The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-07-05
THURSDAY. JULY ., 1900.
THE LOGICAL END.

Revolutions never go Backward Was
there eser more apt illustration DC that
old saying than is low Witnessed at the
Kansas City Convention. The movement
at Chicago in 1886 was revolutionary
mavcmenf, and we use the term in no
egensivc sense. II is admitted by Sena-
tsr Tillman, by Mr.. Alleged and by other
rasa who Were conspicuous in launching
tls4t movement that it was designed 10 be
Revolutionary. All previous platforms of
the Democratic party were thrown aside
and new Platform was adopted containing
plans that were entirely new to Demo-
crazy 1t was boasted then and there
afte- thu rae party had for years been in
the hands Of the money power. that It's pol
icy had been dictated by Wall. Street and
that The time had come for a revolution.
The Chicago platform was characterized
as new declaration Of independence and
Senator Tfllman has time and again said
that a new Democracy was born at that
convention. Tariff for revenue, which had
Away; been a cardinal doctrine of Demo-
cracy, was brushed aside and it was de-
clared that the great dominant issue over
shadoNing all others was free silver at the
legal ratio of l6 TO L This and other
planks fopulistlc in character, we're in
corporated, and the Populists and free sill
Yer Republicans and all sorts and condi-
lions of men who believed in free coinage
We're invited to join the Democrats in this
avowea revolutionary movement Mr..
William j. Bryan. who had had the cour-
age and franl1ness TO say in a public
speech that If the Democratic party should
declare for the gold standard he would
refuse to cooperate with it, was taken up
and nominated for the Presidency. The
campaign was one of the most aggressive
that ever was wased in this country, and
free silver was declared 10 be principle
of Democracy.
The Populists accepted this as only the
means TO an end, always maintaining that
while free silver was well enough as far
as it Went, it was not all by any means
that they desired and was only step in
the direction of fiat money
-Four years have elapsed, but whether
by the enormous increased production of
gold or what not a large and respectable
class of Democrats who We're in favor OF
free coinage in 1896 have now decided that
il will not do, and the Washington Post,
which in 1896 and for a dong time there
after aided the Democrats in promoting
tree silver, said in an article yesterday
morning that il WAS a dead issue And 50
many Democrats have gone TO Kansas
City with view to having tle party
break away from free silver and retire it.
The most interesting part about it ali TO
us is that the Southern Democrats, who
in 1896 cut loose from their true and tried
friends in the East and cast their lot with
the so-called Democrats of the West. are
nov numbered, in many Instances, among
the conservatives who would take free
silver out OF the campaign of 1900 But
revolutions never go backward Mt Bryan,
VINO led the revolutionary movement IN
1856. is again brought forward as the leader
of the party in 1880, and he avows that
he will take no step backward lie insists
thai the party must be as pronounced il
1880 Tor free coinage at 16 TO as il was
in 1885, else ae viii not accept the nomi-
nation. The conservatives OF the East and
South are oyerslaughed by the radicals
of the West because Mr. BRYAN and the
radicals are working together and Mr..
sryan,s word in that convention is law.
In vain did conservatives protest. in vain
did they plead with Mr.. Bryan. They
made their political bed in 1896 and they
must lie in il now or bolt.
1t is 10 us a sad spectacle. The Demo
cratic party of this country has from The
begin,.in. been he party of the people and
the buimark OF our liberties It has been
the conservative party of the country.
standing always for liberty, standing al
ways for those great principles upon which
the republic was founded. and opposing
class parties and parties with moaarc1icai
-.adenc.es by whatever name called. The
.l,. foi f,a