The Coconino weekly sun., 1896-06-25
SILVER'S PROTEST.
Paper Read Before the Republican
 Convention.
Senator Teller and His Colleagues Give Their Objections to the Platform-They Declare That the American Peo-
 plo Favor BimetallIsm.

Declare That the American Peo-
 plo Favor BimetallIsm.
 ST LOUIS, June l9 After the adop- tion of the platform by the convention Senator Teller asked that Senator Cannon be allowed to read personal statement prepared by the silver men, which was granted. The statement was as follows:
 To the Republican National Convention of the United States; In announcing the purpose asserted in this paper, it is due to our constit- uents and to ourselves that there shall be a public showing Of vindicating fats. The sole authorized expression of national republican faith from Juno 9, is9J, until the present date has been the platform adopted in the national convention at Minneapolis. Neither the utter | ances of state conventions nor the attitude or individuals could change the tenor Of that platform. or abate the activity of it's binding force. Every delegate to this convention was elected as its adherent and it's advocate. True one of its most important paragraphs has been subjected to such a divergence of construction as to make It's language unsatisfactory during | the intervening time. and dangerous If con- tinued in the future, but of the intention con- tained within that language there has never been.a doubt.
 1J IS tHe tlRHtIul province OI tulS COuFeHtlOu | to revise the party tenets and to announce anew the party purpose. The majority of this convention in the exercise of such authority has this day made official annunciation of re- publican law md gospel With much of the platform we agree, believing that in many es- sential particulars it compasses the needs of humanity, affirms the maintenance of right and proposes the just remedy for wrong. But it declares one elemental principle not only in direct contraventiOn of the expression of party faith in 1892 but in radical opposition to ous solemn conviction
 We recognize that Tn all matters of mere method it is but just and helpful that the mi nority shall yield to the will of the majority. | lest we have chaos in parties and in govern ment But as no pronOHncement by majori- ties can change opposing knowledge or belief sincerely entertained, so 1t cannot oblge mi- norities to abandon or disavow their prnci- ples. Assuredly, as it is requisite for peace and progress that minorities shall yield to ma- jorities in matters of mere method, just so surely is 1t necessary for the same peace and progress that minorities shall not yield in matters of fundamental truth.
 | The republican platform of 1892 affirmed that | the American people from tradition and inter- est,favorcd bmetallism and demanded the use of both gold and silver as standard money. This was accepted by us as declaration in be- | half of the principle upon which rests the ln-
 
 | United States. In such terms the platform | was then satisfactory to the believers in bi- metallism within our party Only because of equivocal construction and evasion. has 1t since been demonstrated to be insufficient
 As the declaration Of ls9! has been by ma jority 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 plat form being much more favorable to perpe etuate gold mopometallism, will be determinedly used in behalf of that idea. The republican party has won its power and renown by pursuing it's purposes courageously and re!entlessly. It is therefore only in accordance with the party s history to assume that if 1t shall come to present authority in the United States it will crystalline into Jaw and administration under this tempting platform the perpetual single gold standard in cur finances This, if long continued, will mean the absolute ruin of the producers of the country and finally of the na- ton itself
 | The American people not only favor bimetal- lism from tradition and interest. but from that wise instinct which has always been maniiest | in the affairs of a people destined for the worlds leadership. Under the operation of our great dcmnnd for advancement we have become to other nations the greatest debtor nation of the world. We pay the vast charges which every year accumulate against us in the clearing house of the world with the money of the world, procured by the disposal of our com- modities in the markets of the world. We are g nation of producers Our creditors are na- tions of consumers Any system of internation- al or national finance which elevates the price Of human product makes our burden lighter and gives promise Of that day when it shall be entirely left and our country freed financially. as 1t is politically, from the domination of monarchy and foreign autocracy. Any system of finance which tends to depre- ciate the price of human productions which we must sell abroad but in so far adds to the bur- den of our debt, and conveys o threat of the perpetual servitude of the producers of our dc btor nation to the consumers of creditor na- tlcns To us 1t is q folly without parallel that this country, or any political party therein, should deliberately accept @ money system which enriches others at our expense.
 History. philos ophy, morals, all join with the commonest instinct of self-preservation in demanding that the United States shall have just and substantially unvarying standard composed of all available gold and silver and with 1t our country will progress to financial enfranchisement But with 0 single gold standard the country will go on to worse de- struction to continued falling prices, until our people would become the hewers of wood and drawers of water for the consumers in creditor nations of the earth.
 To such an unhOly end We will not lend our selves. Dear as has been the republic an name to it's adherents, that name is not so dear as the faith itself And we do not sacrifice one jot or little of the mighty prin ci pies by which republicanism has uplifted the world when we say that at the parting of the ways, we cling to the faith, let the name go where 1t will We hold that this convention has seeded from the truth: that the triumph of such secession would be the eventual destruction of our free- dom and our civilization. To that end the peo- pie will not knowingly follow any political party and we choose to take our place Tn the ranks of the great mass of citizens who realize that the hour has come for justice.
 Did we deem this issue less important to hu- manity, we would yield, since the associations of all our political lives have been intertwined | with the men and the measures of this party of past mighty achievements But the people cry aloud for relief; they are bending beneath Q burden growing heavier with the passing hours endeavor no longer brings it's just re- ward; fearfulness takes the place of courage and despair usurps tho throne of hope and un- less the laws of this country and the policies | of political parties shall be converted into me- diums of redress the effect of human despera- tion may sometime be witnessed hero as in other lands and in other ages.
 Accepting the fiat of this convention as the present purpose of the party, we withdraw from this convention to return to our constitu-