Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1896-03-10
Republican Discussions.

til SlACeIe lONeIS VI UiueiA oAo ooa-
mon honesty in politics by his speech
i'll the senate q few days ago. He
boldly stripped the veil of falsehood,
false pretenses and hypocrisy be-
hind which many of the single gold
standard politicians and a portion of
the press of the republican party
have long been trying to conceal their
schemes and real purposes from the
plain, common people Of this coun-
try. BY dishonest plea for an ''hon-
est dollar" they have been seeking to
lead the rank and file of the republi-
can party into the support of meas
ures and policies that would fasten
the single gold standard of money up
on this country, contrary to the
known wishes of q large majority OF
the people of all political parties.
Under the specious and Intentionally
misleading plea for Sound money"
they have been scheming to fasten
upon the country money the debt
paying power OF which would be sub
ject to changes from a variety of dis
honest as we'll as honest causes, and
such money cannot possibly be sound
money. A dollar that is liable TO
possess considerably greater, or
less, debt paying power on the date
when an obligation natures, than it
had when the obligation was en- cred
NJ
dollar. Sound money is that which
is least subject to change in its debt
paying and in its purchasing power.
The people of this country believe
that such money cannot rest upon
one of the money metals but must be
based upon both of them-that is re-
demption money must consist of both
gold aud silver coin-and hence the
people are bimetallists. The republi-
can party has uniformly claimed to
stand for bimetallism. The declara-
ton of the nationional party plat
form of 1892, that, "the American
people from tradition and interest
favor bimetallism, and the republican
party demands the use OF both gold
and silver as standard money!" means
genuine bimetallism, Oh it is con-
temptible juggle with words intended
| to mislead and deceive the people
which ought to down the party in the
estimation Of all honest men. Pro-
| lection and bimetallism are believed
by the republican masses to be cardi-
nal principles of their party, having
equal authority in shaping the meas
ures and policies of the party. The
far eastern states have special inter
est in the benefits of protection, and a
common interest in the benefits of BIZ
metallism while the states of the far
west have special interest in the adj
vantages of bimetallism, aud CON-
mon interest in whatever advantages
protection may bring to the country.
This being true, the most ardent
champions of protection are natural
ly found IN the manufacturing states
| of the east, and the most jealous
champions of bimetallisln are found
| in the mining states of the far west.
So long as protection and biInetallism
received equal recognition in the
measures and policies of tn e party no
antagonisms within the party ap-
peared, but the manifest purpose of
influential protectionist leaders to
bring the party to the support of gold
monometallisln is the cause of long
slnouldering re resentment which broke
out in such fury in the senate this
week. The attempt of Vermont
senator to "read" the Rocky noun.
tain senators out of the republican
party, called forth a charge against
the gold standard wing of the party
of violating plain pledge of the Min
neapolis platform, and of bad faitE
toward the great body of republican
voters. How this charge can be ans
wered without admitting that the
party platform of 1892 was a deliber
ate juggle with words, intended tt
deceive, does not readily appear
That such charge coming from the
chairman of the national committee
means serious party complications
| goes without saying. That the west
ern senators will insist upon fidelity
to bimetallisn no one doubts, and nc
one expects the gold standard repub
licans will yield to them except in the
last resort. The most serious aspect
of the conflict to the party itself, liel
in the probable loss of confidence
among the people i'll the good faitt
of many now conspicuous leaders anC
and the Generalization that it would
create. Some of the gold standard
politicians try to belittle the impor
lance of both the attitude of the hi
metallist senators, and the impor
tance to the republican party of the
sparsely settled states they represent
but they ought to know that republi
can voters in many of the other state
are keenly alive to the merits of thu
+ issue thus raised. Senator Cullum
"the man who looks like Lincoln, ant
who sometimes talks like Lincoln,
says: "While disapprove in larg
measure of what Senator Carter said
feel that cannot deny that he re
!, fleets the sentiments of very consid
cradle portion of the republican