Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1897-07-16
There are Osners like Boies.

The editor of the Lexington
! (Ky.) Gazette is one Of a large
number of Democrats who are Op
posed to free silver, but who sup
ported Mr.. Bryan in the last cam
paign for the sake Of party regular
ity. But the Gazette is evidently
tired of the medicine which it has
been taking, and in a recent editor
ial article said:
Governor Boies. of Iowa. is not the
only Democrat who feels as he felt
when he said:
For one. do not believe 1t possible
to succeed upon platform that demands
the unqualified free coinage OF silver at
the ratio of 10 to with gold. We have
fought that battle and it is lost. 1t can
never be fought over under circl instances
more favoraOe to ourselves. Ii we hope
to succeed we must abandon this eN-
IRENE demand"
We do not know half dozen Demo-
Gratis of character and standing who in
dorse the free and unlimited coinage OF
silver. 1t was injected into the Chicago
platform by the extreme silverites OF the
West at the sacrifice OF the party. We
never pretended 10 indOrse itand never
went farther than to advocate The re-
enactment of the law repealed surrepti-
tiOusly and fraudently in 1873. We sup
ported the nominees made at Chicago,
because they were the nominees of our
party, remembering the disasters that
followed the breaking up OF the Charles
ton convention in 1860. and preferlng
the defeat of the party temporarily to
the disaster that would follow its dis
solution.
The next Democratic National Con-
vention will have to modify its platform
in regard to the free coinage of silver, or
il will encounter another defeat. We
will preserve our allegiance tODemcOracy
even if we are sure of defeat, for these
are principles more impOrtan, than any
monetary questions involved, and to
these We adhere
WHAT'S true in other States is
true in Virginia. Many democrats
who opposed the free coinige Of
silver at 16 to l, voted for Bryan
on account ofparty regularity. They
voted their party ticket even fthey
did not endorse its principles,
trusting that the time would come
when their party would DE freed OF
its populistic principles and would
again stand upon a true democratic
platform; some voted for Palmer
and Buckner the representatives of
all that is true and right in democ
racv; some voted for Mckinley
because they regarded the tree
silver craze as the greatest curse to
the country and they thought that
the most direct way to defeat 1t,
while thousands refused to 90 to
the polls and vote. The blatant
free silver men Notwithstanding
their defeat last year, which accord
inU To Mr.. BOies was under the most
favorable circumstances, now
profess to believe that their cause
is growing. The free coinage of
silver at the ralio Of l6 to l or
under any other fictitious ratio is
dead, and the sooner the democratic
party abandOns it as one of the dead
issues, one that "died a bornin,' y
the sooner will the democratic party
be in a position to wiz success. The
republican party in its advocacy o.
the infamous tariff bill now about
TO become a law, has really invited
the democratic party to again take
the helm and conduct the govern
ment. When the Democrats re
legate to the rear the free silver
leaders who brought them disaster
and tine sound money democrats
who are allied with the party anC
are Justify shouting for free silver
in order to ride into Office, ther
will she be prepared to accept the
invitation.