, 1896-09-17
C0RTHELL ON THE
DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM.

Inst n IN, ,mr vt,u tho heat of the political campaign is at the boil
ing pom ad o,r, man has a financial argument % hurl at his neghbor,
the views of NIu- L ruuh,lL late charman of the democratic state commit
tee my Doe OF -un -rNI. IN guiding the befogged voter into the haven OF
truth Wulor .5m,,aron OF evasion. Mr. Cotheu has expressed his IN
aualif,d upuIn uI t, ran. heresies Of the democratic platform. and those
views ha,r been l',r honestly, for no man in the state has been more de
vo,ed o l,y..,e, han he We note at some length his views npo the
putting a~m, som, Of the decIararc ms of the county platform. which.
confess rgnn,, un4,rsiond there can he no mistake in he real meaning of
the resolution upon he silver question. which demands he free and unimtt-
ed coinar, OF silver and gold into primary and redemption money at III" ratio
of IL O + without waiting fr the action o approval Of Other goern-
mcnt'
THIS a~Iatotlou means that the United States shall. Immediately make
the roos, radical change in its money system ever attempted by any govern
mcnt
1t means thar Ne shall undertake alone without charge and for The sole
benefit of tn, nuIou owner to manufaturc into DIN all the silver mater
il which may be rroueh, form n pmt of the world.
1t means that we shall forcee every citizen of this country. by law, to &C.
cept silver at double its zeal value in payment of all debts and in exchange
for his property or labor
1t means that we shall abandon all hope of establishing nmMamsm and
substitute. at M a silver standard for the gold standard.
1t means that the government shall by law, join tn" trustsa and monopo-
lies in the conspiracy o raise prices at the expense Of thu" workman an the
consumer and for tn" benefit Of those who " and conrot the property and
commodities Of. the country.
1t is. to adop, a favorito figure of the silver standard men. Hk" an at
tempt to increase the circulation of the blood by opening the arteries and in
culation ht they will simply dtsplacc a equal quantity of the life blood
whose function they cannot perform.
If | were to propose the free and unlimited coinage offs nver. and gold at
the ratio of ca o l. should be justly regarded rs an un"omprontinr gold
monometalbt: because its real vauc is as 81 to |: and everybody knows
that a law which Processes to give equal value to % cents' wortho of gold and
a dollars worth of silver would result in driving the more valuable article ot
Of use and substituting the less valuable me in its place. Yet he m pro-
posal is n more absurd or impossible OF fruiion than the other Gold at to
"a is no moreo vcrvalnd than silver at lGtoL Each is 100 Der cet out of the
way from its present intrinsic value. Either alto would result in immediate
monometarsm
So If has become A question of ratios; and. under the proposed ratio Of
16 tic /. a question of standards silver or gold OF both, but one
have advocated the democratic policy of bimemlism. fully conscious
of the difficulties in thu "A of its accomplishment if OF its actual impos-
sibiity, But, under this e@ution 1t is 10 made clearly IN distinctly a
question OF enforced choice; between the single silver standard. with the use
of ut me metal, upon the n hand; and the existing gold standard. with
the actual use of both metals, the poSsloHtF OF an ultimate double stahd
ard, upon the other hand.
Between thu single slver standard and The existing gold standard there
ca OF De m possible hesitation in making "A choice I'm a civilized per-
son, living in a civilized country and in a progressive age. am in favor of
the civilized and modern money standard as against tn standard of mcivii
lied and unprogr@sive countries.
These arod democratic principles as Understand hem.