The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1896-07-17
IN 4 QUANDAKY.

Here is question which contronts the
democratic presidential electors for Mary
land:
Can they stand at the same time upon
the State solid-money platform upon which
they were nominated and yet, if elected,
cast the States vote for free silver
The silver declarations of the two plat
forms are appended. The Maryland demo-
cratic convention, which met at Ford
Opera House, Baltimore, June 10, adopt
ed the following solid-moncy plank:
"Bclcying that the true interests of the
people require the earnings of agriculture
and trade and the wages of labor should
be paid i'll money that is intrinSically worth
in all the markets of the world what il
purports be worth, we demand the main
tenance of the existing gold standard of
value and further that the government shall
keep all its obligations at all times re-
deemable and payable in money of the
greatest intrinsic value and of the highest
standard adopted by the civilized nations
of the world; and we therefore, resolutely
oppose the free and unlimited coinage of
silver at the ratio of Is to |.
The convention at Chicago last week
adopted the following:
I'VE demand the free and unlimited
coinage of both gold and silver at the
present legal ratio of Is to | without wait
ing for the aid or consent of any other
nation. We demand that the standard
silver dollar shall be IA full legal tender
equally with gold. for all debts public and
private and we favor such legislation as
will prevent for the future the demon
citation of any kind of legal-tender money
by private contract.
The two views thus expressed are radi-
cally divergent.
What are the democratic presidential
electors of Maryland going to do about
it:
Mr.. Randolph Barton. who heads the
| electoral ticket. said Il am considering
| the situation and shall take no action hast
lily. If the Chicago platform had simply
| left for discussion bimetalliSm or free
| coinage as against the gold standard. i,
would not be such difficult question tC
| determine the position of Il presidential
clcctor. But the Chicago convention lav.
! ing included i'll its platform the denuncia-
| ton of President Cleveland, an attack up.
on the Supreme Court of the United
States, the declaration against the sup.
preston of riot by the federal powers
even though the State government NAV be
unable or unwilling to suppress it, and al
mi
vulsion is created in the breast of every
man who values good government In
an undecided state of mind shall wait
until | can see my course more clearly
But if | shall continue to stanl rs an
clcctor, | shall, if elected, vote for BRYAN
and silver. The monetary question is an
economic one and should be discussed
without abuse of those who disagree with
YOU. But there is nothing economic
about the suppression of law!cssncss and
the use of federal or any other forces to
suppress riots. Upon this question there
should be but one opinion"
Should Nj Barton retire the vacancy
would be filled by appointment by Mr.
Hattcrsly W. Talbot, chairman of tie
democratic State central committee
The position of elcctor is merely to re
cord the vote of the State as cast The
question has been raised whether an cleo
tor, if elected az Il free silver democrat,
could legally vote for another candidate.
illegally and morally he could do so.
SAID Mr.. John L. Poe, cN -attomev- gcner-
al of the State. Il do not know the intcn-
tlons of the Maryland electors since the
adoption of the democratic platform at
Chicago, but if any of them contemplate
rcsigning because they cannot conscien-
tlouslv support the platform or the can
didates. they should resign at once. 50
that the vacancy may be promptly filled