The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1892-1907, 1896-06-27
THE SILVER MEN APPEAL
BlNETALLIsM MUST NOT DEPEND
ON EXISTING PARTIES.
WIN he Compelled to Drop
Party Affiliations.

the common citizenship Of this republic.
| We address RI. communication TO the
| people and the Forthcoming conventions
| Of the United States. In doing SO. we
| claim no authority or right other thanthat
| which belongs to every man to express
| MS personal convictions, but We respect
| tully solicit the cooperation Of all who
believe that the time has come for q
return to u simpler and more direct meth
i Cd or naming men for national service
than has obtained in recent years.
| Parties should Not RetrOsru
| Political party organization Is neceS-
| sary. because without 1t the individual
| voter Is dumb, but the party is only the
| means. not the end; II Is the voice and
/ rot the sense. As the worl1 adva - o
| this wonderful epoch of intellectual de-
| velopment and physical Improvement
| there Is n constant requirement for bet
| ter things. The individual feels that
| requirement and heeds II or fails in life's
| endeavor. Parties must also obey the
| same law. 1t follows. therefore. that the
| moment a party shall choose to stand
| still or retrogade. IL also becomes in
| efficient to achieve the end TO which the
| people are necessarily destined. There
| Is no sanctity in mere party name. ard
| the mark OF deep decay is set On the indi-
| vidual strength OF the nation when the
| absolute rule OF political organization
| coerces men from the truth for the sake
| OF eNpedience and establishes inslncere
| submission to partisan rule for the sake
| Of power
| Recognizing the value and the splsn
| did achievements of political parties in
| this country. as elsewhere. We are yet
constrained to believe that fer more than
| 20 years no one of them has been en-
| tirely sufficient for the needs OF the PEG
| pie. The great trend to letter Things rest
| ing in the heart and purpose OF all men,
| las been staid during the latter part OF
| this generation by the failure OF parties
| to explain in their achievements the high
| est hope and aspirations OF the mass OF
| the people who constitute the parties.
| And there has been growing in this
| country, swelling with each recurrence
| or the national elections, great mass
| Of independent thinkers and voters which
falling within itself 10 control. has sravi-
tated between the two great parties
| Since ISL excepting possibly the election
u sfs). the pendulum has swung from
side 10 side with each four years. In IS72
| the republican party elected the president.
| IN 1875 the democracy claimed the cleo
| ton; in 1883 the republicans elected; In
| isG the democrats elected n 1896 (untll
| within few weeks It has been conceded
| that the republicans would elect. What
| has been the cause of this mighty oscil-
| lation OF mass which this year has
| probably obtained the controlling proper
| lions? Every man can answer for him
| self. II he has been an observer; II he
| has had interests that were affected. II
| he has felt hope to see greater justice
done, and has seen that hope blasted. II
| he knows that the general dissatisfaction
| has arisen from the fact that party prom
| lses were broken TO the people by party
performance, he knows that as soon as
| the election was over and ths successful
candidates installed. they became the
| serators OF the party and the adgocaters
| II narrow and nou-progresstve policy
| with which alone There eemed to bs an
assurance Of selfish safety and partisan
| approval During all OF this period W.
| have lacked a great constructive admins
| tration. No new social truth has been Lu,
| forward in an effective way. While in ali
the departments " physical life there
| nave been developments and achieve
| ments OF ease ami comfort to sae favored
| OF MANKIND. in the still greater and more
important domain OF social reform. We
| have stood SIN or retrogaIed.
/ 1t Is not that the people have not felt
| the STRINGS Of determination that this
| lnact!on has endured. but because Of the
| rule OF the party which has largely con
| trolled men In and out OF office II has
been source OF reproach 10 any nan
| that he should dare . renounce allegi-
| aEce to organization. Men have been OK
| pected to submit their views TO the dlcta-
| lion Of the conventions. although II is
| common knowledge that conventions have
| been swayed to views and declarations
| not the most approved BY the mass Of
| people, nor progressive for their vel
| fare.
| We do not arrogate 70 ourselves one
!ota more intelligence. patriotism or cour-
| age than Is possessed by other of Gu:
| fellow citizens. But we feel that the
time has come for the performance Of
1 Itrt,r -
| though we shall stand alone, we will
| make an endeayor In the direction OF
| that duty. Parties may outline their use
| fu!ness. that truth never becomes obso-
| lete. Every generation Of frsemen has
the right to affirm the truths of past
knowledge and present requirements, and
| IL the enforcement Of these truths shall
| make necessary a departure from party
| organization, the people have the light
and Will exercise 1t until all parties shall
| return to the truth or new parties shall
be created to effec, 1t into law
| III the voices which have sounded to
| Us from every state In this INK arc
| an indication Of the real feeling his
| year Is the appointed time for The people
| TO assert themselves through such mo.
1ums as may give tho best promise of
the achievement Of Justice. But wheth-
er We are mistaken or not concerning
the general sentiment Ia the United
oidlS-. We nave NOT mistaken our
duty in Withdrawing from the republican
convention, feeling that It is better to be
right and with the minority in appar-
snt defeat than to be wrong with the
majority in apparent triumph. We hold
that in the great work OF social eyolu-
ton in this country monetary reform
stands - the first requisite. No policy
however promising of good results. ian
take its place. Continuation during the
next -FOUR years upOG the present nnan-
clal system will bring @owr upon the
American people that cloJG of i:ppend 1g
evil to avert which should De the frs,
thought Of statesmen and the FIRST pray
sr Of the patriots.
our very Institutions are at stake
Today. with the rapidly increasing popu-
lation. with widely swelling demands.
the basis OF our money Is relatively con
tracing: and the people are passing into
q servitude all the more dangerous be-
cause II Is not physically apparent. The
nation itself Is losing the sturdy cour-
age which could make IL defiant In the
face Of injustice and Internal wrong
Prices never Will cease falling under
the single gold standard. The restora-
ton Of bimetallism by this country will
double the basis Of our money system
In time II Will double the stock Of pri-
mary money OF the world; II will stop
the falling In prices and steadily els-
vate them until they Will regain their
normal relation to the volume Of debts
and credits In the world. Bimetalllsm
will help to bring about the great hope
Of every social reformer. every believer
In the advancement of the race. who real
ICES that the instability OF prices has
been the deadly foo Of our tolIers and the
servant OF foreign interest gatherers Bi-
metallism will help to bring the time
when certain expenditure Of human ,oiI
will produce a certain financial result
Who among the great masses Of our
people In the United States but feels that
hts lot would be made better, hIs asplra-
ton take new wings II he could know