New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-07-16

Whatever may be the condition Of discourage
ment ana decentralization into which the Demo
cratic Sound Money movement has fallen In
other States it is clear that In Kentucky. at
least, no surrender to Organism Is contemplated
by the leaders of the Democratic remnant which
went down to defeat last fall under the Palmer
and Buckner standard. In some other quarters
perhaps not unnaturally-a non committal ana
half-cOnciliatory attitude toward the silver
forces seems likely to be adopted by the gold
standard managers.
But in Kentucky-if the action Of Wednes-
days State Convention of the Sound Money De
mocracy is to be taken at its face value-the
war against the political doctrines and leader
ship which trumphed at Chicago in June, 1896,
Is to be carried to the bitter end, without thought
of compromise or appeal for quarter. That the
convention in its declaration of unrelenting hos
tility to Organism in both State and National
politics freely and fully voiced the sentiment
of the Democratic voters who last year threw
the electoral vote Of Kentucky to Mckinley and
Hobart cannot be doubted for in an off, po-
liticai year. with only a single nomination to
be made for State Office Of trifng Importance,
nearly one thousand delegates gathered at
Louisville on Wednesday to emphasize the strik-
ing vitality Of the Democratic protest against
the destructive heresies Of the Chicago plat
form. In no other commonwealth, perhaps, have
so many acknowledged leaders of Democratic
opinion cast their fortunes with the gold-stand-
ard organization as in Kentucky; and the pres
ence at Louisville of John G. Carlisle, Simon
p. Buckner William Lindsay. Henry Waiter
son. ". c. p Breckenridge and Judge Quincy
toH oI ntycl Ion
fairly to establish the political credit and i'm
portance of the renewed sound money crusade
against the Populistic doctrines Of the Nebraska
Boy Orator and the influences which seek to
fas,en them upon the politics of the Blue Grass
State
What the actual voting strength Of the gold
standard Democracy Is in Kentucky cannot be
readily determined. Probably n greater share
of the anti Bryan Democratic vote of 1896 went
to Mckinley than TO Palmer. Yet. on tie other
hand, the temporary chairman OF the recent
convention plainly gave an unrestricted rein
to his Imagination when he declared there are
now in Kentucky $1,000 Democrats who have
never bowed the knee to Agraransm. POpu-
"lism, Socialism, MObism or Organism" But
whether the delegates who met last Wednesday
spoke for 10000 voters 10000. their ccura-
geous and open stand against all compromises
with the free-conage heresy and their confident
appeal to the rank and file Of the party for
new hearing on the theories pronounced regular
and Democratic at Chicago. should go far toward
dspelllng the inertia which has Oyeraken the
National Democratic movement in other States.
and give new life to a political agitation which
was apparently in danger of pershing of ennui
In the house of its friends. Whether or not
fusion can be arranged in Kentucky for the
coming campaign between the gold-standard
Democrats and the Republicans the spirit and
energy shown at Wednesdays convention seem
to make the success Of Bryant Blackburn State
ticket this fall remote possibility. In that
event. In one important and doubtful State-the
most doubtful of all in the recent Presidential
cOntest-sensible and patriotic leadership will
have prevented by timely exertion that possible
reaction toward imitation sentiment which sound
money men of all parties ere equally interested
In guarding against.