The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-04-14
So be considered. with tSe iona, Demo emo

atO$Ue CUnStQEIeu.AS iii
cratic party pledged to the free and sun-'
limited coinage OF silver It win be simpos-
ssible. for the Democratic party to q elect
any considerable number Of Congressman;
IN the East. This question was Drought
sup and freely discussed at a recen. meet
ing IN washington OF the Democratic
Congressional Campaign commi tee. The he
Washington correspondent OF the Baiti-
more sun makes the following reportof a
part of the proceedings Of that meeting:
Messrs Daley, OF New Jersey: Rupert,
OF New York. and Fitzgerald. of A1assa-5
chusetts. unbosomed themselves very free
~. They intinated that II the silver DEM.
gncrats insisted on putting 16 to in the
platform 1t would render every Congress
sional district in the East doubtful.
There must be no more talk Of sure:
Democratic districts in the East, de-
clared Mr.. Daley, II you Insist in adopting
a a6 TO i platform at Kansas City. Such
action will render every district doubtful,
and 1t may turn out that no Democratic
candidate for Congress can be elected from
an Eastern district
They believed. he said, that the Demo-
Gratis should carry the next House and
had an excellent chance to do SO, but II
made their campaign on that issue they
would lose the Eastern States. He said
they could not carry a single Eastern
State with such an issue. and many of the
members, even those present, who come
from sound money constituencies might
lose their seats In Congress. Mr.. Daley
said the Southern and Western Democrats
were trying to dictate the policy of the
party regardless of the wishes of the
II 4t,n ,rI,t ~. I,o1 fno p
been subscryient to these interests. For.
one. he did not propose to be saddled with
any such dead doctrine as that of free
silver. The Southern members COULD do
as they pleased in their own districts and
talk free silver to their constituents until
they were tired of it, but he did not pro-
pose to submit to any such handicap as.
this.
Mr. Daley's words were echoed by Mr..
Fitzgerald and Mr.. Ruppert. who warned
their colleagues on the committee in the
same language.
Az result of this plain talk at least
three members from sound money districts
were put on the executive committee.
Messrs. Rupert, Fitzgerald and Turner,
the latter from Kentucky.
The silver Democrats have scoffed at
the gold Democrats and have tried in
every offensive way to drive them out OF
the party. But the silver Democrats
might as well open their eyes to the fact
that Without the vote of the gold Demo-
Gratis of the United States it is impossible
for the Democratic party to elect Presi-
dent. or majority Of the members OF
Congress.
It seems to US that the time for reason
:, w, a
time. and attempts were made to prove 1t,
that the gold Democrats were nothing
more than Republicans in disguise, and
it was freely predicted that they would
so over bag and baggage to the Republic
can party But that charge has been dis
proven by time. The fewest number OF
those Democrats who took part IN the
sound money movement of 1886 have gone
over to the Republican party. The great
body of them are just as much opposed as
ever TO the principles and policies repre-
scented by the Republican party and just
as heartily as ever in favor OF those prln-
ciples and policies which the true Democ-
racy has stood for from the beginning.
They did not leave the party in 1885 OF
their own choice. They left simply be-
cause the party adopted platform Which
they could not support. But If the party
will adopt any platform of the past save
and except the platform of 1896, these
Democrats will most cheerfuliy and gladly
come in and heartily unite in electing the
ticket.
1t Is all summed up In this: II the
Kansas City Convention wants the votes
Of the gold Democrats it can easily secure
them; if it prefers the votes of the Popu-
lists it cannot secure them. But 1t cannot
possibly make a platform that will be ac-
ceptable to both gald Democrats and