The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-11-10
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 10 1899
THE MENACE OF popULIsM.

On Tuesday last we quoted "a 1tepuplcdH
politician as having said that anything
which strengthened the Democratic party
menaced the prosperity OF the country,
while anything that weakened It was a
new guarantee Of stability. In yester-
days paper tho following financial item
was sent out from the London stock ex-
change. American securities be>an
strong on reports of Republican success
in the election, but weakened on New
York sales. closing fiat on reports Of Dem
ocratic gains
Is there not an object lesson 10 the
Democratic party in this? London and
New York spectators are the shrewdest
traders an the world and they discount
everything II We a foregone conclusion
that the election Of Tuesday would be
favorable to tho Republicans and all THIS
WAS discounted before the election &C
Cured. Therefore the rise I'm stocks was
slight. But everybody who knows any
thing at an about such things is well
aware that IL Ohio. New York, New
Jersey. Iowa N other such states had
indicated by their vote ON Tuesday that
BRYAN and free silver woul prevail in
1gO. there would have been nothing short
of "a panic on the stock exchanges of this
country and American securities abroad
would have dropped from ten TO twenty
points.
No reasonable man will say that IRE
Times is unfrlendly to the Democratic
party because it tells that party the tru b.
II is not Democracy that business m"1 are
afraid of. for true Democracy SO far from
being a menace to the country IS q great
conservator of our institutions. II is
that which HOLDS Republicans in chsck ard
guarantees popular government. But
Organism and free silver and P)pulism
are "a terror to business men ana This Re
publican politician whom We have quo.ed
was able TO say that the Democratic parry
was "a menace TO the country sinry he
cause the Democratic party in 1896
adopted Organism and free silver and
Popuhsm.
II IN the year 1900 the Democratic party
should say through it's representatives in
the national convention that it did not
propose to oycrturn the financial system
OF the country; hat IL did not propose to
rfpudiate the gold standard and adopt
sNvor monometalism; that it did not pro-
pose to do anything which would disturb
the country's prosperity; If tho party
should adopt any one OF its old-time plat
.forms, business men would make them
selves easy and free, and from a business
standpoint IL would make little difference
to them which national party prevailed.
But when Mr.. Bryan goes through the
country telling the people that If the
Democratic party shall be successful in
1900 and if he shall be elected 10 the
Presidency the party viii open the mints
OF the country 10 free silver and carry
into effect an the Populistic and revol-
u,ionsry measures Of tho Chicago plat
form, amy indication OF Mr.. Bryan's cleo
ton upon such "a platform as this were
scarcely less than "a terror to business.
Nr. Bryan asks the people TO swap the
etNAlN' anu h""NA'N bApHiNAAA9 NHtNA
they have FOR his visionary experiment
and the whole business world would
tremble II there were any sign that the
people were going 10 do this thing.
with the Democratic party the path OF
duty Is the path OF safety. II the party
will only plant itself s~Quarely upon an
old-time Democratic platform, forswear
Populism and turn is back upon Pop
uiists. II will at once regain the conf
dence which IL has lost.
A wei known Democrat IN this state,
who holds a position under the Dem
ocratic administration and who is a
thorough going party man. said IN our
presence the other day, that in the bot
tom OF their hearts Democrats OF Nir-
ginia were sick ana tired OF Bryan and
Organism and that II the party would dis
card both and return TO its old-time prin-
ciples in 1909 there would be rejoicing
throughout the rank and hle OF the Dem
ocrats OF Virginia such as never was in
tho history OF the party. We nave no
doubt Of II.
A prominent wholesale merchant OF
Richmond said In our presence yesterday
msrning that he was in d street car the