The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-11-18

General Grosvenor, of Ohio is credited
by a washington correspondent with the
statement that "the fight next year is
going to be Bryan and free silver against
Mckinley and sound money. That is 50
clearly apparent now that no one needs
a diagram to make it palmer"
If General Grosvenor's prophecy that
Mr. Bryan will be the candidate Of the
Democratic party be correct then his
conclusion that the fight will oe Bryan
and free coinage at ratio Of 10 to
against Mckinley and sound money is
irresistible With Mr. Bryan as the can
didate of the Democratic party or any
other party, as for that matter, free sill
yer must necessarily be his platform, and
as Mr.. Mckinley is almost certain TO bg
the candidate for the Republican party
It naturally follows that a free silver
platform with Mr. Bryan on deck must
be antagonized by a platform for sound
money. This is a natural sequence.
However, We see no just reason yet TO
admit the correctness Of General Grosve-
nor's premises. We may be a little OPP
timistc, but we can but hope that there
IS yet a chance a faint show it may be,
but a chance nevertheless, that the Dem
ocratic party before the spring Of the
coming year may return to Democratic
principles which. if We correctly und
stand Democratic principles, will neces-
sarilv preclude all idea of nominating Mr..
Bryan and adopting a free silver, or more
properly speaking, a Populist platform
i'm 1900.
II is to be admitted that if free coinage
AT the ratio of 1G TO l is TO be the prin-
ciple plank Of he Democratic platform,
Mr.. Bryan will be the logical leader
But will free coinage be The issue? The
signs truly point that way now, but as
We said yesterday the people have habit
of thinking sometimes for themselves.
After a while they tire of allowing poliu-
cal managers TO do their thinking for
them. May they not, during the few
months yet intervening before the con-
vention period think bit?
First. what of the recent elections? No
man wants TO always play losing game,
for men are prone to seek d place in the
swim. That's human nature.
In the recent elections Ohios vote
means as plainly as anything can mean
that it is impossible for free coinage 10
carry this nation Mr.. Bryan's vain ei-
fort 10 explain the election of Ohio away
is one of the weakest OF the many weak
pleas that he is constantly putting be-
fore the public. The substance OF 1t IS
that Jones, the Independent, took of 50
many Democratic votes that Nash, the
Republican. was left in the majority.
In the very next breath we hear him pro-
claiming that Hanna has been turned
down by the voters at his own home who
cast their votes for Jones. In one breath
h. claims that Jones vote was taken
from the Democratic party, and in the
next breath he claims that Hanra's Re
publicans quit him for Jones. But any
one can see that it is absurd TO claim
that Jones vote was taken from the DEM
ocratic party. Jones ran upon a plat
form that appeals to ignorant men of all
parties. and in the absence Of definite
knowledge a fair minded man is compelled
to suppose that his vote was drawn In
discriminatory from all parties.
Nor can Mr.. Bryan derive any sensi-
bic hope from the vote in either Mary
land or Kentucky. Every one knows that
national issues were absolutely ignored
In Maryland. BY common consent they
were abandoned. lsador Raynor. who
was elected Attorney-General Of Mary
land, was one OF the most pronounced
leaders OF the gold standard in 1896. and
John Walter Smith. who was elected Gov