The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-02-14
WEDNESDAY. FEBRUARY. IA, 1900.
THE EXPLANATION IS SIMPLE.

4
The Staunton News seems 10 be puz-
zled over the apparent indifference OF
the free silver Democrats to the passage
of a bill by Congress declaring for the
gold standard. 1T says:
IL the silver question is still living
issue, there are one or TWO lhlnSs we
would like soma OF our silver TRENDS
TO explain 10 us.
The House Of Representatives at
washington las already. passed bill
making the gold dollar The standard,
md making every obligation of the
government of whatever character re-
deemable is this gold dollar. The Sen
ate is to vote on the 18th OF this monlh
on substantially the same bill. and 1t IS
known IL such "a bill reaches the Presl-
don't ne will sign it. II is also quite
rain and generally admitted that by no
sort of political revolution can TINS
legislation be undone for four and prob
ably six years.
The bill in the Sennte is being dis
c1isssed pro and con, but nobodys~ona one
side listens to the speeches on the other
side. or even on his own side. There
is nobody in the galleries to listen TO
them The speeches are not being pub
lished In the newspapers. as they wou'a
he If anybody cared to read them. Inc
whole thing looks likes n perfunctory.
H.. l.
a,e done, namely, to enact into law for
good and for keeps the single gold
standard is 30 vicious and deadly a
Thing as our silver friends would have
MS believe, it il; strarEe they are not
CRYING a warming from the house-tops
or at least discussing il on the street
corners and iii the country stores where
syrou.,s do con.,r-.:1Ie and phiiosophize.
1Nly this APATHY when the deadliest
crime OF the century. blacl1er than the
r.crime OF "a is being perpetrated?
What does II show il not that silver is
a dead issueo
The explanation is simple. The Dem
ocradic party is so far committed to
free coinage OF silver at 16 TO that the
party leaders do not know how to break
away from it. Therefore. the conTen-
ton of this year will re-afiirm the Chica-
20 platform. especially the financial
plank" and make another fight for 1S
to l. Now, if it were possible, as 1t
was in 1886, for the Democratic party.
in the event of triumph at the polls. TO
nut Its free coinage declaration into exc
cution, or IL it We're possible for a Dem
ocratic administration 10 put the coun-
try on silver basis and SO paralyZs
business, thousands upon thousands of
Democrats would refuse 10 support the
ticket, being afraid. in the present con-
dition of prosperity, 10 make so dam
sarous an experiment But with 16 to
/, scotchcd by .eels atlon which cannot,
in any event. be undonc for several
years, any declaration which the party
may make on this subject Will be re-
garded by many gold Democrats merely
as SO much language. and will not of
itself scare them out of the party, as
1t did in 1896
The gold standard bill now under dis
cussion in the Senate will be a good.
campaign document for the Democrats.
and the party leaders know il. The Re
publicans of the Senate Committee see
the danger, and are trying to tack on
q rider about .in'e-national bimeta!-
ism" But even that will not hurt it
as Democrats campaign paper. The
tarnl. gold standard" Is obnoxious 10
nil 1s-karat silvcrites. and whenever the
hateful words gre mentioned in their
presence they may be expected to make
the wclkin ring with their student
yaMps''a OF denunc.ation. At the same
1ime party men who are opposed to
ats of no consequence.
In these facts our Staunton contem-
porary will doubtless see the answer to
the puzzle. The passage of the gold
standard bin will be n very present
help to the Democratic party.