The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1899-01-05

Democrats can do. What cnthusi-
asm will speaker arouse who has
to say to his hearers: You can't
get free silver, but you must vote
for it all the same" AS well might
one try to walk with his legs tied.
Out of this very embarrassing stu
alton. and from the defeat which, at
least from present indications, seems
to threaten the Democrats in 1900,
the present proposal seems to offer
the happiest escape. BY means of it
they can secure an easy and splendid
triumph with all its opportunities,
without any sacrifice of principle,
put the country in good humor, gain
the credit of the Reconciliation, and
reserve their funds for the time when
there may be a.chance to regain the
Senate. The Republicans restored
the Union so far as the external
structure is concerned; let the Dem
Could a finer policy be imagined at
! this moment?
And so all the fruits of the nation S
| noble deed are to 90 to the Demo-
Democrats? BY no means; rather the
-;,.D,
| ture is vet to come. The deed should
| be, so far as possible, national-not
partizan. The Republican conven-
ton meets before the Democratic
| Let the Republican candidate, in ac-
| cepting the nomination, announce
that if the opposite party nominate
an eX-Confederate. he will withdraw
in favor of his opponent, so as to
make the latter's election as nearly
unanimous as possible. A precedent
may be found in the support which
the Federalists in 1920 gave to Mon
roe, their opponents candidate, who
thus received 23l out of 232 electoral
votes. As the Repu blicans will al
most certainly nominate an eN-Union
soldi er, there will be peculiar chiv-
alrous grace in his withdrawal in
ia vor of his whilom foe 1t will
practically insure for him the next
Republican nominations; it will i'm
mensely enhance the credit of the
party and win for it many friends in
the South, where hitherto they have
not been remarkably numerous.
Thus it will make a Republican vic
tory in 1904 all the more certain: in
fact, the Democrats, not to be out
done in chivalry, might return the
compliment in 1904 by withdrawing
in favor of the Republican candidate,
Il suggestion which perhaps is not
more fantastic than any thus far
made. provided the silver qu- but
the vision is getting telescopic
Perhaps it would hardly be safe for
the Republicans to pursue any other
course. With solid South, the gold
loving North, treasured by a harm
less financial plank, the whole coun-
try disposed by the jubilee influence,
(already noticeable in sermons). to
place patriotism above party spirit
and make a deep grave for past quar-
relS, and nobody having the heart to
wave the bloody shirt in the face OF
Hobson aud Wheeler and thus destroy
the most precious fruit of the Span
ish war, it is probable that even
with Republican opposition the Dem
ocratic candidate would be elected
The Republican party would then be
in the odious position of having done
its best to spoil the reconciliation
and Of having defeated the endeavol
10 make 1t unanimous. Nothing i:
so uncomfortable and scorn-provok
ing as the situation OF those who
meanly tried to spoil noble enter
prise for the sake of a petty, selfish
gain. and then lost even the latter
After such disgrace. as an augury
of the new century, if the Democrat:
in the hour of success are but mod
erately circumspect and profit by
their opportunities. the Grand Old
Party might perhaps for good while
have occasion to perform the useful
function Of party in opposition
Instead OF an EZRA of good feeling, .
an era of exceptionally bad feeling
would ensue. Most dreadful of all.
the Senate might presently be re-
gained for free silver. the House per
hapS sooner, and then farewell to
the gold standard. Thus it seems