Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1896-10-03
a CAMPAIGN OF EDUCA-
TION.

TION.
OF all political campaigns the
present may be truly called cam
paign of education. In il the Repuh-
lican party and its gold-bug allies are
kept busy trying to verify the false
hoods on which its platform and
principles are founded. while the Dem
ocratic standard bearers and their
friends are earnestly endeavoring to
teach the people the truth about the
underlying falsity of the Republican
party and IFS promises, rs also the
facts concerning the era of great
prosperity that is TO follow the restora-
tion OF silver TO its former use as
money. The Republican party leaders,
realizing the falsity of their position,
found all their arguments on mislead.
ing statements and criticisms OF the
Just, who advocate the free coinage OF
silver. The Democratic advocates are
constantly finding new evidence in
support of their cause.-the cause OF
the people, the restoration OF a precious
metal TO its former use as money, the
opening up Of mills and factories and
placing the farmer where he once was,
in the position of profitable producer
In the opening of this campaign
the Republican newspapers, foremost
among which was our once respected
Baltimore Sun, proclaimed to the
world that the silver ''craze" was
temporary, and prophesied that in a
few weeks the sentiment in favor OF
the white metal would pass away, not
for years, If ever, to be revived. This,
as all well know, proved to be the idle
talk of idle minds, like all their vapor-
ings. Instead of waning. or passing
away, the sentiment in favor of silver
has grown in favor in proportion as
the people have educated themselves
on the subject.
The next endeavor of these Repub-
lican orators, newspapers and SIAN
derers was to drive the people away
from their favor of the white metal by
the application TO them Of opprobrious
epithets, such as anarchists, socialists,
populists and Others that could have
originated only in such depraved
minds as are leading the Republican
campaign. Soon it was shown that
the cause of silver had been advocated
not only by such men as Hamilton,
Jefferson and Washington, but also
by the candidates of both the Repub-
lican parties Qfor one is as much
Republican as the other) Mckinley
and Palmer. The latter, however,
were one Of the people at the time of
their advocacy, while now they are
one OF the syndicate who would steal
their living from the honest, toiling
yeomanry of our lard.
Just so soon as these political
tricksters and gamblers who have
continuously robbed the treasury, were
defeated in this effort by their own
positions and the former positions OF
their candidates, they abandoned their
cry of Anarchism and they stand
today without a claim of support upon
our people. They dare not offer an
argument in favor Of single gold
standard. but are trying now TO rest
their claim upon the tariff issue.
In 1888 this same Republican party
in convention assembled condemned
Grover Cleveland and his administra-
ton because of his antagonism to
silver. Upon it and high protective
tariff policy, they won. Did the
party carry out its implied promise to
appreciate silver. Every reader Of
this article knows it not only con-
tinued the depreciation Of silver, but
fastened upon us a protective tariff
that closed more business houses and
banks than were ever before known
in so short a time. As result Of this
treatment and the consequent depres.
sion. the people turned ont en- ma>se
to defeat the party that had so
paraIyzed trade in all its branches,
and in 1892 they again elected Grover
Cleveland their President.
DO these Republicans think the
people have forgotten their failure to
furnish relief by keeping their promise
to appreciate silver? No, they can
not, but they hope to fool the people
once more. But, the people will not
be fooled. They are awake as never
before. They have a champion in the
person of William J. Bryan, who
Bourke Corkran says, has always been
with them.
Bayan is Of the people and for the
people. If elected, and we have no
doubt he will be, he will remOneize
silver. Thank Heaven there still
lives sufficient number Of farmers,
who prospered when silver was coined
free, to advise the young farmers,
marcba ufe and mechanics If the nreseut