Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-04-21
WHAT DOES IT MEAN !?
Ringing Answer to the Declaration that 10 to
to | Free Coinage Is PopuIstc
Doctrine.
To the State Herald:

To the State Herald:
Mr. Dubignon of Georgia, candidate for
the United States senate against Judge
Crisp, asserts that the populite party at
the time of its organization at Omaha
was the first and only party that has ever
declared for the free and unlimited coin
age of silver at the ratio of 16 to /; ard
at the same time and place he further
declared that the free silver democrats
had forsaken the principles of the demo-
cratic party. 80 =,
This sentiment has been echoed and re-
echoed by manyof the lesser lights OF the
goldbug' contingent The establishment
of this ratio in 1894 eand it has newer been
changed) was not done by any particular
party, but by the whole people through
their repres entatives in congress- There
was universal Endorsement of this ratio.
At no time since 1884 has the democratic
party, in any deliverance on the subject
of silver coinage-whether in its national
conventions down to and including the
convention of 1892, or whether, in the
passage of acts and resolutions favoring
the coinage of silver by congress-ex-
pressed any dissatisfaction with the pres
ent ratio, or made any attempt to change
the same. The same may be said of the
action of the republican party touching
the financial question In neither of the
great parties, in all the history of the
past up to 1893, was there any discussion
or suggestion as to change. 1t is true
that some two years since vote was
had in congress on this subject various
altos being proposed, from 16 to l to 20
to /; not that any democrat desired
change, but simply to test the temper or
the house.. You may set it down as an
undisputed fact that whenever a man
begins to insist on a change of ratio as a
condition precedent. to his support of sill
Yer coinage, he is Simply kicking :up9a
dust under cover of which he may con-
ceal his ,enmity to the white metal. 1t
will never be done, and he knows it. No
section on earth proposes such thing;
no party in this country seeks to accom-
plish it. The democratic party does not
advocate it-never has and never Will.
The east, where is to be found the head
and front of the single gold standard
part, has thrown off all disguise and has
long since ceased to pirate about parity,
International agreement or change of ra-
ito. The cloven foot has been uncovered,
and now 1t is the British gold standard,
pure and simple. And so with the great
body of their followers-everywhere Why
should the democratic party, in its state
and national conventions up to 1893, be
expected to declare in favor of that which
we already had, and which was eminent
ly satisfactory to all the people? But,
since it has come to pass that certain
portion of the party pretend to be in IA
vor of change, and all to cover up ulte-
rior designs, the unterrified and uncon-
verted democracy, in tones as loud ana
strong as reverberating thunder, are say
ing no to the proposition. To assert that
the populite party is the first and only
party that has declared for the free and
unlimited coinage of silver at the ratio
of is to l is to contradict and falsify all
the facts of our history as people. As
the populite party, at Its birth at Omaha
a few years back, made its declaration of
principles, it could not well omit an ex-
preston of opinion as to silver coinage,
and very naturally accepted the ratlo
universally approved by all the parties
and all the people No, no! Every man
at all informed on the subject knows
and every candid and fair-minded man
will admit-that the ratio of liz to Is not
q new and untried experiment. On the
| contrary, all our acts as party up 10
1898 indorse 1t. And then, as to forsak-
ing principle, as is charged: Where Is
| there line written and Endorsed by any
| national convention that can be tortured
| into meaning an Endorsement of the SIN
| gle gold standard? 1t cannot be found
! Are the principles of democracy to be
evolved from the brain of one man who
owes his elevation to power and the
emoluments of office to the votes OF
confiding people? And must all the
| teachings and traditions of the past be
| set aside, as we'll as the declaration OF
principles set forth in national platforms
as the work of our best and brightest
| men-governors, senators, congressman,
| manufacturers, advocates and all the
rest-men distinguished for wisdom and
moral worth? No, no! find the princl-
| pies of democracy in what democracy
| has done-in what democracy has taught;
| and to him who ignores these and ADOPTS
principles taught by an opposing political
| party, as all the world knows, and then
| charges unconverted democrats with
abandoning principle, l can but look at
1 him with establishment and say, Fhou
| art the mani Wordsl words words.
| How our friends recently converted to
| the financial doctrines of John Sherman
cover up knowledge with mere words!-
| John p RAILS, M. d.