The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-08-26
SATURDAY, AUGUST 2s. 1892.
SUGGESTION As TO 1900.

''The Democratic party Of the United
states. through its representatives in
national convention assembled. recognize
that. as the nation grows older. new is
sues are born Of time and progress and old
issues abolished
We have quoted the opening paragraph
81 the national Democratic platform OF
1851 and we commend it TO those Demo
Gratis who say that II is necessary for
the marty 10 reafirm the Chicago platform
Of 1896. and that TO sidetrack
the free silver issue would be
for the party to stultify itself. There is
no logic in such reasoning. The Demo
cratic party IS a party Of progress. It's
principles change never but its policies
must change as conditions change In 1896
there was a condition which TO many
people seemed 10 demand change IN our
monetary system. Business was deDress-
Ell. money was scarce, thousands OF
men were out OF employment and trade
and enterprise were In n bad way In
casting about for a remedy the politicians
hit upon the free coinage OF silver. and
many people said that they were willing
10 try the experiment, as they did not see
how conditions could be much worse than
they were But since that time a great
change has come over the land Instead
OF hard times we have such prosperity as
the nation has rarely known, there is an
abundance Of money TO carry on the bust
ness Of the country. and every man who
wants TO work has Job
Every prophecy which the advocates OF
free silver made in 1896 has failed Of full
nnment and conditions have so com
pletely changed that no valid argument
can he offered in behalf OF free coinage.
in view Of these changes. win the Demo
cratic party stand by its declaration OF
1895 on this question for the sake only Of
consistency?
When the people were clamoring FOR
free silver in 1896 advocates OF the gold
standard begged them not 10 be rash.
They brought out arguments 20 show that
silver would simply be TO make a bad
matter wOrse-that this was not the
remedy for hard times. but that the true
remedy was 10 be found In restored con
fdence. They asked that the people would
give the gold standard fair test and Il
the country did not prosper under It. then
the experiment Of free silver or some
other experiment might be tried.
To make long story short the gold
standard did triumph. II has been tested
for three years and under 81 confidence
has been restored and prosperity has fol-
lowed
Suppose the free silver cause had tri-
umphed IN 1896. Suppose the minis Of the
country had been thrown open TO the free
coinage OF an the silver in the world. and
under that system the country had
der the gold standard. Under
such a condition would the advocates Of
free silver have abandoned their cause
and adopted the gold standard? or II
the gold standard people should have ask
81 them 10 close the minis to silver on
the assumption that the country would
prosper more under the gold standard
would not the free silver people have
laughed them 10 scon? Upon what posi-.
bic plea. therefore. ran the free silver
people now urge the gold standard people
10 abandon their views and adopt free
silver? n the sold standard had proven
10 be the failure that the free silver ad-
yocates predicted that Il would be. then
our free silver friends might IN all reason
have asked us TO give # mp and try their
experiment. But now that the gold stand
ard has proven itself to be such success.
81 seems TO us nothing less than absurd
for the silver people to ask the gold
Democrats 20 repent and recant and come
back into the organization confessing that
they were wrong. II is Ia
Nofite argument Of the free Sill
We Democrats that Il were absurd
;or The handful OF gold Democrats. as
they express Il. 20 expect the great
maJor.ty 10 come over 20 them. We can.
not see It that way. First Of all. n the
census were taken II would he found that
,hls handful OF Democrats" IA great
multitude nut whether that te ,rue OF
no, II II never absurd for sensible men 20
change their views when they ind that
they are wrong.
Tas Times does not believe In surrcn-