The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1896-07-08
SILVER REPUBLICANS.
They Issue an Address to the PEG.
pie and Ren0unce Their
Party.


Following is the address Of the silver
Republicans to their party in this state:
To the Republicans Of Minnesota-The
greatest issue which has arisen in this
country since the abolition Of African slav-
cry now confronts the American people.
The common people have viewed with In
creasing alarm the efforts Of q foreign
money aristocracy to fasten upon this ma
ton the single gold standard of value. In
the past they turned with the inspiration
of faith to the Republican party for pro-
lection against that power which seeks to
strike down one-half the redemption mon
ey of the world that the other half may
purchase double the amount Of the pro-
duets Of toll. They had a right to ex-
pect such protection. the Republican
Its mission has been to dignity labor; to
secure to him who tolls in field. in shop
or mine the just fruits Of honest labor.
From the day Of the party's birth until
the present time no article Of Republican
faith has been more pronounced than the
belief in bimetallism. 1t has been written
III Its platforms and taught by all it's
great leaders. In national convention in
1888 it condemned "the policy Of the Dem
ocratic administration In its efforts to
demonetize silver" In 1892 in it's plat
form adopted at Minneapolis 1t declared
in favor of both gold and silver as stand
ard money. In 1894 the Republican party
Of Minnesota reaffirmed it's belief Sin BIZ
metallism and that the restoration of sill
yer as ultimate money to the currency of
the world Is absolutely necessary for bus
mess prosperity, proper rate Of wages and
the welfare Of the people," Nearly every
Republican state convention in 1894 con-
lam cd ayf ho1s H.,
implication, the single. gold standard.
James G. Blaine well expressed the belief
OF the Republican party when he declared,
Il believe the struggle now going on in
this country and in other countries for a
single gold standard, would if successful
produce widespread disaster in and
throughout the commercial world.
THE destruction of silver as money and
establishing gold as the sole unit Of value
must have ruinOus effect on all forms of
property except those investments which
yield fixed return in money. These
would be enormously enhanced in value,
and would gain disproportionate and
unfair advantage over every other species
OF property. If, as the most reliable sta
tistics affirm, there are nearly 81, 000, 000, 900
of coin or bullion in the world not very
unequally divided between gold and silver
1t is impossible to strike silver out of ex-
istence as money without results which
will prove distressing to million and ut
terly disastrous to tens Of thousands
Il believe gold and silver coin to be the
money of the constitutions; indeed, the
money Of the American people, anterior to
the constitution which the great organic
law recognized as quite Independent Of its
existence
The action of the National Republican
convention at ST. Louis has repudiated
this fundamental doctrine of our party.
The single gold standard has been endors-
ed, in connection with the proposition
that the free coinage of silver upon any
basis or ratio Is not to be permitted with
out the consent of foreign despotic
and aristocratic powers first OBJ
tanned. The Republican party no longer
stands for both gold and silver as prim-
airy money but for gold only. We cannot
accept the new faith, and we will hold
steadfastly to the old. The policy of gold
recommendation means prolonged and in
tensified depression; an endless and hope
less era of falling prices for our farmers
and other producers; continued uncertain
ty Of employment for our workingmen,
with lessening wages following the fall in
prices of the products Of labor; discourage
ment of all enterprise and in the end uni
versal bankruptcy and the gravitation of
all money into the hands Of money brok-
ers. It means the obliteration of the great
middle class, the yeomanry Of the nation.
and the division of the people into the
very rlcn ana the very poor. ThOSe Re-
publicans who believe in the use of both
gold and silver as the money Of ultimate
payment, and their free coinage in our
mints, must either submit in silence, or
speak out boldly in condemnation of this
policy SO disastrous to the people, On mat
tiers of vital principle no man can reason
ably be asked to submit to party dictation.
Every man who places country above par
ty, and whose sympathies are with the
producers as against the money brokers
and bondholders owes a duty to his con-
science and to his country which can only
be discharged by putting forth every eff
fort in his power that the blight of the
single gold standard may not be fastened
upon this people.
JOHN B. SANBORN,
FRANK A. DAY,
S. H. MOER,
D. F. MORGAN
CHARLES e. ROGERS,
r. S. MUNGER,
FRANK M. NYE.
CLINTON MARKELL.
JOHN LIND,
CHARLES A. TOwNE.
JOHN DAY SMITH.
d. G. CASH,
s. B. HOWARD,
JAMES r. BENNETT,
H. f. HOARD,
]. H. TRIGGS,
H. d. STOCKER,
Minneapolis. July 2, 1896.