The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-10-06
the Constitution.

St Louis. Mo-, Oct. 5.-Vice-Presi-
dent Stevenson declared himself in IA
vor of free silver in the speech which
he made here yesterday in the big Au-
ditorium at the opening session of the
ouadrennial convention of the Nation
al Association of Democratic Clubs.
"BeIieving. as do" said
Mr.. Stevenson, "that gold and sill
yer find equal recognition in the Con-
stitution of the United States; that
by their joint use in effecting ex-
changes and performing the other
functions of money we have prospered
in the past, and that the evil days now
befallen us are in no small measure
the result of the demonstration of sill
yer. / have no hesitation in maintain
ing my party allegiance and casting
my vote for Bryan and Sewall, the NOM
inees of the Democratic convention.
(WHICH PATH is THE TRUE ONE?"
ST deeply regret that many of those
with whomI have been associated in
former contests now oppose the cleo
ton of the candidates nominated in
accordance with the time-honored
methods and usages of the Democratic
party. Without questioning their sim
certify, the inquiry is significant. What
is there in the attitude of the Demo
cratic party upon the monetary ques-
ton to Justify its abandonment by
those who have long shared in it's coun-
sells and who have been the recipients
of its rewards and it's honors? AS the
parting of the ways has been reached,
it is we'll to inquire. Is their path
or is ours the true one? Are we re-
creant to Democratic faith and tradi-
tons in standing by the historic or
ganization, or they in aiding directly
or indirectly in the triumph of it's
great antagonist?
1--WE BELIEVE IN HONEST MONEY"
'sAs Democrats we believe in honest
money-the money of the Constitution.
We attach deep Importance to the
words of Thomas Jefferson: I concur
with you that the unit must stand on
both metals 1t was during the admin
istration by Washington that the great
Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander
Hamilton, said: TO annul the use of
either of the two metals as money is to
abridge the quantity of the circulating
medium and is liable to all the objec-
tions that arise from a comparison of
the benefits of a full with the evils of
a scant circulation Have we in the
advocacy of bimetallism departed from
Democratic teachings, from the Demo-
cratic faith on this question? Let us
see what have been the declarations
of the great conventions which were
alone authorized to speak for the par
| ty.
UTTERAlNCES OF DEMOCRATIC
CONVENTIONS,
SIN the national convention of 1880,
| in which General Hancock was placed
| in nomination for the Presidency, the
| platform declared for honest money
| consisting of gold and silver and paper
| convertible into coin on demand. The
| full party vote was polled in favor OF
| both candidate and platform in that
| memorable contest.
| -Four years later in the Chicago con-
| yemtion--and lit seems to me there is
| something in 1.-THE words Chicago CON
| vention' always suggestive of victory
Mr.. Cleveland was nominated and
subsequently elected upon the declara-
| ton: We believe in honest money
| the gold and silver coinage of the con-
| stitution and the circulating medium
| convertible into such money without
| loss These words constituted no UNI
| important part of the platform upon
| which the chosen standard-bearers,
| Cleveland and Hendricks, were trium-
| phantly elected. AS member of the
convention / gave my cheerful assent
to that declaration. I considered il
then, as I do now, cardinal tenet OF
| the Democratic faith. It will be re-
| membered that in the convention OF
| 1888 the platform of the last preceding
convention was unanimously reaf-
| firmed.
81 call attention to the explicit de-
| claration of the national Democracy
| in the Chicago convention of 1892. The
| financial question in some of its
phases was then and had long been
| under earnest discussion. The plank
F! of the platform / now read was not a
mere accident, but the result of able
discussion and careful deliberation:
eve hold to the use of both gold
| ana silver as q standard money or The
| country, and 10 the coinage of both
gold and Silver without discriminating
| against either metal or charge for
mintage; but the dollar unit of coinage
of both metals must be of equal in
trinsic and exchangeable value, or be
adjusted through international agree
ment or by such safeguards of legisla-
| ton as shall insure the maintenance of
| the parity of the two metals and the
equal power of every dollar at all times
in the markets and in the payment of
debts, and we demand that all paper