The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-11-06
WHY THE KENTUCKY VICTORY IS So
GRATIFYING.

the election, showing that the trend Oh
nublic sentiment is toward the Democra-
t;c nominee. the result in Kentucky Is,
nerhaps. the most gratifying. 1t was
tho first Southern State to be carried by
the Republicans, and it is in that state
that the gold boilers have made the
strongest stand.
In 1896. when the contest to see wheth-
or the Democratic party could be maze
y Cleveland annex of the Republican
narty. the men most IGNORED by the
Kentucky Democracy undertook to car
nv Kentucky into the gold ranks. They
have previously caused the election Of
n Republican Governor by quietly de-
feating the Democratic nominee for Gov
ernor because he spoke eloquently for
silver. and they were determined to rule
the party or ruin it.
Mr.. Carlisle, of whom it has been said
''he made the best speech in all the
long discussions for silver and the best
speech against it,; Mr.. Henry Waiter
son. whose denunciation of 1.-The money
mower" was more severe than Altgeld's
or Tillman's; Mr.. Breckenridge, who had
voted for free silver in Congress until
driven out in disgrace; General Buckner,
and other able men lead the movement
to convert the Democracy OF Kentucky
to the gold standard. They failed in
the Democratic convention, but they
were able to give the electoral vote to
Mckinley by running a bogus ticket, and
the employment of other disreputabe
agencies. This year, when a number of
gold Democrats in all the other States
decided to submit themselves to the will
of the Democratic majority. and thus re-
pudiate McKinleyism, Carlisle and Wat
terson and Breckenridge and Buckner,
announced that the gold Democrats
would run a separate ticket, and they
made a vigorous campaign all over the
State for their gold candidate. In the
meanwhile, in most of the counties of
the State they made fusion with the
Republicans as the best method of de-
feating the Democratic ticket. In every
instance they met the defeat and dis
grace which follows treachery in politics
as in everything else.
There are two incidents in the result
that add to our rejoicing. The Demo
cratic leader of the last Senate was Mr..
Goebel. If we mistake not, he represent
ed the Senatorial district in which Mr..
Carlisle resides. The gold Democrats
marked him for slaughter. He comes out
victorious. In the last Senate, a gold
Democrat, Mr.. Martin, represented the
district in which Senator Blackburn re-
sides, but he voted for his eloquent con-
stituent notwithstanding their difference
upon the money question. About the
close Of the session, when it became
apparent that Senator Blackburn could
not be chosen, the gold Democrats pro-
posed to vote for Mr.. Martin if Mr..
Blackburn's followers would do like
wise. 1t put Mr.. Blackburn in most
awkward position. He and his followers
were acting on principle. They could
not elect a gold man to the Senate, no
matter how grateful for his support of
his silver neighbor. Their declination
angered Martini he denounced Black
burn; and ran for the State Senate with
the avowed intention Of being a member
OF that body when Senator Lndsey's
successor is to be chosen in order to vote
against Blackburn. The contest was bit
ter, but Blackburn's candidate won.
There is retribution in history. Car
Isle lost his Senator; Blackburn gained
the Senator from his district. The
straight" Democrats 1--WE mean Chicago
platform Democrats) control the Legisla-
ture, and have most Of the hold-over
Senators who will participate in the
Senatorial election two years hence.
The Kentucky State convention reaf-
frmed the Chicago platform, and under
Blackburn's leadership the fight was
made upon exactly the same lines as In
1896. Carlisle, Watterson, Lindsey,
Breckenridge, Buckner and the rest of
the boilers fought the regulars as Wig
orously as then, even fusing with black
Republicans to compass the defeat Of
their old party. They failed signally,
and their ignominous defeat will put an
end to them as political factors. They
have got to go openly into the Republi-
can party or into oblivion, and if they
choose the Republican party it will
bring them into sure oblivion and dis
grace as well.
No Southern man who wants decent
home government can be a Republican.
The South will be solid again.
THE FUNERAL OF GOLD DEMOCRACY.