The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1903-06-27
4OuARREL OVER THE SHUcKS.'


The INTELLIGENCER is in receipt
OF a marked copy OF the Richmond
Missourian containing long editorial
under the caption democracy
Quarrel over the Shucks," with re-
quest TO review the same. There is
undoubtly much truth in the editorial,
but like most comments upon the
present condition Of the party, it
negleets a most important fact and
attributes present Generalization
wholly to the desertion OF a handful
II longtime democrats on account Of
the free silver plank in the platform
of 90. This has been said so often
that people seem to be willing
TO believe 1t, in spite OF
its manifest absurdity. For
every longtime party democrat
who deserted the ranks 10 '96 on ac-
count Of free the silver plank it is like
ly that the party acquired three long
time silver party republicans. The
vote shows that we got 100, 900 10
Colorado alone. The people who
tailed to vote the democratic ticket
came from that great unrecognized
class Of independent voters, which
has grown up and amazingly increased
since the war between the states.
Both parties had always expressed
themselves as friendly to silver up
TO 1896. II both parties had declared
for silver or both for the single
standard, the other conditions re-
naming just the same as they we're
in that year, the results would not
have been materially different.
There was nothing 10 the free
silver issue in itself to have caused
any man to have deserted the demo-
cratic party. II in addition to the
free and unlimited coinage Of silver at
the ratio of l6 TO 1.-THE democratic pro-
gramme had contemplated the confs-
cation Of the product Of the mines
and the gift Of the coined metal to
government favorities, it would not
have been a wrong as infamous in
character or as considerable 10
amount as that annually enacted
through the tariff. The value Of the
annual product OF the silver mines Of
the United States is a trlle 10 COM
parison with the aggregate tribute
levied by favored interests under form
Of law. The failure and disgrace OF
the democratic party dates prior to
1896. II that party had retired
Vest to private life for fighting the
Wilson bill in the interest OF lead
and zinc; if the convention of so had
dismissed Jones from the chairman
ship Of the national committee for
the same offence in the interest Of
Arkansas lumber, and the people Of
his state had sent him back to his
plantation; If Kentuckians had
hanged the loud-mouthed Blackburn
with the hemp be had grown so
tender about; and Louisiana had
drowned her representatives 10 a
hogshead Of cane molasSes: If this sort
Of discipline had gone on in all the
states, throughout the length and
breadth Of the party, instead of
allowing these men to 90 home and
change the subject, democracy would
have swept the land like a hurricane,
free silver or no free silver.
If the democratic party is to win
victories it must 60 out Of the para
mount ISSUE business. 1t must
cease to magnify mere corollaries and
Scholi ums into fundamental theorems.
1t must be the friend of man, and not
merely Of the poor man. 1t must be as
stalwart a defender of the just rights
of property a it is the v|erdictive
avenger Of the wrongs Of the proper.
tyless. 1t must avoid the very an.
pearance Of evil by spewing out
everything that savors Of populism,
opportunism or demagogy Ger
tainly, discipline Cleveland, Hill an(
company; but let us not iuggle GU.
memories into forgetting that W,
failed to di ,ciplioe our congressional
leaders in the sessions of '92 to 100
who defeated the very prosramm,
upon which the party had beef
elevated to power.
A pR0TECTI0NICT AOMlccION