Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1896-08-05
SILVER MEN PROTEST.
a Manifesto Issued in Reply to the
Statement Of the Gold
Democrats.

to the Democrats of Wisconsin to offset
the manifesto issued by the gold faction.
The delegates held their meeting Satur-
day afternoon and discussed the situation
in all its various phases. A draft was
made, and most of the delegates left in
the evening, but the address was not is
sued until this morning, when e. J.
Dockery of Ashland, who remained for
the purpose, perfected it and gave it out
for publication.
The manifesto does not go into the
merits of the silver question very extern
slyely, but is devoted to answering the
allegations of the Vilas-Bragg address,
and refuting the ISLANDERS" therein pro-
muigated. The delegates pronounce the
statement to the effect that they desire
debased currency "a wicked SANDER"
and assert that they want only to return
to the honest money that the fathers of
the country favored and for which they
provided The address ends with an ap-
peal to the silverites to work at the eau
cuses and send silver delegates to the
state convention. 1t reads as follows:
The Address
To the Voters of Wisconsin: An address
has been published by Edward s. Bragg
William E. Villas, James g. Flanders and ].
J. Hogan, the four delegates at-large, to-
gether with fourteen of the district dele
gates appointed by the last state Democratic
w liz
state at the recent national Democratic con-
vention.
In response to the urgent request of rep
TeSentative Democrats throughout Wiscon-
sin, and in the interest of the Democratic
party, the undersigned delegates to that
CONVENTION who were, and still are, in ac-
cora with its platform, respectfully submit
TINS communication to the considerat ton of
ene voters of Wisconsin. The eminent gen.
elemen in their address complain of the
personnel, the platform. and the course of
that convention
The universal custom in the selection of
the temporary chairman of Democratic ma
tlonaI conventions has been for the national
committee to select such officer and to sub
nit his name to the convention for accept
ance or rejection. The right of the cOnyen-
ton to accept or reject the person selected
Oy the committee certainly is unouestiOned
ana the exercise of that right was no viola
Slon of Democratic rules Of conduct The
rejection of the gentleman chosen by the
committee as temporary chairman was only
declnation on the part of the convention
70 authorize an official utteFance by him of
financial views regarded by the great ma
1ority OF the delegates to be un-Democratic
70 DeheVe that the delegates from the
Sour!n ana Ninth districts of the state of
Mlchlgan were unJuStly unSeated would be
70 regard the utterance of prejudiced men
superior to the deliberate Judgment of a
majority or the committee on credentials
the high rank and integrity of whom has
not been questioned. That the state of
4aGalgcan acquiesced in the judgment of the
majority OF the committee on credentials as
approved by the convention by all its dele
gates remaining throughout the convention
anu participating in its deliberations, is
sGaucent reputation of any Injustice done
that state.
The Wisconsin convention held to select
delegates to the National convention empow-
cred majority of the delegates to control
the votes Of all, and such authority was
dully recognized by the convention on every
vote taken in the convention 1t was ONLY
when the chairman of the Wisconsin dele
ga ton announced that Wisconsin declined to
vote D on the nomination of candidate for
president that the undersigned asked and
obtained from the presiding officer the priv
alege OF casting their votes, and from this
decision of the chairman no appeal was tax
en- By any delegate from WISCONSIN, but they
ton.
Says it is Wicked SANDER.
The Democratic party ever has and TO the
end of its existence ever will, advocate
honest money and oppose it's debasement7
TO assert that the Chicago convention de-
ciared in favor of compelling the citizens
OF the United States to receive dollars of
only one-half value is wicked SANDER The
national Democratic platform does not sub
init to the American people a new and I'M
SrIed system of finance for adoption The
great Hamilton and greater Jefferson
framed the law at the time of the birth of
this nation, which gave to both gold and
age and made both these metals funda- |
mental and redemption money. The integ. |
r1ty of this American this Democratic none
tary system, was reHgiOusly preserved by |
all American legislators from 1892 to 1878 |
In this latter year, when the attention of the
American people was diverted from the sub |
[ect dishonest legislators surreptitiousIy |
detnonetZed silver-the peoples money The |
great American nation, without its knowl- |
edge or consent, had its monetary system |
changed from bimetallsm to gold mono
metalism. The function of measuring
values, supporting commerce and credit |
Imposed upon gold and silver was by the |
demonstration Of silver shifted to gold |
alone. The Importance Of gold was in |
creased two fold as the demands upon it |
were doubled and as result all commodities |
OF the world declined in value as expressed |
In golden dollars.
The merchant who has had bankruptcy
slowly but surely creep upon him in sDite
of his every effort and economy; the tilIer
of the soil who has seen the products of his
farm gradually reach a price below the cost
OF production in spite of his ceaseless care
and toll; the man who depends upon his
daily labor to furnish him the necessities
of life, appeals in vain for the privilege to
do work; all ask why, In a land of plenty,
in nation peopled by willing workmen in
a country of limitless resources, why is
there widespread business disaster and cruel
birthday of America to 1873, under a BIZ
metallic system of finance. A silver dollar
at all times during that period equalled and
In fact exceeded a gold dollar in value.
The day Congress by law closed the doors
of our minis on silver and said thereafter
gold shall measure the value of all things,
even silver; then it was that gold grew
dear and silver cheap, and as silver depre-
ciated so has the price of all commodities
great and free America in the face The
Democratic national convention in response
to the call for help from the people has
promised y reinstate the money of the
constitution and thereby lift the golden yoke
from America S neck.
Mono Metallism Not Democratic
We challenge any man TO point out where
In this promise is a violation of Democratic
principles. We defy any man to turn to any
page of Democratic history which records
gold monometallism a tenet of Demo-
cratic faith
That the present administration was I'M
Endorsed was not intended to reflect on any
mans honesty or fidelity. To have in
dorsed an administration so at variance
with the conventions financial views would
have been a manifest inconsistency.
The greatest convention ever assembled
i: America needs no defense at our hands
Its acts have gone into history. Each man
will Judge for himself if it is good or bad
taste for men who remained throughout the
convention to now cast asperSionS upon it.
We cheerfully accord to every we
assume for ourselves the right of indie
pendent thong mt and action, but we question
the propriety of men made great by great
party of deliberately seeking to ruin that
marty when they no longer rule it,
We respectfully submit to the voters of
Wisconsin this adrdess as Il defense to the
n1rtrht and +n1 tn,