Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-06-19
THAT PROTEST..
why the Western Men Could Not Indorse
the Plank.


ITO the Republican National Conven-
ton:
I'm announcing the purpose asserted
in this paper 1t is due to our constituents
and to ourselves that there shall be a
public showing of vindicating facts. The
sole authorized expression of national
republican faith from June, 1892, until
the present date has been the platform
adopted in national convention at Min
neapolis. Neither the utterances of
state conventions nor the attitude of in
diyiduals can change the tenor of that
platform or abate the sanctity of it's
binding force. Every delegate to this
convention was elected as its adherent
and advocate. True, one of its most I'M
portant paragraphs has been subjected
to such divergence of construction as to
make it's language unsatisfactory during
the intervening time and dangerous If
continued in the future, but of the intent
contained within that language there has
never been a. doubt.
ut is the rightful province of this con-
vention to revise party tenets and to an
nounee anew the party purpose. The
majority of this convention in the exer-
else of such authority has this date
made official denunciation OF republican
law and gospel. With. much Of the plat
form we agree, believing that in many
essential particulars 1t compasses the
needs of humanity, affirms the main
tenance of right and proposes the just
remedy for wrong. But 1t declares one
elemental principle, not only in direct
contravention of the expression of party
faith in 1892 but in radical opposition to
our solemn conviction. We recognize
that in all matters of mere method 1t is
but Just and helpful that the minority
shall yield to the will of the majority
lest we have chaos in party and in gov
eminent. But as no pronouncement by
majorities can change opposing knowl-
CDR orr sinraralV entertained.
cannot oblige minorities to
Abandon or Disavow Their Principles.
GAS surely as it is requisite for peace
and progress that minorities shall yield
to majorities in matters of mere method.
Just so surely is 1t necessary for that
same peace and progress that minorities
shall not yield in matters of fundamental
truth.
THE republican platform of 1892 af-
firmed that the American people, from
tradition and interest, favored bimetal-
liSm and demanded the use of both gold
and silver as standard money. This was
accepted by us as declaration in behalf
of the principle upon which rests the in
terests Of every citizen and the safety
of the United States. In such terms the
platform was then satisfactory to the
believers in blmetallism within our par
ty; only because of equivocal construc-
ton and evasion has 1t since been demon
strated to be insufficient. The platform
this day adopted in the national repub-
ican party convention at st. Louis says:
1.-The republican party is unreservedly
for sound money. 1t caused the enact
ment of the law providing for the re-
sumption of specie payments in 1879;
since then every dollar has been as good
as gold. We are ,unalterably opposed to
every measure calculated to debase our
currency or impair the credit of our
country. We are, therefore. opposed to
the free coinage of silver, except by in
tcrnational agreement with the LEADING
commercial nations of the world, which
we pledge ourselves to promote, and I'M
til such agreement can be obtained the
existing gold standard must be pre-
served. All our silver and paper curren-
cy must be maintained at parity with
gold, and we favor all measures de-
signed to maintain invielably the obliga-
tons Of the Cnired States, and all our