The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-10-06

Democrats not threatened to oppose It's
ticket IN the event that II dId endorse II.
This threat had the effect OF stirring up
tho friends OF the platform. and the mat
ter OF endorsation or no endcrsauon mas
been discussed with moro or less feeling
over since the threat was made public
The result has been the nomination OF two
Democratic tickets instead OF only one.
"a would have been the case had the gold
lenders withheld their threats. National
politics. or rather national platforms
have no connection with municipal affairs.
and all that a. necessary In such matters
e. that men who belong 10 the same ma
tional marty hold together 80 that yhen
national elections come before the people
they viii not have become disorganized
by divisions upon purely local questions.
The gold advocates laid down their uiti-
ratum that they would not support the
ticket K the Chicago platform was en-
aorsed and, reused By this unwise course
tho silver advocates declared that they
would not support it n the platform was
not endorsed. Tammany nominated
gold Democrat for Mayor ard ne nomi-
nation was Kissed by the auaica nee while
the silver element in the part VIII sup
port Henry George. Tammany's platform
Is Sllcut on tHt SiHJ'e' u '''~
Democratic platform.
1t Is interesting TO note that this paper
with other free silver publications. has
denounced the gold Democrats for re-
fus,ne 10 support The Chicago ticket be-
cause the Chicago platform declared TOT
free silver and made other declarations
which were Objectionable 10 the Sound
Money Democracy. but has no word OF
censure for the free sIlyerites OF New
York who bolted the regular ticket, not
because tho convention declared for the
gold standard which it did not do, but
because It refused to declare for the chi
cago platform.
feeble attempt Is made 20 hold the
gold Democrats responsible for this bolt.
because as the Portsmouth Times says
they had threatened 10 bolt in case ma
tionaI questions should be dragged into
the municipal convention. But the Ports
mouth Times seems TO have forgotten
that Hon. w. ]. Bryan publicly declared
before the Chicago convention was held
that IN case that convention should pro-
nounce in favor OF the gold standard he
would refuse 10 give the ticket his sup
port.
If the free silver Democrats OF New
York were justihable in boiling the regu-
lar ticket simply because the convention
did not declare for free silver, but ig-
nored national issues altogether. how
much more justihable were the gold
Democrats in boiling the Chicago ticket
when that convention defiantly adopted
policy which the GOLD Democrats could
not approve.
We observe also that our Portsmouth
contemporary emphasizes the fact that
national platforms have no connection
with municipal affairs" although 1t has
no word OF censure for the silver Demo-
Gratis Of New York who insisted upon
dragging national affairs into the munict-
pal campaign, and it approves the action
Of the Roanoke convention in Juggling
into the local contest in Virginia these
same questions.
The action of the New York siiverites
has put the free silver people in most
embarrassing position, and they might as
well meet that issue face to face. They
must either denounce the bolt OF their
brethren I'm New York. or else forever
hereafter hold their peace about the re-
fusal OF the gold Democrats TO support
the free silver platform at Chicago.