The record-union., 1896-06-19
PROTEST FROM SILVER MEN.
Reasons for Teller, Dubois and Others
Withdrawing.

Reasons for Teller, Dubois and Others
Withdrawing.
The Chair then said it was requested
as a question of personal privilege that
a statement prepared by certain mem
bers of the convention be read. Is
there objection?'' he asked.
Waiting few seconds and receiving
no response, he announced: LAS a mat
ter of personal privilege the Chair will
permit Senator Cannon to read the
statement, and the Chair asks respect
full attention and perfect quiet"
Frank Cannon, the youthful Senator
from Utah, advanced to the platform
and with Senator Teller sitting by his
side, read in ringing tones and with
many gestures the following protest:
ION announcing the purpose asserted
in this paper, it is due to our constitu-
ents and to ourselves that there shall
be public showing Of vi9dicating
facts. The sole authorized expression
OF National Republican faith from
June, 1892, until the present date has
been the platform adopted in National
Convention at Minneapolis. Neither
the utterances Of State Conventions nor
the attitude of individuals could
change the tenor of that platform or
abate the sanctity of its binding force
Every delegate to this convention was
elected as its adherent and it's advo-
cate. True, one of it's most important
paragraphs has been subjected to such
a divergence of construction as to make
its language unsatisfactory during the
intervening time and dangerous If con-
finJ1a9 in the hI1f ba i1ta
contained within that language there
has never been doubt.
1T is the province of this convention
to revise the party tenets and to an
nounce anew the party purpose. The
majority of this convention has this
day made official enunciation of Re-
publican law and gospel. With much
of the platform we gree believing that
in many essential particulars it COM
prises the needs of humanity, affirms
qhe maintenance of right and purposes
the best remedy for wrong. But it de-
clares one elemental principle not only
in direct contravention of the express
sion of party faith in 1892, but in rad
ical opposition to our solemn convic-
tion. We recognize that in all matters
of mere method it is but just and help
ful that the minority shall yield to the
majority lest we have chaos in parties
and in government. But as no pro-
nouncegnent by majorities can change
opposing knowledge or belief sincerely
entertained, so it cannot Oblige major
tiles to abandon or aisavow their prin-
ciples. AS surely as 1t is requisite for
peace and progress that minorities
shall yield in matters of mere method,
just so surely is 1t necessary for that
same peace and progress that minori-
ties shall not yield in matters of funda-
mental truth.
THE Republican platform of 1892
affirmed that the American people fa-
vcred birnetallism and demanded the
use of both gold and silver as standard
money. This was accepted by us as a
declaration in behalf of the principle
upon which rests the interest of every
citizen and the safety of the United
States In such terms the platform
was then satisfactory to the believers
in binetallism within our party; only
because of equivocal declaration and
evasion has 1t since been demonstrated
to be insufficient.
THE platform this day adopted in the
National Republican Convention at st.
Louis says: The Republican party is
unreservedly for sound money. 1t
caused the enactment of the law pro-
viding for the resumption of specie pay
nlent IN 1879: since then every dollar
has been as good as gold, We are un-
alterably opposed to every measure
calculated to debase our currency or
impair the credit of our country. We
are, therefore, opposed to the free coin
age of silver, except by international
agreement with the leading commercial
nations of the world which We pledge
ourselves to promote, and until such an
agreement can be obtained the existing
gold standard must be maintained All
our silver and paper currency now in
circuIa ton must be maintained at par
fly with gold, and we favor all measures
designed to maintain invioiable these
obligations Of the United States and all
our money. either coin or paper, at the
present standard, the standard of the
most enlightened nations Of the earth
"As the declaration of 1892 has been.
by majority of the party, construed
to justify single gold standard for
our monetary basis, and as the recent
trend Of the official power of the party
has been in that direction, we can but
assume that the money plank of the
new platform, being much more favor
able to perpetuate gold mono-metal-
1Lsm, will be deferminedly used In be-
half Of that idea The Republican party
has won power and renown by pursuing
its purposes courageously and relent-
lessly; ii IS therefore. only In accord
with the party's history to assume that
if 1T shall come to political authority IN
the United States it will crystalline the
administration under this tempting
platform, perpetuate the single gold
standard in our finances. This, IL long
continued, will mean the absolute ruin of
the producers of the country and finally
the nation itself
The American people not only favor
bimetallism from tradition and interest,
but from that wise instinct which has
always been manifest in the affairs OF
a people destined for worlds leader
ship. Under the operation of our great
demand for advancement, we have be-
come to other nations the greatest debt