The Ravalli Republican. [volume] (Stevensville, Mont.) 1894-1899, 1895-08-21
SENATOR CHANDLER.
I'm Siding With Cleveland Republicans
Against Party Principles.

Against Party Principles.
There is no doubt that the silver
question will play a prominent part
in the next presidential election.
There are timid and time-scrving
politicians in both of the great politi-
cal parties who would like to play
the game of hide and go seek with
this great issue, but the strong pro
silver sentiment which has been
evoked in all parts Of the country,
especially in the west and south, will
make lodging impossible. The mus.
ic must be faced by both political
parties.
| In the case of the democratic party
| Cleveland has done his best to COM
nit it to gold monometallism
Many democrats who believe in sill
ver have displayed a disposition to
remain loyal to thefE convictions and
fight Clevcland's -.anti-silver policy,
but the party machine is too we'll
oiled, and consequently does it's
work too effectively, to make indiv-
idual opposition count for much.
The order of the day, as issued from
the administrator quarters is: "Fall
in line and march to the music of
| gold monometallism or be crushed. ;"
1t looks now as if the order would
be obeyed, and that when the demo-
cratic national convention assemblies
ten months hence. Clevc]and's plans
in regard to the gold standard will
be indorsed. 1t is just possible that
silver democrats will revolt, and so
create split in the party. This,
however, is Il contingency that is
hardly worth while speculating about,
as party discipline will, in all prob
ability, assert itself and keep the
smoldering embers Of discomfort
from bursting out into a consuming
| flame.
While Cleveland is doing his best
to commit the democratic party to
gold monometallism, there are repub
lican organs and republican politi-
clans who are in full sympathy with
the efforts he is making to discrelit
the white metal. Senator Chandler
of New Hampshire in a letter just
published warns these republicans
that in siding with Grover Clcve-
land in his war on silver they are
arraying themselves against the prin~
ciples of their party as set forth in
the national platform. "Republcan
single gold standard advocates y
writes the senator, "will please bear
in mind that while they are, indiv-
idually: at liberty to assert and ad-
vocate their personal views, yet they
are deliberately abandoning and be-
traying the principles of their own
platform. Dealing with the money
question, we must start as bimc-
tallists and opposed to the single
standard of gold. If the platform is
changed it can only be done by a
national convention of the repuhli-
can party, A republican has exactly
the same right to support free trade
tnat he has to advocate the single
gold standard"
This is placing the republican
party in its true position. In it's
national platform it IS pledged to
maintain bimctallism, which Grover
Cleveland is trying to destroy.
Whatever may be his notions in do
ing so. no republican can aid and
abet him in his work without PROV
ing recrcant to the political organ
ization to which he processes to owe
allegiance Senator Chandler warns
his party that it is mere mockery Of
the platform to talk about silver
as token coinage or to advocate "thc
enlarged use' of silver except as the
equal Of gold in the ratio Of 154 or
16, as it may be determined. "That,"
he writes, His what we republicans
have promised the American people
we will secure if we can do it, and
keep the 16 to silver dollars equal
to gold dollars. We cannot do it
now: we can do it some time; we
never can do it if we make ourselves
traitors to our platform and become
slaves to the English gold monomc-
tallists. Grover Cleveland and Sec
retary Carlisle have done that I
believe they were paid for it, in ad-
vance, before and during the canvass
of 1892, by money contributions to
secure Clevelands nomination and
election. Where else did the money
come from? Nine millions have
been already repaid by selling to the
gold monometallists 1000, 900 Of
bonds at Is per cent, below their real
value, and more is to be repaid be-
fore a republican congress stops the