The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1894-03-06
impel immediate action of some kind

lOA 1CIAOL oAS1o1OLOu
The Democratic plat form is the blade
that would cut the Gordian knot! Yet,
notwithstanding the fact that it was
offered to the people as the solution of
the evils Of years of Republican legis
latiOn, it does not seem to be in as much
favor In Washington as the old time
Republican policy, which was repudi-
ated in one of the greatest popular up
heavals known in the history of the
country.
The trouble seems to lie chiefly in the
Democratic Congress, which should
know better, having acted on the false
principle that "the hair Of the dog is
good for the bite" After having pro
tested for twenty years against the Re
publican effort to demonetiz9 silver
and establish the single gold standard,
the first act of the Democratic Presi-
dent was to call an extra session for no
other purpose than to do the very thing
which the Democratic party has been
denouncing for twenty years.
Eminent financiers" were quoted
from one end of the country to the
other to establish the fact that the un-
condition repeal Of the Sherman law
would act as an immediate panacea for
the financial troubles then existing as
The result of long years of Republican
administration
Strange to say, the Democratic Con-
gress, acting on the advice of the most
enthusiastic advocates Of the policy
which had just been overturned by the
people, admitted the Trojan horse with
we'll known results. Not a single
promise made to secure the uncondi
tional repeal of the Sherman law, and
the establishment of the single gold
standard, has materialized. On the
other hand, things have gone from bad
to worse, and confusion is worse con-
founded day after day.
What are the Democrats going to do
about it2 Why not resurrect the Demo
cratic platform2 Why not take one
step in the direction Of carrying out the
pledge made the people when the party
at Chicago solemnly committed itself
to the coinage of both gold and silver
under equally indiscriminating con-
ditions. Does not the emergency of
the situation justify at least an honest
effort to do what the people were
promised would be doneH
The campaign for the election of the
next Congress has already begun, and
unless the administration does some
thing between now and the time of the
fall elections TO undo what has been
done in applying the poultice of Re
publican heresies to remedy the con
dition in which the party in power
found the country when the present
administration assumed control of
national affairs, the Democracy will
suffer from a much more disastrous
Waterloo than that of last fall. Nor
will the Democratic party be respon-
sible for it. Being true to it's traditions,
true to it's pledges and true to the peo-
pie, it will yet carry out the great re-
forms to which it is cymmitted.
Since it has been clearly demon
strated that from the continued use of
Republican remedies the condition of
the national patient grows worse in
stead of better, would it not be good
idea for the administration to change
it's treatment and at least experiment
with a few Democratic doses7 1t can
do no possible harm, and it may be
productive of a wonderful cure.
CLARK HOWELL.
Atlanta, Ga, Feb. IA, 1894.