Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-01-17
MISPLACED CONFIDENCE.

The wall over their misplaced con-
fidence of some Of our Democratic con-
temporaries that bolted the Chicago plat
form on the financial issue increases In
pathos-and in bathos. also-as the
days go by. The usually astute, TAR
seeing. and cautious New York Journai
Of Commerce was one Of the first Demo-
cratic papers to desert the iailn'
and bow down before the gilded cali tna'
was set I'D at st. Louis by i's
ancient enemies. But our esteeineu
Gotham contemporary has ever since 'ne
election been slowly awakening 10 re-
aIization Of the fact that 1t was COM
pletely hoodwinked. and its wall IN con-
sequence of that realization runs the
gamut from a high tenor note 10 the
profundity OF the fog-horns lowest
emission.
In a recent issue, in discussing tne
supineness of Congress on the hion'
etary question, as illustrated IN tne
difficulty Of getting meeting OF 'he
House Committee on Banking ana Cur
rency. and the activity Of the oooy
touching the tariff. as shown IN the
steady work of the Ways and Means
Committee. our contemporary breaks
forth in the following staccato fashion;
s"There Is haste; there is energy; tiHe
must be saved; there must De he"
tariff law at the earliest moment.
Then the Journal means because there
is no throng OF currency reformers III
Washington, and asks these questiohs'
"Were the promises of financial reform
that we thought we had receiver iaS'
summer fraudulent? Were they ni auc
merely TO get the whole souhd nioies
sentiment of the country, regaroiesS VI
Marty lines. 10 vote for Mr.. Mchihiey
and mora tariff. and with no intention
of doing anything about the currency
Has a political party secured the Votes
of the country under false pretences!
To these questions we answer yes
The very conditions the Journal CITES do
existing at washington echo ana CHI
phasize that answer.
But the journal does not stop mere III
this sad strain it confesses that II ""S
befooled, and to bitter appreoi"''o"
that the currency reform pdDy ""'
stuffed with sawdust:
"But perhaps the mistake was ours 'he
MISUNDERSTANDING that of the people oI
the United States who appreciate VI.
crave dangers of the present currency
situation and feel JUST as a good many
otber neople professed to feel last SUM
MGR that the reform of the currency
overshadowed all other issues. fernapa
the PROMISES of currency REFORM mean mean
nothing and were intended 10 nl Hn
.'otbine bnf that there should be no free
coinage law. If that were all IL was io1
worth making much OF an eloi'
Truly. we have here remarAao'e "Hu
q most humiliating admission. we might
he mean enough to say to the Joulhai
ond oil the other Democratic papers that
are now floundering in the low GROUNDS OIL
desnair THAT we told them So. but
ma will not. We would not drive the
iron deeper into their souls. we wouiu
bid them look up-look beyond the NC
Kipleyism they helped to victory-'o inc
nsonle We do not believe the domlnaht
Marty I'm Congress has any idea
Of giving the country currency reioiin
unless forced so to do by an lrrSlstlpie
demand from the masses, but we peile'e
such demand is coming. Signs OF us
annroach are increasing every day, ana
II Is acquiring strength from voters who'
like the Journal OF Commerce, maze inc
mistake during the last campaign OF
accepting the promises Of the Republican
party seriously.