The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1897-09-12
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!. Sena FOR Daniel thinks there we're very
-fewsof them, Perhaps this.is the reason
h estreats- them with so little; 2onsidera-
Zion aIitl>stYieHs hem; outside. enemies
he asks dfSthqre were more than. 40, 600
of them last ran as stated in my inter
lsyieW, Where. were they? He need not
leaxG his own doorsill to look upon hum
,dreds Of them; This neighbors and towns
men. Lynchburg,.h his birthplace and
home gave; Cleveland 2,422 votes, and
Bryan l;85I. Here we're 7G5 oflthem, not
counting the natural four years increase
Of about 200 With his pride aroused,
his political fortune at stake, and exert
1ngrall his Influence. nearly 1000 Demo-
Gratis in his own city refused to follow
him into the support of Bryan, and
Lynchburg's majority Of 1.064 for Cleve-
land was reduced to 10 for Bryan.
Richmond gave Cleveland 1919. Bry
ann ,S39s! Here were 1890 more. Norfolk
recorded 4,479 for Cleveland and 3,06S for
Bryan. Here were 1,411 more. Peters,
burg cast 2,55S for Cleveland, Bryan
1,6S2. Here were SIC more. Look at the
4,400 In the Valley and the thousands In
the Piedmont and Southwest sections.
and the falling off from Cleveland's vote
in: every city and eighty-two counties
IN the State. Look at Cleveland S major
ity of 50,71o without any Populist votes
and Bryan's majority of 1867 with 15,-
900 Populist votes included. VIII the
Senator after scanning these figures
which are absolutely correct, still think
the gold Democrats were very few. or
that my estimate Is too large ?
THE ROANOKE CONVENTION.
Before the assembling of the Roanoke
convention the gold Democrats OF Vir-
sinia appealed earnestly for harmony.
They hoped that the men with whom
they had stood shoulder to shoulder in
hard fought battles would not, simply
because they had the power, in a State
election, involving State issues alone,
Insist upon reaflirming the Chicago plat
form. They could not see the necessity
of pressing national issues upon which
there was a division, to the front so far
In advance OF the presidential campaign.
But however much some OF the delegates
favored platform on State issues Sen
ntor Daniels will was omnipotent Moth
ing but reafllrmation of the Chicago
platform, including free silver, indepen-
dent and unlimited at the arbitrary ra-
ITO of 16 to l, condemnation of Cleveland
for maintaining law and order and pro-
tecting the United States mails and
property of the Government, criticism of
the Supreme Court, and the covert pro-
position to reconstruct or enlarge it for
partisan purposes, restriction of the lib
crty of the citizen In matters Of con-
| tract, and q tariff plank so far from
Democratic lines as 40 meet the severcst
denunciation of such tariff reforincrs as
Senators Vest and Mills. This was the
| responsethat the convention made to the
appeals of the gold Democrats.
Senator Daniel seeks to defend this
| action of the convention upon the ground
Of usage. The plea of usage Is only
good when conditions are alike.
II may be that since 1877 every Demo-
cratic State convention in Virginia re-
Il y, N1,afr
convention because there was no divi-
sion in the ranks. But in 1896 there was
serious breach and the action OF the
conventions from 1877 ito 1893 was not
presidential
The convention however, had n prece-
dent In the course pursued by the party
in 1873. In 1872 there was n wide breach
resulting from the nomination of Gree
ley and the adoption OF the platform of
the Liberal Republican party, and by
reason of 1t Grant carried Virginia.;
thousands of Democrats, as in 1885, re-
fuSing to support the nominee and plat
form.
In lS73the gubernatorial convention ig-
nored all national issues and adop: ed a
platform on State issues. Instantly the
party reunited and solicited and KEN
per was elected by an overwhelming ma
jority. If Senator Daniel was so anx-
ious to follow precedent why did he not
act upon the only precedent before him ?
1T might be pertinent TO inquire if the
precedent OF 1873 would not have been
followed If Virginia had not been carried
by Mckinley last fall ? 1T might be
pertinent to inquire If Senator Daniel
had not felt secure in u reelection If he
would not have counselled harmony and
| the following of the precedent Of 1879
Perhaps he felt he could do without the
gold Democrats and be as independent
as a wood sawyer" Perhaps he was re-
solved to carry out Mr.. Bryan's threats
| In his Jefferson Hotel speech that no
good Democrat should return TO tho or
| ganzation except upon Bonded knees
| stultifyinS and humiliatinS himself.
Power sometimes intoXicates as well
| as wine
"a BUNDLE OF MARVELLOUS IN
CONGRUITIES AND INCONSIS-
TENCJES."
But why should Senator Daniel take
me ITO task for one inconsistency when
| he has so many charged UP against him?
]. He abandoned his last dollar" po-
| sition on the State debt and adopted the
State debt proposition Of the Readjust-
erS.
2. He discarded his sreenback and
! fat money rheory which he insisted was
| the only salvation OF the country. and
adopted the silver miners forty or fifty
| cent dollar as the panacca for oil the
Ills of labor and agriculture.
g. He cast aside ,tle idea OF repeating
the Internal revenue act and allowing
the. protectivetariff to stand in behalf of
which he made numerous speeches and
accepted the true Democratic doctrine
a. He now forsakeS the tariff plank of
1892 and clingS TO the tariff plank Of the