Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1896-09-24
Ex-MlNISTER PHELPS.
States His Reasons for Opposing the
Chicago Platform.

States His Reasons for Opposing the
Chicago Platform.
Hon. Edward J. Phelps, ex-minister to-
England, has written the following let
! ter, in which he urges all true demo-
Gratis to join in defeating the candidates
who stand on the un-democratic plat
form adopted at Chicago:
regard the pending presidential
election as presenting the most danger
Gus crisis that this country has ever en-
countered. 1t does not, in my judgments
involve any political controversy nor
any question of the supremacy of parity
for such considerations are lost sight of
in the far greater gravity of the situa-
ton. The real issue is one upon which
all patriotic men and all who are In
| terested in the prosperity and welfare
of the country should find themselves
upon one side and opposed to common
enemy. The attack that we have to
resist is not upon the policy but upon
the life of the nation, for they would
take it's life who destroy the means by
which it lives-the business of many
thousands and the industry of millions.
i
poor, high or low, alike dependent,
Those who are independently rich are
very few in proportion to the 7O,000,OOO
! of American people, the vast majority
of whom gain their living by some form
or other of useful employment. That
there should be prosperity in some OF
these employments and not in others, or,
among one class of people and not
among others, is impossible, for they ak
rest upon a common foundation and are
affected by the same considerations.
Business" is generic term and COM
prehends all lawful industries. When
it is stimulated, all profit; when it is de-
pressed, all suffer. No part of the body
can escape the effect of a general paraly-
sis or fail to get the be1fefit of general
good health. Wheng business -aoarishes.
the laborer is in emand; when ! de- = J
| place. ~.--,
Business of whatever sort in coun-
try like ours, rich in resources, full Of
energy and vitality, with all harvests
everywhere ready for the sickle, rests
/ chiefly upon two faetors-public conf
dence and sound and stable currency.
When either is-and much more when.
+, both ars.-i impaired or even graveiy
threatened, business suffers, general de-
preston comes, labor declines, and the
wolf approaches many door. Without
confidence there can be no credit, no
enterprise. Capital is boarded, sent
/ abroad or lies idle, and all industries
/ ,dirninist or cease, and the surest way
! the world has ever seen to destroy con-
/ 1idenca is to debase the currency and to
4 make it uncertain from day to day how
/ much a dollar is worth and how much
i it is going to count for in the near flu
/ ture-to take away, as is now proposed,
/ one-half its value to begin with and to
/ set the other half to fiuetlating to-aIit-
indefinite extent, with the rising and
the setting Of the sun and the approach
Of every storm.
i There is, therefore, in my judgment.
10 man mere criminal or who is worse
public cne1ay than he who engages ~
/ or countonarccs that infamous and de-
struct;yc attempt because the less
! nan has, or The less he Germs, the more
/ necessary it is to h;Ia that the value Of
! that Ittle should be maintained and
/ 1cade sure, and that the few dollars in
/ his rocket should be as good dollars as
there arc. As we'll might the steerage
!saese nssers in n vessel in 1nidocear.
weary Of taeir rrivations be melted by
so1a3c mischief maker to seuttle the ship
I in order to drown tic inmates of tho
more luxurious cabins, unconscious that
! they themselves must be equally thevsc-
| j ,1~,---
The party is already hcpelessly dis.
7uptaSl on the issue presented. We cam
! not follow both its divisions atthc sanlc
ti1,,e, however desirable it might be,
since they arc moving n opposite direc--.
! itions. On the tsec side ere the oldtsane
shonorcd principles CT the rarty, under
/ (which ali its great traditions have been
generated, and which eli lis ii1ustrious
! leaders have advocated. ch;efand fore
i ,ost among these principles always in
times past has been the maintenance of
sound and honest money. of dollars that
! are dollars. OF a national stamp upon
them that docs notlie.
! On the saIne side gre it. 1c:cst trusted
present statesmen and leaders, and n
very large proportion at the last of its
4
/ Which way shall we 90, then. stree we
cannot 90 both wayso With its states.
| men or with its camp followers? With
{ its principles or With its organization
stampeded and graded by its enemies?
In which direction lies the futurcof the
oarty if it is to have any future? And
| who are they who viii control it here
Latter, .swhen this tyranny shall be over
past?" Let no mar Sc afraid to be right
ion this question. for Il. Is the right that
will triumph III the END. Nv neither IL re-
| forras the rarty Ct. 'ac1troysit.
Hare you any silver Enllion which
you could get coined into dollars under
free coinage? If not, would YOU not
have to produce something in order ii,
I get the silver money which would Be
/ Turned out of the 1ninfs2 And ia u civ