Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-07-03
HERE'S FIREBRAND FOR YOU
Minnesota Republicans Won't
Support Mckinley.
THEY CAN'T SWALLOW GOLD
Text of the Most Sensational Manifesto Ever
Issued in Mnnesota-Can't Accept
the New Faith.

st. Paul, Mimi, July 1.-The most sem
sational manifesto in Minnesota's his
tory was that issued this afternoon by
the silver republicans, who refuse to sup
port Mckinley for president, Clough for
governor or any of the republican cam
dldates for congress. The prominence of
the men signing it attracts to it wide
spread attention. Among the number
are Lieut.-Gov. Frank A. Day, Congress
man Charles A. Towne, Ex-Congress-
man John Lind and several state sena-
tors. The address is issued to the repub-
licans of Minnesota and says:
1.-THE greatest issue which has arisen
in this country since the abolition of
African slavery now confronts the Amer
lean people. The common people have
viewed with increasing alarm the effort
of a foreign money aristocraey to fasten
upon this nation the single gold standard
of value. In the past they turned with
the inspiration of faith to the republican
party for protection against that power
which seeks to strike down one-half the
redemption money of the world that the
other half may purchase double the
amount of products of toll. They had q
right to expect such protection. The re-
people. It's mission has been to dignity
labor, to secure to him who tolls in the
field or mine the just fruits of honest
labor. From the day of the party's birth
until the present time no article of re-
publican faith has been more pro-
nounced than the belief in bimetallism.
1t has been written in it's platforms and
taught by all it's great leaders. In ma
tionaI convention in 1888 it condemned
the policy of the democratic admins
tration in it's efforts to demonetize Sill
yer.'
I'm 1892 in it's platform adopted in Min
neapolis it declared in favor of gold and
silver as standard money. In 1894 the
republican party of Minnesota reafnrmed
it's belief in bimetallism and that the res
toration of silver as ultimate money to
the currency of the. world is absolutely
necessary for business prosperity, proper
rate of wages and. the welfare of the peo-
ple.'
T'Nearly every republican convention in
1894 condemned either in express terms or
by implication the single gold standard.
James @. Blaine well expressed the be-
lief of the republican party when he de-
clared: L believe the struggle now go
ing on in this country and in other coun-
tines for single gold standard would, IL
successful, produce widespread disaster
in and throughout the commercial world
'"rhe action of-the national republican
convention at st. Louis has repudiated
this fundamental doctrine of our party.
The single gold standard has been in
dorsed The republican party no longer
stands for both gold and silver as pri-
mary money, but for gold only. We
cannot accept the new faith and we Will
hold steadfastly to the old. The policy
of gold monometalliSm means pro-
longed and intensified depression ana
endless and hopeless era of falling prices
for our farmers and other producers;
continued uncertainty of employment for
our workingmen, with lessening wages
following the fall in prices of the prod
ucts of labor; encouragement of all en-
terprises and in the end universal BANK
ruptcy and gravitation of all money into
the hands of money brokers. 1t means
the obliteration of the great middle class,
the yeomanry of the nation and the d.
vision of the people into the very rich
and the very poor. Those republicans
who believe in the use of both gold and
silver as the money of ultimate payment
and their free coinage in our minis either
must submit in silence or speak out bold
'ly in condemnation of this policy, so dis
astrous to the people. On matters OF Vi
tai principle no man can reasonably be
asked to submit to party dictation. Ev-
cry man who places country above party
and whose sympathies are with the pro-
ducers as against the money brokers' ana
bondholders owes a duty to his con-
science and to his country which can
only be discharged by putting forth eV-
cry effort in his power that the blight OF
the single gold standard may not be fas-