Iron County register., 1894-03-29
Some Campaign Promises.

vi SduS Al oSOFS1 Ia duu JULIET pdI 10 VI III
south, are making tremendous effor
to show that the people did not vot
for the free coinage of silver whe
they endorsed the platform of 1892 b.
supporting the candidates nominate'
at Chicago.
But in Alabama, where there wa
some danger of division ON account Q
the alliance movement, the democrati
campaign committee found it necessar.
to make an official deliverance or
the silver question. This committee
issued a circular which was sen
broadcast over that state. 1t was ad
dressed ''to the democrats of Alabama,
and was a remarkably clear and con
else summary of the position of the
democratic party On the silver ques
ton. It quotes from the platforms o
1854 and 1888, and gives in full the
democratic pledge made at Chicago ii
1892. 1t also gives a summary of the
persistent and consistent efforts of the
democratic party to secure the free
coinage of silver, presenting history
of the free coinage bill that was EN-.
asculated by the republicans and
changed into what was known as the
Bland-Allison act.
This interesting document, officially
signed by the democratic campaign
committee and distributed in July,
1892, thus concludes:
At the last session of Congress, the
democratic party enleavored to put
silver on parity with gold, and, with
the help of a few republican senators,
passed bill through the senate of the
United States providing for the free
and unlimited coinage of silver. When
this bill reached the house of repre-.
senatives, the republican party being
then in power in the lower house,
it was defeated.
The record shows beyond dispute
that the democratic party has been,
and is now, the friend of silver, and
we will never have the coinage of sill
yer the same as that of gold in
this country until the democratic
party gets entire control of the gov
ernment; we are blocked by the repub-
licans in the other branch, SO that it
has been impossible for the democratic
party up to this time to carry out its
promises with reference to the coinage
of silver.
These We're the promises held out to
the democratic voters during the cam
paign of 1892. We print them here
in order to show beyond all question
what Interpretation was put on the
financial pledge of the Chicago plat
form. The party in congress had
voted for the s'free and unlimited
coinage of silver" whenever the op-
portunity was presented, but its efforts
we're always baked by the republicans.
It was fair to presume, therefore, that
when the party had full control of the
silver would be promptly
to parity with gold by open
ng the mints to the coinage of the
metal into full legal tender dollars
If standard money.
This was what the democratic vot-
srs thought, for there was and there is
10 other reasonable Interpretation Of
he platform. The plain, common
oeoble of the country believed that the
party was in favor of the free coinage
If silver, and the bubbles which the
heelers are now inventing
will only serve to disgust them.
The Constitution is not interested in
he local issues at stake in Alabama.
,ut it feels profound interest in the
issues discussed by Congress
nan Oates, who is candidate for
governor pending the democratic NOM
nation. We have resurrected this
circular issued by the party
eaders in Alabama in order to show,
lmong other things, where Mr.. Oates
TODD in the campaign of 1892. He
TODD on the democratic Interpretation
# the democratic platform and was in
avor of placing gold and silver on a
,arity with each other by opening the
hints to the free coinage of legal ten
Ter silver dollars of standard money.
That is the only way to restore parity.
md it Is the democratic way.
MIR. Oates and the democratic lead
RS of Alabama were in favor of it in
S92, when they wauted the votes OF
he people, and if they have changed
hey ought to proclaim that fact bold
= and without quibbling. Congress
nan Oates was thoroughly in SYM
athy with the beople as late as jan
ary, 1898, when he wrote to one of
is constituents that under no circum-
vould he vote for the unconditional |
epeal of the Sherman act. He was
, favor of repeal, but he was also in
avor of substitute legislation on the |
ne of the platform. At that time,
Oates knew that vote
,r unconditional repeal was vote for