Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1895-03-14
NEW SILVER PARTY.
Platform Upon. Which the Cam.
paign Of 80 Will be Conducted.
RECOMMENDATION of the White Metal as
Standard Money Observation-Disclosures
of the Bimetanic League
to the People.

ing was to-day 1SSueO OV the American
Bilnetallic league:
a statement of the issues on which
the new party will organize:
The money question is now indis-
putably the dominant issue in the
United States, and will remain SO until
settled, and settled rightly. Other
questions, however important, must
wait for this, which, to a greater or
less extent, involves all others. The
issue is between the gold standard,
gold bonds and bank currency on the
one side and the bimetallic standard,
no bonds and government currency on
the other.
l. On this issue we declare ourselves
to be unalterably opposed to the single
gold standard and demand the immedi-
ate return to the constitutional stand
ard of gold and silver, by the restora
ton by this government, independent
of any foreign power, of the unrestrict-
ed coinage of both silver and gold into
standard money at the ratio of Is to L,
and upon terms of exact equality; the
silver coin to be a full legal tender,
equal with gold. for the payment of all
debts and dues, public and private.
2. We hold that the power to control
and regulate paper currency is in
separable from the power to coin
money; and hence that all currency in
tended to circulate as money should be
issued, and it's volume controlled, by
the general government only, and
should be legal tender.
3. We are unaltera bly, opposed to the
issue by the United States of interest
bearing bonds in time of peace, and
demand the payment of all coin obli-
cations of the United States, as pro-
vided by existing laws, in either gold
or silver coin, at the option of the gov
eminent, and not at the option of the
creditor.
On this issue we appeal from the
dictation OF the money power to the
intelligence and patriotism of the
American people.
ADDRESS.
To THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES:
The SiguerS of the Declaration of Independence
held that a decent respect for the opinions of
mankind required that reasons should be given
for diSsolving the bonds that had bound the
colonies to Great Britain. So we. finding it
necessary to sever our relations with the po-
litical parties with which We have heretofore
acted and form new alliances in a common
cause. deem 1t proper that some of the reasons
which impel US to this action should be sub
Initted to Il candid public.
The monetary reform for which we contend.
as above set forth, is, in our judgment, SO
vital to the common welfare. and neces-
sa-y to return to conditions of prosperity
in this country, as to preclude longer delay
in the inauguration Of a movement the pur-
pose of which is TO bring together all who
believe in the necessity of the proposed re-
form, for this object, and this alone. Those in
favor of the gold standard are and have been
united in purpose and action. Party lines do
not divide them when this issue is raised. Diff
ferenceS on other questions are then laid aside,
and together they, in Notwithstanding ranks,
march all one way
On the other hand, those who are in favor of
return to the constitutional standard of gold
and silver are split into as many divisions as
there are parties. Silver republicans from
the west and south, to the great delight of the
leaders of the republican party, insist on con-
tending for their cause only within the lines
of that party; and southern and western demo-
Gratis, earnest silver men, equally to the de-
light of the leaders of the democratic party,
continue the contest of their part only within
the lines OF the democratic party. In
other words, the advocates of the BIZ
metallic standard, through the unre-
stricted coinage of silver well as
gold, now contend for their cause in organiza-
tons which are controlled by the gold party.
Hence. however Jealous in the cause one may
be, no results are possible, because his party
refuses to carry out his views, to permit
them to be carried out. 1t is believed that
there are now, and have been for twenty years,
large majority of the voters in the United
States in favor of restoring the free coinage Of
both gold and silver. But the opportunity to
vote their convictions has never been given
them. and their will has been continually
thwarted by party chicanery. There has not
been a congress for twenty years which, ex-
cept for the influence Of executive patronage,
or the fear of an executive veto, would not
have voted to open tho minis again to silver on
the same terms as to gold Indeed. each house
of congress has at different times separately
passed free coinage bills, but this action has as
often been frustrated by party manipulation.
1t is as necessary, therefore. to have presi-
dent IN sympathy with the cause as to have q
congress in favor Of it.
UNITED ACTION DEMANDED.
But enough has been said to show the i'm
possibility OF gaining our cause as long we
remain divided. or fight only in the ranks Of
the gold party, or in organizations controlled
by the advocates of the gold standard. AS
we'll might our fathers have expected to win
the independence of the colonies if, while
contending for the cause of liberty, they had
refused to separate from the tories. indie
pendence could never have been won by fight
ing for liberty in British regiments.
And, fellow-cltiZenS, this great cause will
never be won without united action. 1t will
never be won unless those who believe in it
come together and elect congress and pres
ident this issue. There is no hope
whatever that the republican party, as a
party, will change it's policy, give up the
gold standard and restore the bimetallic stand
ard There grounds for such hope. and
we believe they are deluded who look for such
d change of policy by this party. The repub-
lican party is committed by its leaders, by it's
record. and by the press behind it, to the gold
standard, supported by gold bonds. ana to the
retirement of the greenbacks and the surren-
der of the issue and control of paper currency
to the banks.
So persistent and effective is the control OF
the money power over the organization OF the
democratic party that, while there is undoubt-
eddy large majority of the members of that
party opposed to the gold standard, they have
been powerlesS to control the party organiza-
ton against it, and much less to secure through
it the restoration of the bimetallic stand
ard While this is the case, it can not
be expected that republicans will aban-
don convictions OF lifetime on other
questions and go into the democratic
party in body, or into a wing of that party.
Nor will democrats give up convictions they
believe to be essential IN government and go
over to the republican party, or to division
of that party. Nor is it possible to induce
republicans and democrats together to go into
the populist party, for the reason, if for no
other, that the platform OF that party contains
declarations and the party advocates theories
to which they can not give their assent But
must in some way come together on this
issue or the cause is lost, and with it the indie
pendence OF the people No old party ever car
ried through great reform.
New bottles for wine Therefore.
no course will be possible but to subordinate
for the time being other questions and co e
together in new organization. to fight the
great battle of 1896 the great issue
on which the prosperity and happiness of the
people depend It is believed that this cause
can he won no other way, and that to con-
tinue to contend for it only within the lines