Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1900-03-23
Party Discipline Did It.

SttLudIu pill III tue SENATE, states lutt
it received every Republican vote, ex-
cept OF Chandler, OF New Hampshire,
who fayors the white metal, but on a
different ratio from IL to |. This
unanimity indicates either a change
OF opinion that, to say the least is
phenomenal, or that party dlctum is
superior to reason and rules the rank
and file of the party with an iron Cor
rather golden) rod. 1t is indeed hui
initiating that human beings can be
thus used as puppets at the behest Of
party leaders, and it is a condition
that would stagger belief if not sup
ported by such palpablc and indisput-
able evidence.
That papers synopsis OF the result
shows that it received eleven votes
from the far Western States "that
have hitherto been the main depend
ence," says the World, "of the silver
movement" namely, Carter of Mon
tana, Clark of Wyoming, Foster of
Washington, Hausborough and Nc
Comber OF North Dakota, Mcbride
and Simon of Oregon, Perkins of Cali
fornia, Shoup OF Idaho, Thurston of
Nebraska, and Wolcott of Colorado.
"Had these eleven votes been cast
against the BILL" the World affirms,
"as six years ago they very probably
might have been, it would have been
beaten by a majority of FIVE" That is
so true that it is difficult to perceive
the OBJECT of its statement. In 1894,
Mckinley was making speeches for re-
monetization of silver, Carlisle was
showing in matchless periods what a
disaster would follow the destruction
of one-half the country's coinage of
primary money, and all the giants
of the party were engaged in fighting
the battle just, panoplied by the thrice
armed cause of right. But the unex-
pected election of a man eight years
ago. nominated by the opposition, who
stole into power to betray his trust,
made it evident to the Republican
leaders that neither the usurped pres
tige of saving the Union, nor of pro-
tecting American industries, ostensi.
bly, to advance the interests of labor
could longer be depended upon for as.
cured victory at the polls, and in
their search for an issue they found
that Cleveland had received, by the
mugwamp vote, very material assist
ance from the bond-sharks, an aid that
would have again been as cheerfully
accorded the Democrats had they SUBJ
mitted to the leadership of a President
who had deliberately ignored their
platform promises and professions.
Here the Republicans saw an oppor-
tunity for repairing and reconstruct
ing their torn down and scattered
fences. A compact was made by the
leaders with the gold power, which
was submitted with a sugar-coating to
the st. Louis Convention, in 1896. 1t
was dOwned with many gulps and
grimaces. The power of gold was ex.
emplified at the polls, and the vote
showed a phenomenal gain in mum.
bers, and an astounding change in
some of the States where machine
methods worked smoothly and to the
intense satisfaction of the bosses.
Then it was that the rank and file oil
the party had again to be whipped
into the traces. The mask fell from
their designs when a most intense
goldbug was selected for Secretary oil
the Treasury, and the President
pledged by his platform to promote in
ternational bimetallism, began sys.
tematically to render abortive the fee.
bic effort made for mere show in that
direction.
1t must be borne in mind that the
World, while protesting Democracy,
has been, all along, a most uncom.
promising advocate of the gold stand.
ard, and it therefore halls the change
in what it calls the sage.brush" and
"granger" States, as indicative Of
"the death of the cheap.money delu.
sion," in c0ntradistinction to what il
assumes to have been the steadfast
policy of the erich, intelligent, pros.
porous and populous commonwealth
of the East and Middle West"
As every one of the eleven votes
which the World seems to think should
have been "the main dependence Of
silver" was cast by Republican, it
is difficult to see anything more sig.
nificant in the act than a rare exhibi.
ton of the cohesive power of public
plumber" 1t was an irresistible result
of the logic of events-granted the
sordid nature of the party that had
been led to believe that I" the better
classes" were born to rule. The cleo.
ton of Cleveland, who did the bidding
OF trusts, and during his second term
developed into pronounced goldbug,
afforded an inkling of what might be
done by absolute surrender of the Re.
publican party to this new, but sue.
cessfully tried influence, at the polls,
and the work was Immediately begun
to force the party into complete sub.
lection. It was done and behold the
result: The triumph of greed and av.
arice of the few over the loyalty and
patriotism of the many.
LETTER that come from Centralia