chicago that nothing could be accom-
piished in the direction of changing or
modifying the free silver idea, and L
said so. Nevertheless, it was our duty to
go there and emphasize the strength OF
the convictions of the Eastern Demo-
Gratis. and, further, to afford the coun-
try an object lesson showing so plainly
that it could not be misunderstood the
undemocratic and revolutionary spirit
which dominates the movement. In
this we were successful. The Demo-
cratic mask was pretty effectively re-
moved from the face of the POpulism
which had forced itself for the time be-
ing into a position Of control. That was
| all that the sound money Democrats
could hope to accomplish, and that they
! did effectually and unselfishly. There
| never has been in any party convention
such a vigorous declaration of inde-
pendence as was exhibited at Chicago,
when 249 delegates refused to partici-
| pate in the selection of candidates.
What should have been the next step
IL the fight for the preservation of ma
| tional honor and sound finance? We
| had suddenly come upon new and a
very great crisis. one that called for the
| sinking Of partisanship and the union
of sound money men to rescue the coun-
| try from disaster Hundreds of thou
| sands of Democrats stood ready to de-
| clare themselves upon that issue, and
were ready to subordinate everything,
even to voting for the Republican candi-
| date.
! What was the duty Of the hour?
| Clearly 1t was one that devolved upon
| the Republican party and its candi-
dates. There should have been an i'm
| mediate recognition of a new situation,
and the Republicans should have been
the first to welcome sound money Dem
| ocrats to a non-partisan union, subOr-
| dinating all other things to this ques-
| ton of honor. It was a new issue. 1t
dwarfed all others. An opportunity was
| offered TO fight for the established in
| stitutiOns of the country; the fundamen-
tai things that underlie party differ
ences-law and order, national honor,
| common honesty, the Integrity of the
c0urts-all such things. without which
we do not exist as a nation at all. A
single glimpse at the Chicago pla tform
and at the spectacle of One-third of the
! Democratic party in open revolt should
have been enough to have shown them
instantly the necessity of a new align
ment OF parties upon non-partisan
| lines. No greater opportunity for pa
| triotic action was ever offered a party,
and it has all been thrown away"
What has been the course of the Re-
publican leaders and the Republican
press?" Mr.. Whitney was asked
They have insisted upon putting the
| free silver enthusiasts and the sound
money Democrats into one class, and
denouncing all together under the name
Of national Democracy. Mr.. Mckinley
continues to discuss the tariff, which
has ceased to be an actual issue in this
campaign as completely as slavery, and
the Republican press and the Republic
| can press and leaders persist in derid-
ing all Democrats en- masse. They jeer
| al Democracy, and yet admit that the
doubtful States are those where the Re
publicans has been dominant for thirty
years. Such a policy persisted in can
have but one effect. 1t will arouse the
innate party loyalty of patriotic Demo
Gratis. 1t will make them angry. and
will result in drawing sharp party lines
It is difficult enough for a Democrat to
contemplate the possibility of voting for
| Mckinley. or to look upon him as the
leader of any great cause, and the pres
ent course of the Republicans is tend
ing to make it impossible If they con-
| tinue in this line one thing win certainly
happen-the sound money Democrats
| will nominate a third ticket, and thus
divide the sound money vote in the great
battle ground Of the Middle West to save
the vote from drifting back to the Chi
cago ticket
THE Republicans will need in Novem-
her all the aid they can obtain from
sound money Democrats. If they think
they can hold their natural strength
through the Middle West, or even in
some parts of the East, by the single
! tendency to party allegiance they are
mistaken A free silver enthusiasm has
obtained a hold upon Republicans
throughout the West and farming com
! munities of the East quite as strong as
/ upon Democrats. and they cannot be di-
verted from their purpose by either ap-
peals to party loyalty or discussion of a
dead issue. 1t is evident that the free
silver vote is to be united. They are
only differing at St. Louis as to whether
] they shall unite in candidates now, ol
with different candidates divide up the
electors by States. In either case the
vote viii be united on election day. II
should be opposed by solid and united
sound money vote. 1t never can be, il
in addition to Mckinley, Democrats
/ must vote for McKinleyism and all that
represents. The issue of the past should
be buried until the country has beer
rescued by patriotic action from its
present peril.
III ought 70 be plain to all thoughtfu