The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-06-26
SATURDAY. JUNE 26. 1897.


II is evident from Inc 'O'0 N
Richmond primary election yesterday 'n"'
manv Gold Democrats reiraiheu iio"'
,,o,,nq Indeed the Gold Democrats VINO
a,d vo,s were the exceptions, while me
great body stayed away from the poiis'
i, is a matter Of no surprise that thes
did 60. Surely they had no encourage
ment from the silver people, but on the
con,rarv everything that has been said
or done by the party leaders, anu -
the most part by the silver press Oh me
state. was as q red flag shaken IN thelr
faces. They have been given ialr houce
that in order TO affiliate with the party
THE vear they must come back in sack
cloth and ashes, %repenting and recaht-
inC. Not only must they endorse lice
silver and Organism and Altgeldism' Dut
they must endorse the tariff plank, which
is a complete surrender of the Demo-
cratic principle of tariff for revenue only.
Senator Villas, in speaking of this plank
expresses his surprise that Senator vest
should have said on the floor OF the SEN
ate that he was ignorant of the fact
that the word "only" had been omitted.
Mr. Villas saws that it was omitted by
Encouragement, and that the ConNeh-
ton vas skillfully manipulated to that
end by men on the inside" There was,
he said. a substantial agreement in adj
vance Of the Convention. by leading Pop
ulists. silver Republicans and silver Dem
ocrats. that the Convention should do
certain things. and should, in that case
receive support for its platform and tick
ct. That the agreement included both
platform and manipulation OF the Popu-
list National Convention in the same
manner. And he adds:
1.-THE entire Democratic creed was sac
rihced at Chicago for the purpose OF
making a combination with the Populsts
and silver Republicans. our theories of
tariff reform and sound money were de-
liberately abandoned by the convention,
and in place thereof we had a platform
thrust at us which said in 50 many woids
that We had been wrong all The tine
when We contended for a tariff for Nv
enue only and for a currency which would
give the wage-earner the full value of
ftAo AAhOAs w III A0A "a AVA
President presented to us who had long
before declared that he was no longer
q Democrat. The direct result Of that
convention betrayal the Democracy is
now reaping at Washington, where SEN
ators who call themselves Democrats
are unblushingly voting n fasor CT JTc-
lection, limiting 1t. of course, II a It,
tie bit OF protection for their own local
tiles.
suEInv ,..I...l -
last year; now they are throwing their
own votes in that direction. Tn y sta. ID
out 10 capture protectionis.,; they fin
ish up by being led as willing ,ap;ives at
The rear OF the protection cna,iot.'
senator Nllas was a member OF the
Committee on Resolutions and he also
makes an interesting disclosures:
There was no opportunity to discuss
the main question In the Platform Com
mittee. When the Subcommittee had
hnished It's work and reported TO the full
committee. We. who had represented the
delegations Of States which would not
subscribe 10 the doctrines Of the proposed
platform had TO retire TO prepare the mi
nority report. a report which was Demo-
cratic in every word and syllable. OF
course. We could have STAYED i'm the fun
committee meeting. but we would have
thus identified ourselves with rhe major
fty OF the committee. or at least would
have lost the opportunity Of placing our
selves on record with the minority report.
j say that w saw and understood the
change which had been made in the tariff
plank or the platform, for it was such a
change as could not escape notice"
All this simply emphasizes the fact that
the Chicago platform is In no sense an
expression OF Democratic principles. but
a miserable make-shift which was franz
ed. not as an expression OF Democratic
principles, but for the sole purpose OF
getting votes. Gold Democrats repudi-
ated IT in 1896, and the more they see and
hear OF II. he more iniquitous does the
whole thing appear in their eyes. There
fore they cannot ~stultify themselves now
by casting a vote I'm affirmation of that
precious document.
Blu In rcfraining from taking part IN
the primaries which elect delegates TO the
Roanoke Convention. these Democrats do
not mean necessarily to put themselves in
the attitude OF antagonizing the party or
ganization in Virginia. They simply en-
ter their protest against the proposition
10 re-afirm the Chicago platform at
Roanoke and bide their time. II the
Roanoke Convention shall nominate .