White Oaks eagle. (White Oaks, N.M.) 189?-190?, 1896-09-10
WHO ARE DEMOCRATS?

OF few persons who imagine they are
the only true democrats in the country.
After reviewing what the convention
assumes to be the historical facts rel
alive to the use of gold and silver as
money. the platform says;
"Realizing these truths, demonstrated
by long public Inconvenience and loss,
the democratic party, in the interest of
the masses and in equal justice to all,
practically established by the legisla-
ton of 1884 and 1888 the gold standard
monetary measurement and likewise
entirely divorced the government from
banking and currency issues. To this
long established democratic policy we
adhere and insist upon the maintenance
of the gold standard and at parity
Herewith every dollar issued by the
government, and are opposed to the
free and unlimited coinage of silver
and to the compulsory purchase Of
silver bullion. We denounce also the
further maintenance of the present costly
patchwork system Of national paper
currency as constant source Of injury
and peril. We assert the necessity Of
confne the government to its legitimate
functions, completely separated fiom
the banking business, and afford all
sections Of our country uniform, safe and
elastic bank currency under government
supervision measured IN volume by the
needs Of business
This section of the indianapolis con
yention's eifusion, in the light of the
real facts, is, to say the least peculiar
In 1891 democratic c)ngress, believing
that disparity existed between gold
aad silver, and that SILVER had been de
preciated in its relation to gold ut the
then existing ratio of l to 10, sought
to correct the discrepancy by establish
ing a new ratio which was fixed at
what it has since remained for the
standard dollar, to 1898 or which, for
convenience, is termed l6 to l. This
act of 1884 was approved June 2sth
of that year, by Andlew Jackson, one of
the corner stones Of democracy, then
president of the United States. Upon
the subject Of this legislation the
Indianapolis convention declares:
"Rcalzing these truths, demonstrated
"by long public Inconvenience and loss,
the democratic party, in the interest Of
"the masses and in equal justice to all,
'practically established by the legisla.
"tion of 1884 and 1853, the gold stand
"ard monetary measurement"
The act Of 1853 only referred to the
subsidiary coin; made it light weight and
legal tender for sums not exceeding
So, and made no change whatever in
the standard dollar, which from 1892
had boon by law admitted TO Unlimited
coinage and was legal tender for all
purposes and for all sums. Now what
did this democratic congress and pres
ident say or do in 1884, which can be
construed to mean the practical estab.
lishmont, "by legislation Of the gold
standard monetary measurement Did
they assume, as do those Of the present
who favor the gold standard that, be.
cause silver had dropped in value below
that Of gold, it was "A species Of rcpuda.
ton 10 use it for the coin OF the country
Did that president and congress init
mate that dollars made Of silver were
dishonest dollars?' No. They said by
that legislation, in effect, that the exist
Ing gold coin WAS dishonest and reduced
tho weight OF that coin to adjust it to
tho new ratio aud tJ make 1t conform
70 the standard silver dollar which thcy
left unchlngel and which remains to
this time unultcr'd, so far as the
pure silver it contuins, is concerned.
lu what way, then. did the legislation
Of 1891 aud 1851 establish gold stand.
ard, as this indianapolis convention
asserie? On the contrary, the party, by
the act Of 1884, clearly recognized silver
as the monetary standard.
What has the democratic party done
since the acts referred 10. which will
bear the construction Of the ludianap
oil, convention?
Upon the question Of finance the
National Convention Of 1858 demandedt
Payment Of the public debt Of the
United States ns rapidly W. praciicahli
al moneys drawn from the people by
taxation. oxcrpisO much ns is requisite
/ f. r the necessities OF the government,
economically administered, being hou-
estly applet TO each payment; aud
where the vbligst ons Of the z ycrnmcnt
do not expressly state upon tn Ir ftcs.
of the law M ier which they were ISSUED
/ docs tot provide that they shall ho paid
I ~ co'u. he, ought, ia right and justice