The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-09-24

Some interesting election figures are
next cited, showing how Bryan lost In
those states which had been accustomed
10 give Democratic majorlties, and the
address continues;
But the most remarkable and phenom-
enal result IS 10 be found IN eleven othor
| states. to-wlt: Kansas. Montana. Colo
| RADIO. North Dakota, South Dakota, Ne
vada. Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Nebraska
| ana Washington. in these states Mr.
| cleveland, In 1892. received all told &,lzl
votes. whereas. Bryan, IN 1875, reviewed
! IN as votes. Harrlson's aggregate ma
| tority over Mckinley was $4,000 ~ these
| states.
| These figures show with unerrins ac-
| curacv where the frcc-silver propaganda
originated, and demonstrate that there
was a tremendous falling off in he Dem
ocratic vote in all those sections or the
Union in which the cotton States are al
/ lied IN commercial business and social IN
| tercourse, while there was great IN
crease I'm the silver mining States, ard
| the states contiguous 20 them
It would seem from an analysis Of the
result, continues tho address:
"That the sound-money Democrats
who voted for Bryan IN the hope OF a
reconciliation might reasonably conclude
| that the time was at hand when their
brethren would abandon the free-silFer
issue as presented in the Chicago plat
form and unite with them in the reorgan-
ization and upbuiding Of the Democratic
party.
II there was ever a cause utterly d's-
credited Il Is the cause Of the free-siiver
Democrats. Day by day, week by week,
month 10y month and year by year me
march OF events refutes and conIounds
fallacy after falacy, argument after ar
gument, assumption after assumption un-
IN nothing remains but a logged per-
tinacny upon the part Of those who hold
in their keeping and under their manipu-
lation the party machinery
"They told the people that the great
panic OF 1898. and the depression Of busi-
ness winch followed was the result Of
the decentralization Of silver but 10 is now
apparent 20 every one that g. was caused
by the widespread apprehension, 40 home
and abroad, In respect 10 the instability
OF our currency, and the fear that the
United States might be forced 20 the sic
yer basis.
"They told the people that the sh,pnt az
money Of ultimate redemption was who'll
~ deficient, and that prosperity would
never return TO tho American people until
the supply was increased by the free, In
dependent and unlimited coinage Of lie
yer at tho ratio Of 16 TO j; but the fact
is prosperity is rapidly returning as the
result Of the restoration of confidence IN
the money Of the country.
They attempted 10 show the farmer
that the low prices Of farm products dur
ing the period Of depression resulted from
the characterization OF silver, and they
never ceased 10 advance arguments Illus
trated by diagrams 10 show that tho
price OF silver controlled tho price Of
wheat, and that as silver went up and
down in tho market so did wheat. But
within a brief period they have seen sil-
yer decline twelve cents an ounce and
wheat go UP forty cents a busheL
They began the free-silver propagan-
ia o few years ago with tho assertion
that gold would IN the near future ne
cessarfly diminish in production contin-
uousiy, and as result would appreciate
as 70 grew scarcer, and bring in IT'S train
untold distress But tho fact is that the
production OF gold has been constantly
on the increase until now it has assumed
proportions FAR I'm excess OF predictions
made by the best informed scientists. and
it now exceeds by many millions Of doll
lars the production Of gold and silver
combined when the prediction was first
made"
one by one the nations OF the earth
have abandoned free coinage and the de-
cline in the price Of silver bullion has
caused demonetization in Mexico. about
tho only country that has stu chung to
tho silver standard.
And the address continues:
when its advocates began the free-sil-
yer propaganda the silver in the dollar
was worth ninety-lyo cents, and they
have seen it, Notwithstanding the cnor-
nous production Of gold, 20 down, down
I'm the market until il is now worth only
forty cents. and yet, in the face OK AN
human experience, and in defiance OK the
enlightened judgment of mankind, this
free-silyer party composed Of Democrats,
Republicans and Populists, insist on the
coinage ratio OF 10 10 i when the market
ratio is 40 10 I.
Not only this, but the freo-sIver DEM
ocrats, with the party machinery In their
Keeping are driving every Democrat from
the councils of the party who differs
with them on the subject OF free silver
Mr.. Harrity, who was chairman OF the
National Committee in 1892, and who then
led the party to victory. only recently
was summarily dismissed as member
Of the present committee because he
dared TO dissent from the Chicago plat
FORM The free-silver Democratic con-
ventions in Ohio, Iowa, Kentucky, Vir-
ginia, Pennsylvania and Nebraska, the
only conventions held during this year.
have an endorsed the Chicago platform
and William j. Bryan, the defeated candi-
date OF the Chicago convention. Bryan
himself declares the silver question para
mount TO an others. and calls ON every
silver Democrat. every silver RepubA-
can and POpulst 20 lay aside all other
questions and unite on this until II is
settled. and then determine which or
ganzation is most worthy Of public sup
port i'm the future.
ut is plain there is no place I'm the free
silver organization for sound-money Dem
ocrats. ana they must look elsewhere N
they would maintain their convictions
and self-rospect
"The Republican party is not the home
Of the Democrats who have been forced
out of the regular Democratic organiza-
ton because they could not subscribe TO
the Chicago platform.
1T may be conceded that the election OF
Mckinley on the St. Louis platform was
better for the country than the election
Of Mr.. Bryan on the Chicago platform,
but a choice between the two evils does
not make either right. S0und-money
Democrats are 10 n man tariff reformers
Republicans largely attribute the restora-
ton Of prosperity 20 the Dingley act
Sound-money Democrats attribute it 10
the restoration Of confidence. Republi-
cans regard protection as first I'm im-