The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-12-29
FRIDAY. DECEMBER % 1899.
KyLEABANDoNs SILVER.

The Washington Post Of this morning
makes two publications which are most
significant Of the change i'm sentiment
throughout the country towards the sill
yer question 1t quotes Mr. Elliot Dam
forth. chairman of the Democratic State
Committee Of New York as saying that
during the recent trip through the South
ne observed that none Of the leaders
seemed disposed to insist upon free sill
YER as the main issue Of the campaign
of 1000 "T'hey did not say he went on,
that they had abandoned the 1s to /
idea. but they ACKNOWLEDGED that the sit
ua,ion had changed since 1896, ard that
the dominant issue next year would be
trusts and imperialism. That Us TO say
they are unwilling 10 repudiate the Chi
ca.v platform, but they see mat new
issues OF far reaching Importance have
come M lately and that their cnoic.s
should be recognized"
lie further said that even in States
like North Carolina he found that the
antitrust and neutrality-suspicious. ideas en-
gagged the attention OF the people more
than the free silver isrue. In fact,
he concluded, II might sum zap my OBJ
servations by saying that the sentiment
OF Democracy in the South IS such that
I am confident that there VII! be little
trouble in bringing about a Inion Of the
Democracy Of the whole country next
year.
We sipcerely hope that Mr. Danior'h
Is right in this conjecture hut 1t Is hafd
10 understand how free silver Is to be
retired with Mr.. Bryan as the NOMINEE
for Mr. Bryan said only few days $50
that he would not abandon lis hobby
and that he proposed TO keep that issue
alive wherever he should speak
The other publication TO which We re-
fer ia an interview ia the Post with
senator Kyle. Of South Dakota. "who
entered the Senate on the tide of inde-
pendent politics which swept over the
West some years ago" Mr. Kyle was
elected ON a free silver platform and has
been a pronounced blmeallist but he
now publicly declares that ne viii vote
for the gold standard bill now pending in
the Senate. lie says that ne IS stih in
favor OF bimetallisTn. out that We have
been practically operating under the gold
standard for thirty years and have
Wrought ourselves into harmony with
The monetary systems OF the world. He
would like 10 see international bmotal-
iism. but az that is inpracticablei he
thinks it a doubtful proposition whether
a. Is right again TO disturb values I'm the
world when. by such action. we do in-
justice TO the creditor class and 40 the
same time put ourselves out Of joint
with the other great powers of the
earth" But. above all, Senator Kyle
"a driven away from the free silver party
by The extreme men who for the past
several years have dominated A. 81
would rather &ke the most undlluted
gold standard sm." said he. than to ac-
cept bimetallsm win the ingredients Of
radicai socialism that are now asso-
clated with IT,"
Il cannot but be gratifying to gold
Democrats who refused in 1896 to sup
port the Chicago platform to have this
splendid Vindication of their position
from a distinguished free silver leader
II was MOI free silver alone that drove
these Democrats out OF the organization
IN 1896 1t was. as Senator Kyle so
forcefully puts s., rather the ingredi-
enss Of radical socialism that we're ass
ISOLATED with It."
The Times has said often and again
that 'tha whole movement was Popu-
ilstic. socialistic and revolutionary.
There was no Democracy IN g. The
Democratic party abandoned iss princi-
pies. retired all other issues aad allied
itself with Popullsts. Socialists and free
silver Republicans IN an enogt to open
the minis OF the country TO the free
coinage Of silver. and the Chicago plat
form was framed with view 10 uniting
eel the free silver forces utterly re-
sardless OF those great principles which
aay al the foundation - JeGemonian
Democracy. We said time and again
In discussing the question that there
were two COURSES for the Democratic
esrty 10 pursue One was to 90 on 10
soapists Socialism. the other Wa 70 re-