Mexico weekly ledger., 1896-08-06
TRIMBLE TO ROBERTSON.
j. Med. Trimble, of Kansas City, Dis
cusses the Attitude of the Sound
Money Democrats of Au-
drain County.

George Robertson. Esq. Mexico, Mo.
KANSAS CRY, Mo-, August 3. 1896
Dear Sir: L was gratified to learn
from the newspapers that some of the
conservative, sensible Democrats of
Audrain County had taken n stand
for a sound currency and safe gov
eminent by raising the standard of
good Democracy and organizing for a
fight against the dangerous doctrines
and evil tendencies of the Bryan plat
form.
The platform contains, outside of
the money plank, so many express
ions of dishonest purpose and SO
many threats against stable govern
ment that no amount of words from
its supporters a deceive any intel
iigent man into believing that it is
either right or safe. ,
1t does not avail anything to say
that Bryan and his running mate,
Sewall or Watson, are better than the
platform; | am inclined to hope that
they are, simply because / do not be-
lieye there are many men of promi-
nence who are not better than this
platform. / think Debs would have
fit the platform better than anyone
| know of, but when the Populists
came to a choice between Debs and
Bryan at st. Louis they determined
that Bryan was good enough Popu-
list for them. SO it may be said to be
an open question whether the candi-
dates are better than their platform.
But if they were better, | would not
vote for them; the best man in the
Union, standing OF that platform and
standing for its ideas, would not get
my support. The managers of the
Bryan organization are presenting to
the world the d~isgraceful spectacle OF
carrying the great Democratic party
around to the Populist camp and beg
ging them to embrace her.
In the past, Democrats have COM
batted the protection and centraliz-
ing ideas of Republicanism, and the
pa~ternalism and socialistic ideas OF
the Populists with impartial earnest
ness and equal vigor; but now those
having control of the organization
have departed from their former
views and adopted the ideas of the
Populists and have nominated a can
didate in every way acceptable to
them. 1t cannot be said hat this is a
departure along the line of progress
i've thought. 1t is not the present
ing of any new or improved idea of
government; it is a change of posi-
ton on old questions, and it is q clear
desertion of the very principles for
which we all fought four years ago
and won, and a clamorous support of
those very ideas hat we all SO very
earnestly and successfully resisted
during the last Presidential campaign.
If the Democratic party was right, it
it certainly wrong now. | believed
then that we were right; ! believe
now that we were right then; the
questions are exactly the same.
The simple truth is that the Chicago
platform is Populism; calling it Demo-
cratic may temporarily deceive some
persons, but when they get closer to
it they will discover the truth, for
Populism, by any other name, smells
Just as bad.
The fact that the Democrats and the
Populists, who were fighting each
other so vigorously four years ago are
now counting each other SO lovingly
should be evidence enough to any one,
without reading the platforms, that a
decided change has been. made IN
somebody's position and nobody
claims that the PopulIsts have changed
any. 1t is clear that the change OF
front was made to catch votes and
get offices at the sacrifice of princi-
pie, but without reference to the
motive which caused the change OF
front, | am thoroughly convinced that
it is fundamentally wrong and dan
gerous.
After the issues were made up, ]
concluded that | could not support
the ticket, which stood for ideas SO
widely at variance with those which
had so long believed to be right, with
out lowering my opinion of myself.
1t requires some courage and costs
something in sentiment to cut loose
from those with whom you have been
intimately and pleasantly associated
for years, and to take a decided stan6
against their wishes and views, with
out knowing whether any one will &C
> with you.
] am as much opposed to the pro
Y lection id6a of the Republicans a:
ever; | am as much opposed to thu
s~ocialistlc ideas and disintegratins
Tendencies of Populism as ever, but
do not hesitate to say that if / should
be compelled to make a choice be
tween the two I would rather embrace
r Republicanism than have Populisn
n embrace ME, for | am convinced tina
there is loss immediate danger to TIN
public welfare IN the protective tariff
: as advocated by Republicans than il
d the threatened depreciation of GU
y currency, the avowed policy of pack
ing the courts to get a decision whicI
d would please the appointing power
l and the indirect though unmistakabl
Q threats against the maintenance Q
/ law and order, which are emphasize
by the Chicago platform and endorse
= at st. Louis by the Populists. But
70 do not want to make a choice betwee
these two, hence l determined t
stand out for what / believed to b
right, if | stood alone.
am glad to be able to say that di
not have Il stand alone; a large mum
= Der of the better element of our oil
> party, who are not looking for office
y but regard it as the true purpose {
party organization to promote corre'
> ideas of government, and not merel
. an fundamentally through which I
. get places of profit for themselves an
!: Shirt