Huntsville gazette., 1893-07-29
DEMOCRATS ON SILVER.
A Leaf From Last Years Presidential
Campaign History.


President Cleveland in his recent con-
grcssional call charged our silver cur
rcDcy with bringing about "a perilous
condition" This recalls his sentiments
of December 5, 1885, when in his first
annual message he predicted that the
silver act of 1873 would speedily result
in disaster. Said he in his message of
eight years ago:
That disaster has not already overtaken us
furnishes no proof that danger does not wait
upon a continuation OF the present silver coin
age. Prosperity hesitates upon our
threshold because OF the dangers and uncer
tainties surrounding this quest tion. Capital
tmidly shrinks from trade, and investors are
unwilling to take the chance Of the question
able shape in which their money will be re-
turned to them, while enterprise halts at risk
against which care and sagaciors management
do not protect AS a necessary consequence
labor lacks employment and suffering and dis
tress are visited upon portion Of our fellow
citizens especially entitled to the careful con-
sideration of those charged with the duties OF
legislation
The Bland act, which provided for the
purchase and coinage of 100000 to
1900, 900 ounces of silver monthly, was
retained FIVE years after the above mes
odSC. Dul hiS tlidb pSIiOu uCihOOi dOiS
congressman, instead of obey;ng their
chiefs instructions to put down silver,
pointed to the prosperity which fol-
lowed it and voted to further increase
silver coinage at every opportunity.
The platforms of democracy in the
great majority of the states demanded
the extension Of silver coinage by free
coinage. The only reason why the
democratic members of congress did
not favor the Sherman act was that it
was not strongly enough in favor Of sill
YER They wanted free and unlimited
coinage. One month before the passage
of the Sherman act the democrats of
the lower house supported BANDS free
coinage resolution by vote of 101 to
II. Six mouths after the passage of
the Sherman act the democrats in the
senate supported Vests free coinage
substitute for the Stewart bill by vote
| of "A to l. In March, 1892, again the
| democrats in the house supported free
| coinage by a vote of 1870 to 81.
One year ago last month the demo-
| Gratis in national convention at Chica go
| placed in their national platform
| plank providing ''for the use of both
| silver and gold as the standard money
of the country" and ''for the coinage
of both gold and silver without dis
elimination" This was strong re
I buke to Grover C1eveland's doctrine of
monometallism and yet it was not rad
| ical enough in favor of silver to suit
| the democrats in congress. Therefore
when Senator Carey fortnight after
| the convention introduced in the United
| States senate bill embodying the doc
| trine and phraseology of the national
democratic platform coinage plank, the
| democrats of the senate rejected the
| bill by a vote of l6 to g. They then
voted for free coinage by vote of 16 to
| Z, there being also 13 democrats paired
| in favor of free coinage and only two
against.
One year ago the democrats in the
United States senate repudiated the
straddling position of their national
platform and supported free coinage,
20 to 9. 1t is exactly one year ago that
the democrats in the lower house on
test vote supported the position Of
their brethren in the senate by vote
Of 11S to "a.
1t is scarcely six months, however,
since the democratic members of both
| the house and senate refused to repeal
| the Sherman act, the denunciations of
| the party platform to the contrary not
withstanding. Democratic votes in the
senate defeated repeal, and democratic
| votes in the house repeated the de-
| feat Republican majorities in both
bodies favored repeal, as will be the
case in the coming congress. The
resistance to the doctrine now preached
| by the present democratic administra-
| ton came from the democratic side of
congress, as it will come in the con-
| gross which convenes on August T. 1t
| is q contest between the democrats of
| the east, headed by Grover Cleveland,
| and the democrats of the south and
west, headed by Bland in the house
| and Vest in the senate. Last winter,
when Congressman Bland defeated in
the house the attempt of the Cleveland
| followers to repeal the Sherman act,
he defed the administration forces in
the east to lay aside silver and
| threatened the demolition of the
| democratic party the day it should de-
feat silver 1t now remains to be seen
whether or not Mr.. Bland will carry
out his threat, or will be satisfied with
| the wildcat currency substitute
| Minneapolis Tribune.
1