The news & observer., 1896-12-27
ABANDONING THEIR PLATFORM.

abandoned that plank in their aationai
,,l,tfnrm that declared in favor or IN
agreement. 1t is becoming
.xery day more apparent that it was put
N the platform to please the Western
pannhliruns-fer publication only and
not Az a guarantee of good faith.
uhe leading Republican paper in the
South. the Baltimore American, Is edit
ed by Gen. Felix Agnus, an able and in
iluentiai Republican. He writes:
I'm speking this so-ealled interna-
.son agreement it's advocates are
chasing a moonbeam. But they are
doing something else which is OF vast
ly more moment to this country. Ihey
are feeding a restless fever, which
is death to genuine prosperity. The
United States has approached as
near to bimetalism as is possible
without wrecking its Industrial and
financial interests. 1t is carrying as
much silver as it can carry, and 1t is
not under Obligations to the silver
mine owners any more than 10 the
farmers or manufacturers. 1t has
not been asked to buy the farmers
corn or the manufacturers cloth,
and it is brazen impudence 10 ask 1t
10 do any more for silver. The Re
publican party owes it 10 the people
who supported it to drop this hum
bug OF bimetallism forever, and give
confidence and stability to the imam
cial and industrial interests of the
country"
The ST. Louis Globe Dentocrat il the
leading Republican paper of the South
west, and is edited by that successful
editor Maj. Mccullough. Here is his
view:
When the Republican party in the
St. Louis convention declared that
the existing gold standard must be
preserved, it made a pledge that twill
faithfully keep in the face of all sorts
of temptations which may present
sthemselves. -. The streams of gold
now flowing from its hiding-places to
the Treasury and the banks, and the
hum of the mill wheels started by
the smashing of the silver coalition,
reveal pubic conviction that the Re
publican party will do nothing for sill
yer, and keep on doing nothing to the
end"
There is not shadow OF doubt that
these two editors have expressed the true
sentiment of the Republican party. There
are still other prominent Republicans
who hold the same view. The New York
j Journal Of Commerce expresses itself IN
this language:
1--WE cannot with self-respect take
the initiative regarding another inter
national monetary conference. We
cannot take such step without con-
vincing the world that the free silver
sentiment is still powerful here and
may at any time get control Of the
government All the substantial re-
suits of the late election will be dissi-
pated if the Republican Senators
weakly allow a re-opening OF the sill
yer controversy. Surely they can have
no doubt now of the popularity of
maintaining the existing gold stand
ard, and they must realize the un-
utterable folly of further trucking
TO the interests of the silver produc-
ing States"
Perhaps the best support Mr.. Mckin-
ley received outside his own party came
from the rich capitalists of New York,
whose special organ is the New York
Evening Post. Commenting on the VOL
colt resolution, that paper says:
''It must be looked upon as solemn
fooling, if not worse. 1t will prob
ably turn out to be worse, since it
confirms to a certain extent what the
Bryanites said all through the cam
paign, that the country and mankind
are suffering for want OF bimetall-
ism. IF that is the truth, of course
they must keep up the fight to bring
it about, and logically the Republi-
cans ought to join them. If the re-
quisife number of foreign nations will
not join us, then it is equally incum-
bent on us to do something to bring
in bimetaflism at home, and the only
subject of dispute is whether the
ratio OF 16 to / is the true one, or
whether we should adopt one nearer
to the market ratio"
These expressions voice the real senti-
ment Of those who will control the policy
Of the next administration. And yet,
here in North Carolina, we have ''Lhe.
solemn fooGng, if not worse" OF Judge
Ewart, Maj. Grant, Hezekiah Gudger,
special champions Of Pritchard, that their
candidate will be a silver man if elected
TO the Senate, in spite Of the fact that
Pritchard and every one Of his sponsors
advocated the ST. Louis gold-standard
plank in the campaign, and to-day OUT
SIDE OF NORTH CAROLINA are
kaown as anti-silver men.
Pritchard may be elected, but 1t win
be a gold standard victory no matter
how many recantations he signs. Pre-
tense OF being for silver now will fool
none except those who want to be fooled.
DEATH OF MAI. FINGER.