The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1893-08-24
CLARK ON CLEVELAND.
THE DEMOCRATIC TEXAS LEADER IN.
DoRsEs THE NATIONS DEMO-
CRATIC PRESIDENT.
Judge Clark Interviewed on the Presidents
Message Points Out How 1t Plainly
and Unequivocally Lines the Nat
ionsl Democi attic Platform.

exact accord with the platform and
those who denoul ce the president fol
abandoning the party's position on
silver have evidently not read with
proper care either the platform or the
message. The platform Is as follows
"We denounce the Republican leg
islation known as the Sherman act o.
1890 as cowardly makesh;lt, fraught
with possibilities of danger in the u.
ture, which should make all
its supporters as we'll as its
author anxious for its speedy repeal
We hold to the use of both gold and
silver as the standard money of the
country and to the coinage of both
gold and silver without discriminate
ing against either metal or charge for
mintage, but the dollar unit of coin
age of both metals must be OF equal in.
trinsic and exchangeable value or be
adjusted through international agree
ment or by such safeguards of legisla.
ton as shall insure the maintenance
of the parity of the two metals and
the equal power of every dollar at
all times In the markets and In pay.
ment Of debts; and we demand that
all paper currency shall be kept at
par with and redeemable in such coin
We insist upon this policy as especial
ly necessary for the protection OF the
farmers and laboring classes - the
first and most defenseless victims of
unstable money and fiuctuating cur
rency.
"There is but one demand in this
for immediate action, and that Is the
speedy repeal of the Sherman act In
its entirety. The danger is recognized
as imminent and urgent, and the rec
concentration for its repeal In toto Is
coupled with no condition. The re.
peal of this act in strict compliance
with the platform would destroy our
present silver money The president
therefore conservatively recommends
an immediate repeal of the purchas.
ing clause only Of the act, thereby
preserving to the people the use OF
our present silver circulation,
"Surely the silver men ought not to
complain of this, for II it be depart
ure from the platform it is departure
in the interest of silver and its preser
walton as money.
"The remainder of the plank neces.
sarily contemplates that there must
occur delay in securing the equal In.
trinsic and exchaDgeable value of the
two metals. We hold to the use of
both gold and silver as the standard
money OF the country, and to the
coinage of both gold and silver, with
out discriminating against either
metal or charge for mintage. This is
but declaration of settled party prin.
ciple, and signifies that the party ad =.
heres to its settled policy as to the
use and equal coinage of both metals
"But there Is no demand for imlne.
date or even speedy action, as in the
matter of repeal of the Sherman act
On the contrary, this declaration Of
principle is coupled with indispens.
able conditions, precedent which are
bound to delay the practical applioa.
ton of the principle in Legislation.
These conditions are:
First-The dollar unit coinage OF
both metals must be of equal intrinsic
and exchangeable value.
Second-If they are not now of equal
intrinsic and exchangeable value
these values must be adjusted through
international agreement,
Third-If international agreement
fails then this parity of values must
be adjusted by such safeguards Of leg
islation al shall insure the mainte-
nance of the parity of the two metals
and the equal power OF every dollar at
all times in the markets and in the
payment of debts.
Free coinage, says the platform,
must be had only upon the basis of
equal intrinsic and exchangeable
value OF the gold and the silver dollar,
and not otherwise. The TACT that the
dollar unit of coinage of both metals
were not OF equal intrinsic value last
year when the platform was promul-
gated by the party, demonstrates that
the party believed something had 10
be done to bring about this parity and
equal purchasing power. The party,
therefore declared that our first resort
should be an international conference
and adjustment. If that failed for
any cause, then that congress should
adopt such legislative measures as
would insure the maintenance Of the
parity of the two metals.
"The declaration Is not that con-
gress shall experiment in the matter,
or that its legislation shall promise
this parity, but that its Legislation
shall insure 1t. The term employed
leaves no room for construction. When
the party says insure 1t means ito
guarantee'-'to make certain beyond
peradventure.' But even this legisla-
ton was not to be attempted until an
adjustment by international agree
meDt had failed, for that IL the first
remedy the party suggests.
"The president confines his recon-
mendations solely to a repeal of the
purchasing clause of the Sherman
act. He also tells congress what
the platform had Def re told
Democrats, that an international
agreement was the best method to Sc
cure parity between the two metals
but that this was impra cticable, go long
as we persisted in our tendency to
ward free coinage of silver, because
Il