The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-10-18
CHARLES ANDERSON DANA, Editor Of
THE Sun, died yesterday afternoon.


Precisely how far the decision at which
the British Cabinet arrived, on Saturday, in
regard to the silver question, is final and
unalterablc, the cable dispatches on the
subject do not make clear. While it Is said
that the Cabinet has resolved not to re.
open the India mints, and not to recon-
mend to the Bank of England the holding
OF one.fifth of it's reserve in silver, IL is also
said that further meetings are to be had
with our nvovS todiScuss the international
money conference which they were sent
abroad to negotiate. II is certain, how-
ever, that any such conference. IL one were
to be held, would result in nothing but
talk, since Great Britain, for herself, re-
fuses to abandon the single gold standard,
and the other European powers cannot act
without her concurrence.
1t may be assumed, therefore, that the
pledge given by the Republican party, in
the platform which 1t adopted at st. Louis,
last summer, to oppose the free coinage of
silver except by International agreement
with the leading commercial nations of
the world, and, until such agreement can
be obtained, to maintain the existing gold
standard, has now become a pledge to main
tam ue BOlu Hlbutulu Internationally.
On the other hand the Democrats stand
pledged, by their Chicago platform, to the
free and unlimited coinage of silver at the
ratio OF 10 to !, without waiting for the
aid or consent of any other nation"
TIL present House of Representatives is
safely Republican, but the majority of the
Senators favor silver. No legislation in
Congress, for or against silver, can be ex-
pected, therefore,, until the two bodies are
in unison. To insure the maintenance of
the gold standard, the majority of Repre-
sentatives elected in 1898 must be Repub-
licans, and enough new Republican Sena-
tors must be elected in 1899 and the fol-
lowing years, to give the Republicans the
control of the Senate. On the other hand,
II a Democratic House is elected next year,
It will be able, with the aid of the present
Senate, to pass a free silver coinage bill,
and only the Presidents veto will stand in
the way Of it's becoming n law.
The Democratic party shows no signs of
receding from the position it took in re.
gard to silver last year. The State Demo-
cratic organizations that in the Chicago
Convention OVERRIDE the gold Democrats of
the East maintain their attitude IN
changed. AS they declared for free silver
Mt the ratio of 16 to l then, so they declare
for it now. The country rallied against
them and in support of the Republican
organization at the last Presidential cleo.
tion, and unless it would lose the fruits of
the victory then obtained, it must continue
to sustain the organization through whose
agency the victory was won.
1t is nonsense to say that in the coming
election no principle is involved, but only
the personal qualifications of the candi-
dates. A Republican defeat, whether it is
accomplished by the open enemies of the
party, or by it's renegade members, will be
a Republican defeat all the same, and by
as much as it weakens the Republican or.
ganization, by so much will it strengthen
the political organization to which it is
opposed and aid it to accomplish it's ends.