The Indianapolis journal., 1898-09-30
THE REJECTION OF 10 TO 1.

Last week the Connecticut Democratic
state convention, by a decided vote, refused
TO adopt a resolution indorsing free-silver
coinage at a ratio of 16 to l. This week the
Democratic conventions in New Jersey and
New York have refused to indorse the Chi
cego platform by decided majorities-the
latter in the face of threat to put silver
Democratic ticket in the field if free coinage
were not indorsed.
This action is very instructive, or it would
be IL the Democracy in Indiana and other
States of the Central West were capable of
grasping its significance. Twice since 1860
the Democratic candidate for the presidency
has received a majority of the electoral
votes, and once he came within one vote of
majority. On all these occasions the
Democratic candidate received the electoral
votes of Connecticut, New York and New
Jersey. The electoral vote of all these
States has been essential to the success of
the Democratic party in a presidential cleo
ton. Mr.. Bryan's friends were confident
they could carry the last election without
the votes of these States. The fifty-two
electoral votes of Connecticut, New York
and New Jersey are more than double the
number gained from the slver-producing
States for Mr.. Bryan
1t is one of the strangest things in the
world that the men who direct the Demo-
cratic Organization cannot now see that
Democratic candidate for the presidency on
16-to-1 platform has not the least chance
of carrying the three States which have
definitely turned their backs upon the free
of 16 to 1; and further that without the
votes of these States the Democrats have
not a ghost of chance of electing a Presi-
dent in 1900. 1t seems that man of ordinary
intelligence can see these things. and also
that, with Mr. Bryan a candidate, defeat
will be as certain in 1900 as it is now
fact of 1896. If Democrats do not see them,
it must be that they have been cursed with
political blindness.
The country decided against the 16-to-1
heresy in 1896 after canvass in which the
odds were in favor of silver. There has
been no change in public sentiment in favor
of 16 to since that election. On the con-
trary, the logic of events has favored the
gold standard. Confidence came with the
defeat of the silverites; business has i'm
proved; industries have quickened, and
money was never so plentiful, judged by the
controlling rates of interest. Popular in
terest, which was so keenly alive in favor of
16 to in the summer of 1896, no longer ex-
lists. The thousands of men who wore To-
toll badges in 1896 could not be induced to
do so at the present time. Are the Demo-
cratic leaders in Indiana so blind that they
cannot grasp the fact that the cause of the
silver mine owners has lost ground since
November, 1895?
If the Journal were simply interested in
the result of the presidential election in
1900, it would ask nothing better than to
have the Democratic leaders stick to 16 to
/ and adopt the Chicago platform for the
next election. 1t is. however, more inter-
ested in the general prosperity of the coun-
try, to which the ghost of Bryanism, with
his 16 to /, is a menace. 1t would prefer
the risk of defeat upon new issues and
progressive policies to this marking time"
with the free and unlimited coinage of sill
yer as the main issue in 1900. The great
mass of Democrats who are engaged in
business in Indiana, however silent they
may be, cannot desire to have the country
disturbed by an attempt to galvanize 16 to
1 into political life. They must behold the
cction of the Connecticut. New York and
New Jersey Democratic conventions this
month, and of the Pennsylvania Democracy
~, roll on
platform with satisfaction. Seeing that
adhesion to the silver fetch will be defeated
in 1900 they should give a quietus at the
polls to such candidates as Bailey, of this
district and Cheadle, in the Ninth