Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1896-08-13
DANA TO DEMOCRATS.
rs
The Venerable Editor Refuses
to Encourage Anarchy and
Socialism.
CANNOT SUPPORT BRYAN.
War Democrat in 81 and Sound
Money Democrat Now.
A STRONG PERSONAL LETTER

He Advises All Voters of His Party to
| Vote for the Mckinley Electors In the
Present Grave Crisis - The Supreme
| Duty of the Hour Is the Overthrow of
the Chicago Platform and All That 1t
| Implies.
The venerable Charles A. Dana, the dis
| tinguished editor Of the New York sun,
refuses now, when socialism and anarchy
| threaten the welfare of the people. to sup
port the so called Democratic party, pre-
cisely as in 1861 he refused to support 1t
when it threatened the solidarity OF the
! Union. He then became "A war Democrat;
| was appointed Ey President Lincoln assis-
tant secretary Of var, in which position
| he rendered ines1mAblY valuable service
to the country. Now he is an honest, sound
| money Democrat, and as such, himself the
| staunchest of Democrats, advises all voters
! of his party 10 vote for the Mckinley cleo
| tors. The following, which appears as
signed editorial in the New York Sun,
| speaks for itself:
| Some personal response seems to be due
| to the numerous friends who have sought
from me an expression of my individual
| opinion as to the duty in the present po-
| litical campaign of those who adhere to
the principles which hitherto have char
| acterized the Democratic party.
The declaration of notions adopted in
| the name of the Democracy by the Chicago
| convention is for the most part SO hostile
to the doctrines which have prevailed In
| the Democratic party in the past as to de-
| mand It's rejection by all those who would
not abandon the Democracy's essential
| ideas and best traditions.
The Chicago platform invites us to es-
| tablish a currency which will enable a
man to pay his debts with half as much
property as he would have to use in order
| to pay them now. This proposition is dis
| honest 1 do not say that all the advo-
Gates of the free coinage of silver are dis
honest Thousands of them, millions. If
there be so many, are doubtless honest in
| intention. But am unable to reconcile
| with any ideal of integrity q change in the
law which will permit man who has
borrowed a hundred dollars to pay his debt
| with hundred dollars, each one of which
| Is worth only half us much as each dollar
he received from the lender.
The Chicago platform sanctions the use
| of the appointing power of the president
| in such way as TO control the federal
| Judiciary in deciding questions Of consti-
| tutional law 1t contemplates change
| in the personnel of the supreme court of
| the United States, to the end that the re-
| cent decision declaring the income tax un-
| constitutional may be reversed. Strange
| times, indeed, are these, when a man is
| told that, In order to be Democrat, he
must favor the imposition of an income
| tax and the destruction of the independ-
ence of the Judiciary
| Still more alarming Is the clearly inn
| piled approval of lawless violence con-
| tanned in the denunciation OF what is
denominated in the platform govern
| ment by injunction" Yelled in the Ian
! guage of moderation, the wild light of
! anarchy shines through.
| In my opinion, without reviewing the
| Chicago platform further, the declarations
| in regard TO the currency, the supreme
court, and the income tax, and the repres-
| sion of forcible Iawlessness by the aid OF
| iniunctions, are enough TO demand its re-
| lection by all good citizens and the defeat
/ of the candidates who stand upon it.
I regret exceedingly to find disposition
] quite prevalent TO array the west against
1 the east in the discussion of these matters
l see no occasion for making our differ
| ences sectional Here there is no political
| hostility toward the west, such as is ex-
pressed toward the east by some western
| newspapers and public speakers. Good
| citizens can perhaps best aid the cause Of
honest money and law and order by de-
| voting more time to rational argument
| and less to inefficient abuse.
| All questions relating to the tariff have
become insignificant for the time being,
in view of the possibility, however slight,
| that the abhorrent principles of tho Chi
cago platform may prevail. The duty and
| the necessity to compass the final over
throw of that platform by assisting in the
| defeat of William j. Bryan are most i'm
perative and solemn. This may most eer-
| tainly be accomplished by voting for the
electors pledged TO the support of William
| Mckinley, but l have no quarrel with any
| Democrat who adopts any other course
which seems to him equally well adapted
or better adapted to the same end.
| c. A. DANA.