The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1896-08-01

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creditor.
The Crime of ia.
The characterization OF gold in 1873 enOr-
mously increased the demand for gold, en-
HANGING its purchasing power and lowering all
prices measured by that standard. And since
that unjust and indefensible act the prices OF
American products have fallen, upon an aver
age, nearly so per cent, carrying down with
proportionately the money value OF all other
forms OF property.
Such fall Of prices has destroyed the profits
Of legitimate industry, injuring the producer
for tine benefit Of the non-prOducer. increasing
the burden OF the debtor, swelling the gains OF
the creditor, paralyZing the productive ener-
gieS of the American people. RELOCATING to
idlenesS vast numbers OF willing workers,
sending the shadows OF despair into the home
Of the honest toiler, filling the land with
tramps and paupers and building up colossal
fortunes at The money ~centers.
In the effort TO maintain the gold standard
the country has within the last two years, in q
time OF peace and plenty, been loaded down
with see. 900 0 Of additional intereSt-bearinG
debt under such circumstances as to allow 4
syndicate of native and foreign bankers to
realize q net profit OF millions on 4 single deal.
II stands confessed that the gold standard can
only be upheld by so depicting our paper cur
rency as to force the prices OF our products be-
low the European, and even below the ASiatic
level. to enable us to sell in foreign markets.
thus aggravating the very evils Of which our
people SO bitterly complain. degrading Amer
lean labor and striking at the foundations Of
our civilization itself.
The advocates Of the gold standard persis-
tently claim that the cause Of our distress is
overproduction-that We have produced SO
much that it has made us p~Oor-which implies
that the true remedy is to close the factory,
abandon the farm and throw the multitude Of
people out of employment. A doctrine that
leaves US unneryed and diSheartened and abSo-
lutely without hope for the future. We con-
firm it to be unquestioned that thsre can be no
such economic paradox as oyerproduction and
at the same time tens Of thousands Of our fell
low citizens remaining half clad and half fed
and who are piteOusly clamoring for the com.
mon necessities Of life.
Money of the Constitution.
Over and above all other questions Of policy,
we are in favor Of restoring to the people Of
United States the time-honored money OF the
Constitution, not one, but both, the money of
Washington. and Hamilton, and jefferson, and
Monroe, and jackson. and Lincoln, to the end
that the American people may receive honest
pay for an honest product; that the American
debtor may pay his just obligations in any one
standard, and not in a standard that has ap-
preciated 100 per cent. above all the great
staples of our country; and to the end further
that silver standard countries may be deprived
Of the unjust advantage they now enjoy In the
difference in exchange between gold and silver,
an advantage which tariff legislation alons can
not overcome.
We, therefore. confidently appeal to the
people OF the United States 20 leave In abey-
ance for the moment all other questions, how,
ever important, and even momentouS, they
may appear, to sunder. II need be, all former
party ties and affiliations, and unite in one SUI
preme effort to free themselves and their chill
dren from the domination Of the money power,
a power more destructive than any which has
ever been fastened upon the civilized men OF
any race or any age. And upon the conSum-
nation OF our desires and efforts, We invoke
the gracious favor OF Divine providence.
naSmuch as the patriotic majority Of the
Chicago convention eLAbodied in the financial
plank OF Its platform the principle enumerated
In the platform OF the American bimetallic
party, promulgated at Washington, D. c., jan
uary p, 1896. and herein reinstated. which is
not only paramount. but the only real issue in
the pending campaign, therefore recognizing
that their nominees embody these patriotic
principles, we that this convention
nominate VIM. j. Bryan, OF Nebraska, for
president and Arthur Sewall, Of Maine, for
vire-president.
Finally the following resolution was adopted:
ResOlred, That 1t is the sense of this confer
ence that a union of all the forces.
including the peoples party, silver men and
free-silver democrats, is expedient, and should
be effected at once for the purpose Of achiev-
ing victory for the advancement Of free silver
In November.