The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1898-12-03
THE FUTURE OF SILVER.
A Lesson for Cheap Money Advocates
I'm the Late EIec-
lions.


There is no installing the significance
of the fall election in its relation 10 the
democratic party as national organi-
zation which will not participate in an
other general election for congressman
and Legislative or state officers general
ly until the presidential battle of 1900.
The results of the voting tend greatly
10 strengthen, consolidate and enforce
the power of the radical free silver
element, predominant in Chicago in
1896, and now certain TO be in control
Mt the national convention OF 1900
Briefly summarized, the results i'm the
south were more decisively favorable 10
democratic candidates than any similar
elections have been since populism
threatened democratic local supremacy
In many southern states. The popu-
lists are again voting the democratic
ticket, and the price of their continued
alliance is adhesion TO the radical prin-
ciples enunciated in the presidential
election in the Chicago platform-the
crime of '06.
In those OF the eastern states in which
serious effort has been made, as in
Connecti.ut, 10 attract the honest
money candidates TO the party whose
allegiance they foreswore two years
ago. il has failed utterly. In the states
in which the policy of evasion of ma
tional issues has been followed, New
York, New Jersey and Maryland, there
has been no gain in consequence. In
Massachusetts, and Illinois, where the
Bryan democracy reiterated It's pur-
poses as declared at Chicago, its candl-
dates did better than they did
n year ago. In the far west, in, Colorado,
Utah and Idaho, what measure OF sue
cess the democratic candidates. attained
was due chiefly TO the aid of silver re-
publicans; and il does not appear from
the returns from any state that the sill
verites, whether democrats, populists
or republicans. have any mistrust of the
sincerity OF the democratic organiza-
ton in its temporary muflled advocacy
of radical policies, or that the honest
money voters OF the country, demo-
Gratis, republicans or independents
there are no hCnest-money populists-
had, or have, particle of confidence
in the professions made by some dem
ocratic orators OF their disavowal OF
silverite predictions and purposes.
The effect of the elections has been,
briefly, 10 tighten party lines with even
greater irmness than was the case two
years ago. The national democrats,
so called, have been eliminated entirely
They now vote the republican ticket or
they vote the democratic ticket. The
e-of-the-road populists, and there
were nearly 100000 of them i'm 1896, are
again in the fold OF the fusionists. In
the south, the southwest and in the
mountain states. the populists and
democrats preponderate; In the east
ern, middle. middle western and Pacific
states, the republican party is the party
of the majority. There are no visible
recruits 20 the democratic standard to
be secured by abandonment OF the prin-
ciples 10 which the party, rs a national
organization, is committed there is
the certainty OF serious and positive
losses in any attempted abandonment
Of the issues of two years ago.
PROFESSIONALLY the present eco
nomic conditions. as well as the polit-
/ zeal relations OF the two parties toward
each other, the prestige of republican
victory and the decentralization Of the
i opposing forces. make almost hopeless
i for the democracy the renewal OF the
battle Of two years ago; but. be the out
look propitious or discouraging. the
/ lesson of the late election is unmistak-
nbly clear: The democratic party Is
committed irrevocably to the issues OF
/ 1SQ6.-N. Y. Sun.