The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-07-16
FOR BRYAN AND sEwALL.
Free Silver Democrat Expresses His
Views at Length.


created by the action of the convention ought
to have passed and the time for the words
of truth and soberness has arrived. 1t Is q
sentiment of Thomas Jefferson that error
OF opinion may be tolerated IL reason be left
to combat it,. All good Democrats are ever
most tolerant of the views Of others and they
should be especially considerate toward their
brethren of the same essential faith.
BE to their virtues very kind
And to their faults little blind"
1t grieves old Democrats who are for
free silver to learn that some of our old-tme
comrades are declaring that they will go back
nominated candidates Of our party and upon
the platform on which they stand, which was
as regularly and fairly adopted.
Men and brethren, in the sentiment of
Secretary Morton, Think" Think long and
hard before you do this evil thing which
1t is said you purpose.
Why should any Democrat of the ancient
and standard faith and practice repudiate his
party at this time? Free coinage Of silver
the issue upon which some of our impassioned
brothers propose to split, was well and thor
oughly considered for at least three years be-
fore our national convention met. Upon 1t
Democrats here and there throughout the
country debated and disagreed, but in a null
titude of counsel there is safety. The great
national association of all the sovereign states
convened deliberated, and, by an overwhelm-
ing vote decided One of the twenty-four
political commandments that our great
founder and law giver, Jefferson, gave us is
mission of the minority to the expressed will
of the majority. -
Those of us who are still proud to say that
we are Democrats and who declare with ex-
ultation that we will vote for Bryan and
Sewall have many time an oft surrendered
some of our views and remained loyal and
true to our party when 1t decided against
us. For thirty years Western ana southern
Democrats have supported candidates and
platforms dictated mainly by our brethren OF
the Eastern states no matter whether either
the nominees or the platforms were altogether
acceptable. Hundreds OF thousands Oh US
voted even for Greeley.
1t is alleged, an excuse for disanectlon,
that our national platform upon the financial
question is a departure from the old fa1tn
Look over our platforms from 1853 to now
and see In 1868, when Seymour and Blair
ran upon a platform pronounc1ng in favor
of paying the bonds in greenbacks, down to
1892, when Cleveland was elected on dec.
laration of principles favoring the coinage OF
10th gold and silver without charge for
mintage for either" all our platforms have
been akin and germane to Bryan and Sew
all's platform for the free coinage of silver.
Our state platforms have been even more
pronounced We have been educated on this
line all the way along. Do not denounce US
because we have been true to our teachings
Men and brethren, at nearly every state
election held since the coinage Of silver was
finally stopped we have been beaten. In
the. Eastern states, where the Democrats de-
declared positively for the gold standard
and against free silver, they have been over
Whelmingly defeated. We have been beaten
in the West and South too, for reasons which
l may not mention. few months ago 1t
seemed as If nothing short of a supernatural
Intervention could prevent McKinley's cleo
ton. But the same influences that brought
about his nomination are-in another way Of
cCurse-about to give us the victory and
out of the nettle of danger we are likely to
pluck the flower of safety.
For there Is a great uprising among the Re-
publican masses against the single gold stan
dard, and against the orders to fall down and
worship a Babylonian golden image which
the Nebuchadnezzars have set up. rather
than serve the living God of the American
people. They still hold to the often ex-
pressed opinions of Blaine and Logan and
Morton and Window and others of the old
founders and leaders of their party. that the
single gold standard is at least unwise and
un-American. AS their platform of 1888 did
they still tdepounce the Democratic admins
tration for its efforts to demonetize silver.
They are coming up by thousands ito the
help of the Lord against the mighty" and
are striking hands with us for Bryan and
Sewall.
In this wear of all the years have we the
cause of the common people. They seem to
think so anyhow. All parties are coming to
US. In addition to the true blue American"
Republicans who are joining us, that great,
Jealous earnest army, the Peoples party,
two million voters strong, will unite with us
in this cause-and we with them-forgetting
minor differences, and solid and determined
on the main question. The silver prohibi-
tionists. holding the balance of power in
many congressional districts, will help us.
we want you, our present dissatisfied breth-
rem, to stay with and help us too Doubt
less we will succeed without you, but with
you are sure to win.
Of course, there will be those who have
sometimes voted the Democratic ticket who
VIII not vote it this year. To use an ex-
preston which Minnesotans will understand
their hearts are bad" Let them go to
their own place. We are better off without
them They have always been dead weights
upon U.S., anyhow. For every Shylock who
deserts there will come a hundred Repub-
Ilcan farmers for every Brice who sulks in
his tent, thousand workingmen will go out
on the battle line; for every Democrat who
is welded to the gold idea, there are ten men
OF the other parties who will divorce them
selves from it.
There is something unpleasant In the idea
that this country shall have nothing but gold
for real money.
This yellow slave that doth knit and break
religions,
Bless the accursed, make the boar leprosy
Place thieves and give them title, knee and
appreciation"
With senators the bench
Is not able to be the sole servant, and by
no means fit to be the master of the Amer
lean people. More than distasteful, too, is
the idea that we cannot coin our silver into
money without the consent or cooperation of
foreign governments. The average American
Will have naught to do with this idea. We
people, with nearly seventy billions of dollars
IN resources. If We can't manage our finances
ourselves. we ought either to petition for
receiver or for annexation. AS orr keen
witted young candidate saws if the gold
standard be good thing we don't want the
help of king or kaiser to let II go IF free
s shin De good thing, we need no partner
snip TO get 1T. They who would be free
themselves must strike the blow Our doc
trine is of kin to that of Monroe We are
for our own country.
mo
are mistaken-it is hardly possibleEbut If
must be conceded that we are honest in
opinion and determination. We will be fair.
If, when we have given free silver an honest
trial, it does not prove good thineNif ~
cuts In two the silver dollar and raises ali
the mischief predicted-why, we will change
II as quick as ever we can. The proof of
pudding is in its eating, and the test of q
financial policy is its trial.
Don't be deceived, dust-befogged or alarmed
by the Mckinley calamity howlers.'' Their
present woeful psophecies remind one of the
old warnings that Democratic success meant
the payment of the rebel debt and the pen
slonfng of rebel soldiers and that the coin
age OF the silver dollars now in circulation
meant deep and dire disaster. The rebel
debt has not been paid, or even refunded
and the ten years when we were coinine
silver were the most prosperous years in
our history.
growing. And what splendid candidate Is
our gallant standard bearer the princelv and
knightly young Westerner, William ]. Bryani
Inc youngest man ever named for president
he is as much the man of the hour &C was
Lincoln for his time He seems to have The
wisdom of Tilden, the honesty OF SEYMOUR,
the heroism of Hancock. the patriotism of
Hendricks, and his phenomenal eIonuenca ;s
Incompatible. He has always been Demo-
crat and, young as he is, he has fought a
score of battles for his party and never one
against it. oe
Brethren. we have fought many hard
fight together. Side by side, elbow to elbow
and heart to heart, we have marched on
many campaign under the same flag and
hn r1or,c IT.