Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-06-18
THE DEMOCRATS
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CONTINUED from page H.
some n stimulating speculations. con-
sequent upon an era of high protection,
rad rent her sails.
Although the storm had even then burst
upon us and the ship was In this disabled
condition. 1t was necessary hal we put
to sea at once, and that 4 n repairs be
the voyage. First. the seams In her sides.
caused ny her contact with the rocks of
an unsafe financial system. entirely the
product Of twenty-five years of Repub-
iican legislation, had to be closed, ana
the purchasing clause Of the sherman act
was repealed, an Act. which had made our
Goverhmem q forced purchaser OF nearly
United States, pilins np. In our vaults
four millions. and a. half OUNCES each
month Of 4. deprecated and depreciating
struck with the formidable and almost
hopeless task which confronted us. of
maintaining this deprecated metal at a
par with gold. had lost confidence in the
ability of our government to do SO, and
stocks securities held abroad had re-
turned to draw our scanty gold reserve
from the treasury.
Republican United States senator the in
si,ie history OF the alliance between high
protection and free silver which led to
tic pdSSdke OF the sherman act, ana we
have it Upon his authority that the Re
publican party, in order to pass the Nc
kinley bill, was willing to debase our
currency n thereby run the risk of
p painis'"S We shn ma eSu MaseilyI iPsH COD a,aan that
while others have trimmed and straddled
and evaded the money question. Grover
rency. With the full courage of his con-
victions. he has not hesitated to speak.
nor TO act. when acts became necessary.
1t has never been necessary for IN
newspaper TO send It's reporters to him
to find out his position upon this qdes-
ton. to ascertain whether he stood for
the preservation of the credit of the gov
eminent or would lend his. aid to those
who wished to plunge the nation into
bankruptcy.
! am willing to recognize IN the fullest
measure the responsibility of the Demo-
cratic party IN creating u lack of conf
dence IN the ability of our government to
maintain Its circulating medium at Il
par with gold II to discharge all its OBJ
legations in the very best money.
But while admitting this. l am not I'M
mindful OF the greater degree of blame
attaching to the Republican party. which.
to serve its partisan purposes and to per-
peiuate it's control of the government. ad-
mitted tc statehood the mining camps of
tho West and made it possible for the
supporters of the free coinage of silver at
a forced and fictitious ratio; to control
which. fearing to trust the fate of sound
money to be defended by a Republican
President, enacted the cowardly make
Of the Sherman act. bartering away its
honest convictions for the purpose of
passing the Mckinley bill.
Though we stand today conscious of the
crisis which confronts us as a national
party, I believe l voice the sentiment of
the great majority of this convention
when | say that would not. for any
unity purchased by the betrayal of his
honest convictions. have. had President
Cleveland abate in the least his efforts
for the success OF honest money. What
whether they have lodged, or straddled.
or kept as silent as an Egyptian mummy.
when asked to state their position, l am
glad that he. with that loyalty to his
convictions which has marked all his
official acts for the period of his admins
trdtion. has saved the country from the
evils WHICH would be the result of a de-
based and deprecated currency.
Today. the Republican party may con-
graduate itself upon its smartness. that
1t has been able to reconcile the factions
vo,ers of this country as its nominee for
the presidency, a man who by his aero
battle feats has won for himself the
highly distinguishing title of "Straddle-
bug in whom speech is silver. but 81
ience golden 1t may flatter itself that
again it has been able to trade and tenn
porize. But the business interests of this
country which have so long suffered
from such a policy. will not be satisfied.
This currency question which they have
so long allowed to remain unsettled. must
now be met and settled. because one man
in public life has dared to force it to an
issue because he. armed with the power
of the chief executives veto. gave no
thought to temporizing. but. remem-
belins the duty which he wed to the
nation, courageously stood for his honest
convictions.
The financial panic through which We
have PASSED. the consequent business de-
preston, the failure of the Wilson bill to
provide sufficient revenue because of the
loss which came through the cutting off
of the income tax. have caused the adNo-
Gates of high protection to again combine
for the purpose of prostituting the taxing
power of the government to the service
of special interests. and under the pre-
text of providing sufficient revenue for
the government, they are planning a re-
turn 10 Mckin1eyism. Contrary to polit-
zeal ethics. according TO SO high an au-
thority as Senator Chandler. they have
entered into an agreement that no one
except he who is pledged to the highest
of high protection shall be the nominee
of the Republican party, and thrown the
power of their influence and their money
for one of the contestants for that nomi-
nation. Encouraged by their success,
they are preparing to push the lighting
along the old lines of protection. The old
issues are to be fought over again.
Shall the Democratic party hesitate to
take its Old position as the champion OF
the cause of the masses against the
classes? If we We're right in IA and rs
and 'M. we are right now. TIT Demo-
cratic party Will accept the challenge.
and as long as it has an existence. will
ever be ready to stand against a return
to Mckinleyism. Already some of the
more astute of the Republican leaders be-
gin to scent danger in the popular theory
that the return of their party TO power
means a return to the times when pro
lection run mad" and to hasten 10 give
their assurances that the Republican
party only wishes a return to d tariff
adopted on the ines of protection. But
the activity of those who expect to profit
by such action indicates that they have
other views. They want no moderate
tariff. sufficient to compensate the manu-
facturer for the higher a paid in
this country. They want the wall high
enough to exclude competition.
a good deal is said about the deficiency
in our revenues and the necessity of high
er rates of duties, in order to provide
greater revenue; but if they are made so
high that imports do not come in, how
will the revenue be increased? Is it not a
fact that the Mckinley tariff did not
provide II sufficient revenue because the
duties were so high that imports fell off?
If the Republican party contains all the
true patriots and ii has such a deep con-
Germ that the receipts shall be equal TO or
exceed expenditures, why were not Re
publican United States senator's willing
to add twenty-five millions to our annua!
receipts by giving their support to Il bill
placing an additional tax of sevnty-five
cents per barrel on beer? Senator Sher-
man must nave surprised the temperance
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