Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-04-14
THE REpunLICAx PLATFORM.


THE REPUBLICAN PLATFORM.
The Philadelphia Inquirer. an old, lead
Ing. and highly respected Republican pa
per. comes out on silver as follows;
.'To this issue the Republican party
must bind Itself. II will not do TO say
that We want paper money. silver money
and gold. money, each dollar OF wnicn
will be worth a dollar. We have got 10
20 further than that. and put II down IN
so many words. that the Republican
party is committed against the free coin
age OF silver at the l6-to-l ratio. or any
other ratio, until under an international
agreement the great commercial nations
OF the world shall coin silver. We have
got to do this 10 protect the country
from its creditors. We have seen how a
little panic will send the gold noodlhg
from the country. Let II once be under
stood that there will be no financial fooi-
ishneyS and that our entire monetary
system shall be backed by the gold dollar
and then with ample protection Tor our
manufacturers against cheap goods and
for our workingmen against cheap iapor
from abroad, we shall move along pains
~ nrosnerity such as we have never yet
entered"
ouirer's article is its averment that 'ne
Republican national platform must ue-
clare that the Republican party Is COM
mitted against the free coinage OF SILVER
at the ratio of 16 to or any other rauo
until under international agreement the
great commercial nations Of the worid
shall coin silver.
international agreement" Is now
nhrase which is in every mans mouth
There will soon be numerous persons
claiming 10 have been the first to come
out in its favor-the original jacob
Townshends.
Yes there is TO thoroughfare Tor the
Republicans, except in the direction Just
nointed out by the Inquirer. They must
make n clear-cut committal of themselves
and their party against silver money IN
whatever shape 1t may present itself 10
the people. The entire monetary system
of the country must be backed by the
gold dollar, and there must be no imam
cial foolery" until this measure is accom-
plished. This is AZ sweeping declaration
blu; logically it is exactly what the Re
publicans must do IL they hope to be sue
cessful in the next presidential election.
When the Republican platform is erect
ed there will come up in earnest the
question as to the man who snail De
placed upon it. Mckinley. Harrison
Reed. Morton, and all the rest OF the as
pirants will either be measured by the
pIatform, and one of them nominated
because his record shows that he Is SOUND
upon the silver question and the tarih
cuestion. or else there will be a dark
horse put upon the track at the last
moment. But, let the candidate be new
one or an old stager he VIII nave 70
stand upon Just such a platform as the
Inoujrer SAYS must be erected by the
Republican party.
Rut what will be the peculiar features
Of the Democratic national platform
We'll. we need say now and mere only
that as the Republican National ConVeh'
ton will be held before the Democratic
National Convention, the utterances OF
the former may possibly, in some degree
modify the utterances Of the latter. Be
sides. the Democrats have two-tnirds
rule to struggle with, and the Republi'
cans have no such impeachment IN theii
path. And these advocates Of a TWO
thirds rule will have their silver ano
tariff notions passed upon by the conven'
ton. New England, New York, penn
sylvania, Maryland. and other sounu'
money States will force that rule upon
the convention, and the candidate mus'
be az sound as the platform. Where Is
the man whose record will enable him &c
stand upon that platform? Let us say
that he will be an advocate OF the rea
bimetaIlism, and viii be in favor Of IN
international agreement to coin silver
free. at ratio to be fixed by the CONNER
cial nations of the earth. IL the Repuo'
licans come out in their platform, as they
will. in opposition to free coinage. the
Democrats must either follow their ex
ample or come out for an internauona
agreement to coin silver free. at ratio
to be agreed upon as above stated.