The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1898-12-03
SETS THEM RIGHT.
Gold Democrats Find That They Have
Been Buncoed by the
silver Men.

An extremely lively and interesting
controversy is in progress in New York
and other states between republican
organs and gold democrats who are
working for silver nominees or un-
committed and unreliable regular"
party men under the specious pretext
that state and not national issues are
dominant in the present canvass. Fair
minded men endowed with a logical
faculty must, we think, hold that the
republicans have the better of the ar
gument.
In New York, for example, the gold
supporters of Van Wyck pretend that
the silence of the platform on silver is
equivalent TO recantation and repudla-
ton of the Chicago platform. Why
should not sound money democrats,
they innocently ask, support ''regen-
Grated" democratic party? The an
swer is, of course, manifest. The al
legged regeneration is Pigment of the
imagination. The national managers
Of the democratic party assert as Wig
orously as ever that the financial is
sue is paramount, that the Chicago
platform governs and that a democrat
ic congress would adhere to the free
coinage proposition. Under these cir
cumstances silence out of mere ex-
pcdiency is not rejection, and no hon
est gold standard defender can be de-
ceived by a policy of mere tricky eva.
sion.
But there is a more important point
raised in the controversy. The gold
democrats are declared by such pa
pers as the New York Times to have
been deceived, betrayed, cruelty
Knocked and "bunkoed." 1t is said tc
be an "affront" to their intelligence
and self-respect to ask them to vote
once more for tine administration pol
icy and candidates pledged to sup
port it. They helped the republicans
in 1896 to elect the Mckinley ticket, W.
are told, with the understanding thai
the tariff would be ignored and the
currency issue kept at the front. In
stead, the republicans passed the Ding
ley bill and neglected, forsooth, al
their solemn pledges with regard t.
financial legislation. Hence they hav'
forfeited all title to the confidence o
democrats who believe in gold and |
tariff for revenue.
What 10 ha ~ fhic IN
dictment? In the first place, it is sim
ply not true that the republican
promised in 1896 to maintain the statu
quo in the tariff laws. On the con
trary, the platform and the leading re
publican orators plainly and emphat
ically announced the intention to re
| peal the Wilson law and enact meas
ure more protective as well as NOR
revenue yielding. The democrat
knew what to expect and had subse
quently no cause for complaint or dis
appointment. Between the repeal o
the Wilson law and silver they wisel
chose the former, and it is too sill.
and unfair to pretend that they ex
pected the republicans to adopt demo
cratic ideas on the tariff.
AS to the financial question, wher
is the betrayal" or mockery? True
no new legislation has been adopted
chiefly owing to the unexpected devel
opments in the Spanish-American dill
ficulty. But Secretary Gage has mad
report as advanced as could be dc
sired, and il has been embodied in tn
McCleary bill for the gold standar
and greenback retirement. A reput
lican subcommittee has prepared an
introduced more conservative meas
are which over 100 representative
have signified their willingness to SUI
port. So much has been done in tn
way Of education that all doubt is no
removed as to the position of tn
party. The republicans are openly
gold standard party. In the state pla
forms there is no cquivocation, no an
biguity. Gold is meant, and gold
everywhere named in lieu of vague
terms. A republican house and senat
would unquestionably pass bill MOI
definitely establishing the gold stan'
ard and taking step toward greer
} back retirement.
Yet in the face of so much genuir
progress gold democrats complain {
having been "bunlloed." The insil
cerity is fragrant. 1t will deceive I
one who is not eager to be deceived
, Chicago Post.