The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1893-10-31

| SO>a&e$S0S
discrimination in favor of either
metal and that each dollar coined
shall be equal in intrinsic value
and purchasing power, and that the
ratio OF the number of grains in each
dollar shall be adjusted BY interna-
tional agreement or by Congressional
| legislation, are separable from and
independent Of the demand for the
repeal Of the Sherman law.
On the other hand those Democrats
who oppose unconditional repeal of the
Sherman law as provided In the bill
reported from the Finance Committee
| 40 80 Tor the reason, among many
others ofgreater Importance, that the
been intended to pledge the party to
the support Of separate and in
dependent bill containing no other
provision than single repeating
section without enacting in the same
Dill the necessary and rightful law 30
establish and carry out tho financial
system and policy declared to be the
system and policy in the platform. If
1T be a sound system why delay it's
benefit to the people?
1t looks suspicious when action is de-
layed without any just or plausible
reason. Our ability to adopt the plat
.a9rm system of currency will surely be
greatly impaired by unconditional ro-
peal.
The plain reason why such could not
have been the intention and meaning
OF the platform is that the party in
national convention made declaration
OF its principles, policies, and measures
which the President and the members
OF Congress to be elected by the party
in the election in November, 1892, were
pledged to carry out by laws which
were to be enacted in the place of those
which the platform specifies and con-
demns. The Mckinley tariff laws are
condemned and the kind of tariff laws
to be enacted in their stead is defined
in the platform. The Sherman law is
condemned and the kind of currency
laws to be enacted in its place is de-
fined in the platform.
The repeal of the 10 per cent. tax on
the issue of State banks is demanded.
and what law shall be enacted on the
subject Of State banks is left to the
States.
The Federal election laws are con-
demned and their repeal demanded,
and what laws to be enacted in their
place is left exclusively with the
States. So that it is manifest that
when the platform condemns an eXis-
ting Federal law and demands it's re-
peal, 1t imposes duty upon the Con-
gress and the President to be elected
on 1t of substituting in the place of the
law to be repealed the better laws
which the platform approves. Be-
sioes, it is manifest that the uncondi-
tional repeal of the Sherman law
proposed and no compromise per-
missible by the President and
those who support his position for
reasons and purposes which have been
completely uncovered in this debate,
leaving the friends of silver without
the possibility OF getting any silver
law as good us the Sherman law while
Mr.. Cleveland is President.
The Senator from Delaware [Mr.
Gray] is no timeserver, he is no trim
mer, he is perfectly honest in his con-
victions, and fearless in expressing and
enforcing them. regard him as a
fair exponent and representative OF the
best element Of the Eastern Democracy
to the fullest extent that the intelli-
gent, well-to-do members of tho Demo-
cratic party who are not bankers, i'm
porters, or money-lenders favor BIZ
metallism-that is, what use is to be
made of silver and how such use is to
be secured with the aid and assistance
of the Eastern Democracy, of which
the Senator from Delaware is a true
type and representative. We will
take the Democratic platform adopted
at Chicago in 1892 for illustration of
the position and difference of the two
wings of tho national Democratic
party on tho question of the use and
coinage of gold and silver as made
manifest by and pending the present de-
bate. n
The Senator declared in his able and
interesting speech in the Senate on the
22d ultimo in speaking OF the plat
form
"It was intended by that language
in the Democratic platform, il we can
argue at all from language, that it
should be- broad enough to hold every
Democrat who believed in bimetallism,
whether by international agreement
or by legislative enactmept. j diI
not intend to read me out OF the party
because 1 honestly belieye that the BIZ
metallism aimed at In that platform
can only be obtained efficiently, obtain.
ed usefully, obtained for the benefit
of the great masses Of the people of
this country, by an international agree
mont"
think I can safely affirm that there
dio Hoo idli uoHcil oeHdOTS WHO III
tend to support the House'bill now pend
have not expressed, or will not
express, the opinion that bimetallism,
on the basis of unlimited free coinage
of both gold and silver, established by
Congressional enactment independent OF
an international agreement, is an utter
impOssibility. The same opinion has
been expressed by President Cleve-
land without cquivOcation, ambiguity,
or the aifectation of misunderstand- :
ing.
/ have explained the unmistakable
position of the Eastern Democracy, of
which President Cleveland is the ex-
ponent and representative, and that is
that there can be no equal use of gold and
silver standard money; there can be
no coinage OF both gold and silver with
out.discriminating against either metal; !;
can be holding on to such bimetallism
by the Democratic party without an in
ternational agreement; that it is i'm
possible by Congressional legislation
independent of concurrent and joint
action by the United States and foreign
nations.
Repeal tho Sherman laws wipe out
every Congressional silver enactment,
plant us on the gold basis, and on that
leverage the repealers promise to
strike for an international agreement
as the last hope for silver and gold BIZ
metallism, and failing to obtain it we
must accept our destiny with foreign
nations on the gold basis, and adapt
ourselves, as best we can, to tho govern
ment of gold, with gold, and for gold.
The absolute dependence of bimetallism
on an international agreement, and the