The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-01-31

he made SO bitter an attack on the presi-
dent that his words were telegraphed all
over the country. I called on the governor
in his home at the executive mansion in
this the state capital to ask him to define
the position of the Democratic party from
the viewpoint of a friend of silver.
Jefferson City is town on the Missouri
Pacific road. Tt is composed almost wholly
of boarding houses, which subsist on the
legislature and on the people who come
here whom the Legislature is not in session
to see the governor a proposition to move
the capital to Sadalia has been under con-
sideration for many years, but the board
ing house interest has always been able to
defeat it.
The executive mansion is the only
dwelling of considerable size in the place.
Tt stands on high ground overlooking the
river, at the bend of the road which runs
west from the railway station. 1t is a
broad, fine looking building surrounded
by spacious grounds. 1 met the governor
in his Hbrary-a square room at the left
of the wide, old fashioned reception hall.
My interview with him was had there and
in his finely furnished Office at the capitol
spoke to Governor Stone first about
the letter which was published recently,
in which he spoke of the Democracy as "a
mob.''
"What I said in that letter. said the
governor, was that two and half years
ago we were q compact, disciplined, vic
torious party. Today we arc little better
than q disorganized, discounted, discord-
ant mob That is true. We came out of
the last national campaign victorious, in
dorsed by the people. We had a Demo-
cratic congress on the presidents hands.
Then Mr. Cleveland, who had been elected
on a distinct tariff issue, turned away
from the tariff question and plunged US
into controversy on the financial ques-
ton. Why, the financial question was
never considered in the campaign which
made him president the last time. He was
elected and the Democratic congress was
elected to revise the tariff. But MIR. Cleve-
land springs the financial problem on the
country. And doing SO he departs from
what I consider the traditional policy of
the Democratic party. Mr.. Cleveland's
policy is along the lines of Republican
policy, as shown in the acts of the Repub-
Hcan party ever since the act of 1871
do you consider that the Democratic
party has ever declared for free coinage in
its national platforlns?'' 1 asked.
Elected on a Free Coinage Platform.
cit declared in the platforms of 1880,
1854, 1888 and 1899 for the coinage of both
gold and silver. The national platform
upon which Mr.. Cleveland was first NOM
mated, in 1884, declared: I'VE believe in
honest money, the gold and silver coinage
OF the constitution Honest (S1lVer)
money The coinage of the constitution.
Grover Cleveland was elected president on
that platform.
"fThe platform upon which he was next
nominated, in 1888, expressly reaffirmed
the platform of 1884.
''The platform upon which he was nom
mated for the third time, in 1892, de-
clared: We hold to the use of both gold
and silver as the standard money of the
country, and to the coinage of both gold
and silver without discrimination against
either metal or charge for lnintage.'
Without charge for mintage' is free coin
age.''
asked the governor if the Republican
and Democratic platforms had not been
very much alike on the coinage question,
and he replied, speaking of the Republican
platforms, by quoting what the st. Louis
Globe-Democrat had said-that party
platforms were made 'to catch votes and
promote success at the polls rather than to
declare vital principles and important pur-
poses.''
'tBut did not the Democratic conven-
ton, according to Chairman Jones of the