Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1895-09-05
pocTRlNEoF THE DEMOCRACY.

S
It Remains Firm and Unchanged ON the
Money Question.
The reafirmation of the Ohio democ-
racy of the democratic plank in the ma
tiona1 convention of 1892 on the sub
ject of gold and silver calls atten-
ton to something that has been over
looked by good many of the takers
on the free coinage question 1t has
been assumed by many of these that
the doctrine of the democratic party
on the subject is in doubt, while some
have not hesitated to affirm that the
party is in favor of the free coinage OF
silver at the old rate of sixteen for
one It is worth while, therefore, at
this time to recall that the only au-
thoritative utterance of the democratic
party on the subject is contained in
the platform of 1892, which was in
dorsed by the Ohio democracy. The
plank reads as follows:
I'VE denounce the republican legislation
known as the Sherman act of 1890 as . coward
" makeshfft fraught with possibilities OF
danger in the future which should make all
its supporters as well as its author anxious
for its speedy repeal We hold TO the use of
both gold and silver an the standard money OF
the country and to the coinage OF both gold
and silver without discriminating against
either metal or charge for miutage: but the
dollar unit Of coinage OF both metals must be
OF equal intrinsic and exchangeable value or
be adjusted through international agree
ment or by such safeguards Of legislation 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 the
payment CO debts; and we demand that all
paper currency shall kept at par with and re-
deemable in such coin We insist upon this
policy as especially necessary for the protec-
ton of the farmers and Iaboring classes. the
first and most defenseless victims of unstable
money and huctuating currency"
AS to what this meant there could be
no real doubt. The friends of free sill
yer had none at the time, for they
moved through Mr. Patterson, of Colo
RADIO, to insert the word free" before
the words coinage of both gold and
silver" in the money plank. This mo-
ton was ernphatically voted down, and
the meaning of the plank, SO far as
free coinage of silver was concerned,
was thereby put beyond the possible
ity of misconception or misconstruc-
ton. It is worth while to recall also
what President Cleveland said on the
same subject in his letter of accept
ance. Starting with the proposition
that the people are entitled to sound
and honest money abundantly sufi-
cient in volume to supply their bust
ness needs, he proceeded:
Whatever may be the form Of the peoples
currency, national or state-whether gold sill
yer or paperIt should be so regulated and
guarded by governmental action or by wise
and careful laws that no one can be deluded
as to the certainty and stability OF its value
Every dollar put into the hands OF the people
should be of the same intrinsic value or pur-
chasing power With this condition abso-
1utely guaranteed both gold and silver can be
safely utilized upon equal terms in the adjust
ment OF our currency.
In dealing with this subject selfish
scheme should be allowed to intervene and
no doubtful experiment should be attempted
Tho wants o; our people arising from the def
cheney or imperfect distribution OF money cir
culation ought to be fully and honestly recog-
nized and efficiently remedied It should,
however. be constantly remembered that the
Inconvenience loss that might arise from
such q situation can be much more easily
borne than the universal distress which must
follow discredited currency"
This is the national democratic doc
trine to-day; and it will remain SO
until the democratic party in national
convention sees fit to modify or change
it. Its strong affirmation by the Ohio
democracy indicates that it will no: be
essentially changed at the next assem-
bling of the national democracy.-De-
Eroo-