The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-07-16
ADVICE TO KENTUCKY REPUBLICANS

If the Republicans of Kentucky are wise
and want to do something that will COM
mand the admiration and approval of Re
publicans throughout the country they will
indorse and support the nominee of the
sound-money Democratic convention for
clerk Of the Court of Appeals There are
obvious reasons why they should do this.
Under ordinary conditions Kentucky is de-
cidedly Democratic. The Republicans car
electing Bradley Governor by a plurality
of $500 and the rest of the state ticket. AT
that time there was much dsaffection in
the Democratic party and all t. conditions
were very favorable to the Republicans.
The next year Mckinley carried the State
by the narrow plurality of PSI, though one
Democratic elector ran ahead of his ticket
and was elected, thus giving one electoral
vote to Bryan. Palmer, the sound-money
Democratic candidate, received STA votes.
There is no means OF knowing how many
sound-money Democrats voted for McKin-
ley, but no doubt there were ten times as
many as voted for Palmer Probably it
would be safe to say that $4,000 voted
straight for Mckinley. Harrison's vote in
Kentucky in 1892 was 135. AL, Bradley's vote
in 1895 was IT, 436. and McKinley's vote in
1896 was 218171. The vote for Mckinley in
1896 was $3.50 more than that for Bradley
in 1895, and 81, 100 more than that for Har-
rison in 1892 The Kentucky Republicans
did well as they could in 1892, and they
made a supreme effort in 1895, yet in 1896
Mckinley received nearly so per cent. more
votes than Bradley did the year before.
The conclusion is irresistible that this enor-
nous increase in the vote for Mckinley
over that for Bradley or Harrison was
mainly due to the sound-money Democrats,
Of whom from $1,000 to $4,000 must have
voted the straight Republican ticket With
out this vote Bryan would have carried
the State by a very large majority. AS it
was, he polled 217 800 votes against 172, 436
for Bradley the year before. The figures
show beyond doubt that the sound-money
Democrats of Kentucky gave Mckinley its
electoral vote. For this they deserved and
still deserve the greatest possible credit.
They acted from the highest political mo-
tives that can actuate men-motives of pa
triotism, good citizenship and public duty.
They broke away from former political ties
and associations, and for the sake of prin-
ciple incurred the charge, so terrible to
many party men, of being boilers They
did bolt in great numbers and with great
effect, and they did it without the expecta-
ton of any reward except the preservation
nf he Of
their consciences.
Now the time has come when the Re
pubhcans of Kentucky can repay in part,
at least, the debt they owe to the Demo
Gratis. The time has come for them to
show that Kentucky Republicans are not
ungrateful and that they. as we'll as Demo-
Gratis, can break over party lines and vote
for a former opponent in order to beat a
common enemy. The Republicans and the
sound-money Democrats in Kentucky have
the same objective point, viz: The defeat
of the free-silver Democracy. The triumph
of Organism will be equally disappointing
and humiliating to both, and its defeat
equally victory for both. Divided they
cannot hope to beat Organism; united they
ton in Kentucky is not important in the
number of offices involved, but as an indi-
cation of the drift of public opinion it will
have an important effect Even if the Re-
publicans could elect a clerk of the Court
of Appeals, of which there is no possibility,
it would be no great gain, while the defeat
of the free-silver Democracy would be
hailed with rejoicing by Republicans and
sound-money men throughout the country.
The gold-standard Democrats have held
their convention and put a candidate in
the field. Let the Republican convention,
when it meets. adjourn without making a
nomination and then let the Republicans
Of Kentucky join with the gold-standard
Democrats in electing the sound-money
candidate. Let them throw party prece-
dents and political usage to the winds and
adopt a policy that will insure the defeat
of the enemy. Then, three years hence,
they may have the assistance of the sound
money Democrats again.
-&-G-e--
TuEH SUGAD CnNpE,NTVnN