Omaha daily bee., 1896-07-19
ATTACK PLATFORM AND TICKET.
wisconsin Delegates 90 Chicago EN-
pInin TIeir ACtlOn.

w ~ w 49,
plain Their Action.
MILWAUKEE,, Wis. July 1s.-At the
conference today of the democratic dele
gates to the Chicago convention, who refused
to vote for a presidential nominee, an ad-
dress to the party In Wisconsin was drawn.
It recites the course pursued by the silver
men In the convention, tells OF the policy
carried out by the Wisconsin delegates IA
voring a gold standard and says:
THE platform adopted by the Chicago
convention is directly at variance with the
doctrines which, since its creation, have
been a part Of the creed Of the democratic
party. While democracy has for nearly a
century been the advocate of honest money
and at all times opposed to its debasement,
the Chicago convention declared in favor Of
compelling the citizens of the United States
to receive as a dollar one. half its value in
the product of a single industry. While the
democratic party has sturdily maintained
that courts in which justice Is administered
should be above and beyond political con-
troll. the convention at Chicago adopted a
resolution looking to the reconstruction OF
the supreme court of the United States to
accomplish the reversal of its decision.
While we condemned the use of that court
in 1877 for political purposes and to accom-
plish the Inauguration as president of a
candidate not elected; while we denounced
an appointment made by a republican pres
ident to a position in the court for the pur-
pose of reversing a decision which denied
the rights of the government to issue paper
money in times Of peace, we are asked by
the resolution referred to to adopt the same
methods which we have condemned in our
opponents. That convention refused to APP
prove Of the fidelity and honesty of the one
democratic national administration elected
during the past forty years. The principles
enunc!ated in the Chicago platform. other
than those in favor of the free coinage Of
a,l,n- asn .,Uuinl,,t.1 To- tIntr ha-aaA aud
commend themselves to the communists of
the country. The candidate chosen by that
convention publicly announced his intention
years ago to leave the democratic party and
fight for free silver in the ranks of the pop
ulistic party.
Under these circumstances the under
signed delegates at that convention con
sidered 1t their duty under their instructions
to oppose with the utmost vigor the adop-
ton of the platform, and after it was
adopted to decline to vote for the candidate
who represented It. We have thought only
proper to make report of our action to the
democrats of Wisconsin, and to say that a
crisis Is now imminent, such as has never
in the history of the democratic party con
fronted 1t. Its enemies predict it's dis
solution; its false friends invite its alb
sorption by the populist party. Such en-
cmios and false friends are Enthusiastically
and mistaken. The democratic principles
are the foundation upon which a free gov
eminent rests; they are firmly established
in the hearts of the American people; they
cannot be destroyed so long as the love of
liberty and a belief in a republican form
Of government exists. No act of men sciz-
ing forCibly upon the machinery of the party
can control the votes of democrats believ-
ing in those principles. We have
faith to believe that a large ma
jority OF the democrats of Wis
consin are as much today in favor of the
principles declared by our state convention
as when the declaration was made. We
have entire confidence that If a proper OPP
portunity would be afforded to that majority
to express its views in a mass meeting, or
convention to be called at some date not
far distant, the true principles of demo-
cratic faith will again be pronounced in no
uncertain tone and that some way will be
found by which democrats can cast their
votes in favor of a democrat and at the
same time against the protectionist NOM
mated by the st. Louis convention and the
populist nominated by the Chicago con
vention."