Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1896-07-18

The platform adopted by the
National Democratic Convention, re-
centlyin session in the city of Chicago,
has our hearty endorsement. The
ticket nominated by that convention
will have at our hands loyal and
enthusiastic support and we place it
at the head of our columns with the
firm conviction, that when we take it
down, that we will be able to pro-
claim to our readers that the people
have won in the fight and elected our
nominees as the next President and
Vice-President of the United States.
The man who heads the ticket merits
our support by his pure and blame
less life, for his sincerity and devotion
always to principle, for the record
which he has made as an ardent
tariff reformer, because of the stand
which he has always taken on all
questions for the over burdened and
over-taXed people of the nation, be-
cause he has Illustrated by every act
of his life, his belief in govern
ment by the people, of the people and
for the people" rather than in the in
terest of the favored few. That the
people approaching the merits of
such a man and the principles which
have always actuated him will
choose to fall in line and follow him,
who has always fought the battles of
masses, instead of falling in behind
Mckinley under the banner of the
classes, we confidently believe.
While we endorse the platform as
whole, the plank in it that COM
mands our approval more than any
other, is that which pronounces for
the free and unlimited coinage of
silver at the ratio Of 16 to /. That is
the question paramount to all others
before the American people to-day,
and it is with them to say whether it
will triumph or not. That it should
we have no doubt, that its success
means return of that prosperity in
a great measure to the country which
existed before legislation was en-
acted which impaired the value of
silver we believe. Many democrats,
it is true, do not concur in our views
in the matter, but they cannot deny
that there is something wrong in our
financial legislation and that any
change is worth trial, to say the
east of it, which might remove the
burdens of the people. We know as
matters now stand, the poor are get
ting poorer and the rich are getting
richer daily, and we believe that it is
time, that the people had chance
to better their condition by a change,
even if the monopolists and million
aries of the land do not approve Of
the coinage of silver at the ratio Of
1G to l. Such legislation, granting
even that it might be only an ex-
pertinent, could not make the condi-
ton of the poor much worse than
it now is, and the people should be
willing to experiment in that direc-
ton, If for no other reason, because
the moneyed men of the land are
arrayed almost in solid phalanex
against the white metal They are
against it, of course, because it is to
their interest to be and as their in
terests and the interests Of the masses
of the people are far from being
identical, we cannot see the wisdom
of being controlled and dominated
over longer by them. On the other
hand the silver question as presented
in the democratic platform, if it
should not prevail now, will continue
to be an issue to agitate the public
mind and eventually win, and the
country should welcome its trial and
settlement now, so that if there is not
the merit in the free coinage of silver
which is claimed for it, that the bust
ness interests of the country may be
no longer depressed by it's continued
agitation. We urge upon our read
ers, among whom there is not one
rich enough to have common cause
with the moneyed kings who dictated
the nomination of Mr.. Mckinley, to
Loyalty support the democratic ticket.