Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1896-07-21
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relating " government sppas
united because they agree inthose con-
victions. y
From timetp time, new ideas arise,
but all are more or less In line with
those that have been paramount be-
fore. Thus the great principle Ct OPP
position to slavery, which was the
leading idea In the campaigns of 1855
and 1860, naturally led TO a unanimous
determInationeto sustain The union,
when 1t was attacked by a rebellion IN
the interest OF slavery; and after the
war was ended, to a Reconstruction
of the regenerated republic on the
lines OF universal liberty and equal
rights, formulated in the great con-
stitutional amendment.
Slavery having been destroyed and
the nation saved and reunited, the
prosperity of the people through the
protection of American industries
against undue foreign competition,
raturally followed as the great ques-
ton. When another sinister foreign
influence secretly demonetized silver,
in 1873, the same idea Of American in
dependence and patriotism caused the
republican party to be the steadfast
friend OF bi metallism and the restora-
ton of the honest money Of the con-
| stitution.
In New Mexico, these two prlnci-
Piles, protection and bi metalllsm, with
the added demand for immediate state
hood, have been the leading war cries
of the republican party for years, and
proclaimed with all distinctness, in her
formal declarations Of principles.
In the platform of 1890, adopted at
Albuquerque, September 18th, by the
Territorial convention, these three
principles are the leading features.
In that of 1892, at the convention at
Las Vegas, on August 25th, the game
ideas are reiterated, the monetary n
tersely and emphatically stating, 1--WE
unqualiiedly favor the full re-monetiza-
ton of silver"
In that of 1894, adopted at Socorro,
September 20th, the party again an
nounced its unchanging faith, by reso-
lutions in favor of protection and state
hood, and that ringing resolution in
favor of honest bi-metallism, which
cannot be too often repeated and which
reads as follows:
We affirm that the decentralization Of sill
yer has not only reduced the value of that
metal, but by increasing the purchasing
power Of gold, has correspondingly de-
pressed the value Of all products and COM
modities and increased the burden of all
debts, thus crushing thu agricultural and
other producing classes, as we'll as the sill
yer miners Of the country, AMI no perma-
nent return of general prosperity can be
expected until bi-metallism is re- estab-
lished by the free and unlimited coinage of
gold and silver, as it existed from the
foundation of the government to the year
1873, at the ratio of 16 to l, which WI insist
shall be lone without waiting for the CO.
operation of any nation or nations, and we
call upon all opponents of silver to point
to any good that has come to this country
or the world at large by demonetizing
silver.
We arraign Grover Cleveland as the arch.
enemy Of silver coinage, and the chief sup
porter in this country of the monometallic
creditor class of Europe; for the corrupt
use of the executive power and patronage
10 coercing the action of congress on the re-
peal of the Sherman purchase act; and for
the veto of the bill to coin the government
silver now lying useless in the treasury,
while having supreme power in the gov
eminent, has not passed any Measure
whatever favorable to silver coinage, or to
the lessening of the burd ems of the people.
THIS is the latest off utterance OF
the party in New Mexico, adopted
unanimously, and is the platform on
which it stands to day.
As we said in commencing, the re-
publican party of New Mexico is one
of principle. Nothing has occurred
since 1894 to abate one jot or title of
its firm convictions on these subjects.
On the contrary, every current event
has emphasized them and demon.
strated their soundness.
When the Territorial convention
meets in this city, in September, it will
no doubt make these declarations still
stronger, if words can be found To ac-
complish that. The republican party
of New Mexico will give its enemies no
chance to say that it speaks with
uncertain sound.
1t is, Of course, a source Of regret to
good republicans that any others bear
ing the party name shall have taken a
different view of the silver question
from that which the party at large has
held, and which we continue to
hold. But they recognize that that
action was brought about by peculisr
influences from a small section of the
country in which the question has
never been discussed. is entirely op-
posed to all the other principles of the