The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1896-07-01


We do not arrogate to ourselves oae
iots uore of intelligence, patrlotlsc' or
courage than is possessed by any OF our
fellow citizens But we feel that the
time has come for the performance of
duty to the country; and for our part.
though we stand alone, We will make an
endeare, IN the direction Of that duty.
Parties uay cu,live their usefalness
tie truth never becosies obsolete. Every
generation of free men has the right to
affire. the truths of persc"al knowledge
ADD presea, requirement. srd II the en'
forcement Of these truths shall nake
pecessxTy departure frerp party organ.
:zx,ioa, the people have this right and
w;il exercise it until old parties shall! te
created to effect it luto law
If the voices which have sounded to
US from every State ir this Uoiop are
ao indication Of the real feeling, this
year is the appointed time for the people
to assert themselves through such medl-
ums as may give best promise OF the
achievements Of justice. But whether
we are mistaken or not concerning the
general se;iment in the United States,
We have not mistaken our own duty lu
Withdrawing frou she Republican COZ
ventioa. feeling that it is better to be
right and With the minority iu apparent
defeat, than to be wrong with the ma
jorisy in apparent triumph
We hold that 10 the great work of So
cial evolution in this country monetary
reform stands as first requisite. No
policy however promising OF good re-
suits, can take its place.
Continuation during the next four
years upon the present financial system
will bring down on the American peo-
pie tha, cloud Of impending evil, TO
avert which should be the first thought
of statesmen aud the drst prayer Of pa
triots. To-day, with rapidly iucreas-
ing population, with widely swelling
demands, the basis of our money is rel
atively contracting and the people are
passing into serVitude all the more
daa gerous because it is not physically
apparent. The nation itself, as are 9th.
er nations, is losing the sturdy courage
which could make il defiant 10 the face OF
Injustice and International wrong
From the farmer and the tradesman to
the government there is apparent the
same shrinking from giving offence lest
the vengeance of some offended fuan-
cial power shall deceud. The business
man submits some por'ioo Of his inter
national right lest some. mighty foreign
creditor shall make destructive de-
mauds Where will all this end if the
people shall decline to assert themselves?
Where will it end ii the Older parties,
10 their determination to maintain them
selves 10 power for powers sake alone,
shall refuse to recognize the right and
the hope of humanity?
This country cannot much longer ex-
ist free aud independent against all the
rest of the world. nor can its people
much longer be free in the noblesS sense
Of the term, if the United States,a debt
or nation, shall follow policy dictated
by creditor nations.
we ,roduce all the necessaries Of
life. O.her nations consume our pro-
ducts. In the race for existence it is
consistent struggle between producer
and consumer Our present system of
money deliberately submits to the de-
sire aDd the profit of creditor nations,
leaving US in the mass. and as indi-
viduals, prey to the money gathering
and the deadly chespeoiug of the old
world.
las the debt to creditors abroad To-
creasss 90 the masses Of the nation,
the price of human production on the
,arm and 10 the work shop is decreased
With appalling rapidiey. exacting more
and more to is from our citizens to meet
the given demand, and holding over
their heads threat Of the day when
confscation to meet their obligations
will leave them bare and defeDseess.
''Ths only remedy is to stop falling
prices, the deadliest curse of national
life. Prices never vii! cease falling
under the single gold standard. The
restoration of bimetalism by this corn-
try will double the basis of our money
system. In time it will double the
stock of primary zDoOey of the world,
will stop falling prices and steadily eie'
vate them until they will regain their
normal relation to tie volume of debts
aud credits in the world
'sBimetalism will help to bring
ABOUT tde great hope that every social
reformer, every believer 10 the ad-
vaucemeut of the race who realizes that
the instability Of prices has been the
deadly foe of our toilers and the SER
want Of the foreign interest-ga,herer
Bimetallism will help to bring the tlmY
when certain expenditure Of bumab
toll wi,l nro6Nce a certain financial re-