The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-05-30
ANSWER NO. 2.
Several days ago correspondent put

| q
| us this question:
"should Mr.. Cleveland. by any possibsli-
~ become the standard bearer of the
Democratic party in 1904, by what mode
of reasoning could he expect the pl-
metalists Of the country to support hlm?,
We replied that IL Mr.. Cleveland should
be nominated on a gold standard platform
in 1904, he could not expect the advocates
OF free silver to support him; that he
would have no more right to expect It
than Mr.. Bryan would have the right 10
expect the advocates of the gold standard
to support him on a free silver plat
form.
The Petersburg Index-Appeal thinks we
have missed the point, and that our re-
ply is quite inadequate and Incorrect
Our contemporary puts and answers the
question an follows:
"By what mode Of reasoning could Mr..
Cleveland expect the bimetallsts of the
| country to support him. in the possible
| event of his being nominated by two
thirds Of n national Democratic conven-
| ton? Why, by the very same MODE OF
| reasoning that Mr.. Bryan used IN every
| speech he made In his two campaigns for
| the presidency, when he declared submls-
| sion to the will of the majority to be
| cardinal principle of Democratic doctrine
| and a vital article of Democratic faith.
1t is immaterial whether Mr.. Cleveland
subscribed to this view OF party duty or
not, or whether he profesSed and prac-
| ticed 1t or not ! f he did not subscribe to
and practice these views and principles,
Mr.. Bryan, at least. Is estopped from al
lcging it against him and In Justification
Of a similar declaration on his own part.
Two wrongs cannot make a right. ana
| If Mr. Cleveland was wrong In not sub
| hitting to the will of majority Of the
party In 1895 and 1900, how can Mr..
Bryan and his supporters be right In not
| submitting to the will of the majority IN
| 1GO42 They preached regularity as the
| first law OF party organization, and de-
| nounced as renegades and traitors every
! body who did not conform to their pre-
| cepts, and they cannot breach party reg
ularity now without simplifying them
selves and contrasting themselves to be fit
objects of all the approbrious epithets
| they have SO unsparlngly denounced
against Others,
In the nnme of party regularity all
| things are possible. 1t Is true that Mr..
Bryan and his intimntes denounced and
arc still denouncng those Democrats
who in 1896 and In 1900 refused to sup
port him on a platform In some of whose
planks they did not believe. and to be
entirely consistent tlloy should support
Mr.. Cleveland or any other man whom
| the Democrats might nominate IN $50:
upon a gold standard platform, or any
other platform which the convention
M rhnv otBht
expected to do this on the score OF party
regularity, on the score of consistency
or as our contemporary puts It, upon TIL
higher plane of the golden rule. But tn
golden rule does not always rule In poll
ties, We recall that when the Readjuster
came into power In this Estate, tho Rich
mond Wing. the organ of that party
contained paragraph which read some
thing like this: "Readjusters. do unto you
enemies. the Funders, as you know the
would do unto you. IL they had IN
chance. This Is not religion, but It's poll
tics"
But that Is WITHOUT the discussion. GU
correspondent asked if Mr.. Clevelan
would have tho right to expect the advr
, Gates OF free silver to support him on
gold standard platform, and as an Al
stract proposition, we said that ne woul
not, BY this we meant simply TO sa
that no candidate for office has the rigl
to expect his fellow-cltizens TO vote fc
I him when he stands for principles an
policies to which they are conscientious
! opposed,
! But are there many advocates OF III
> silver (at 10 10 y In the Democratic part
I to-day? Free silver Is thing of the pas
and we can see no sufficient reason wi
. all Democrats may not stand comfortab
together on the financial plank OF Il
, platform Of 1882, upon which Mr.. clev
! land was elected.
3 M sE-=-=--==7---=-=,7a =S-s==-=
3 FUN AHEAD.
! We are rather inclined 10 thin6 tn
q the inspiration OF the Norfolk paper
r motto was found In the famous toa