The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-07-10

upon the subject of the issue Of paper
money hereafter. (Applause)
81 am not violating, think, the
secrets of the committee room when
say that 1t was avowed, that this gov
eminent might desire to pursue that
course and this is an attempt at this
late day to commit the Democratic
party to the suicidal policy Of the
Issuing of paper money. applause and
voice THAT is the stuff.") You say
you wanted a clear and distinct plat
form. You have not got 1t upon that
question. 1t cannot be defended sue
cessfully.
Another suggestion permit me to
make. What was the necessity for
putting into the platform other ques-
tions which have never been made the
tests of Democratic loyalty heretofore?
Why, we find the disputed question of
the policy and constitutionality of an
income tax? Whenever before in the
history of this country has devotion to
an income tax been made the test of
Democratic loyalty? Never. Have you
not undertaken enough, my good
friends, now, without seeking to put in
this platform these unnecessary, foolish
and ridiculous things? What further
have you done? In this platform you
have declared, for the first time in the
opposed to any life tenure whatever
for office. Our fathers before us, our
Democratic fathers, whom we revere,
IN the establishment of this govern
ment, gave our court judges a life
tenure for office. What necessity was
there for reviving this question? This
IS a revolutionary step, this is an un-
wise step, this is an unprecedented
step in our party history
Another
should have been avoided and that is
this What was the necessity what
the propriety of taking up the vexed
question of the issue of bonds for the
preservation of the
CREDIT OF THE NATION.
Whv not have left this financial
question to the free coinage of silver
alone? What have you declared? You
have announced the policy that under
no circumstances shall there ever be
single bond issued in times of peace
What does that mean? It means the
virtual repeal of your resumption act;
1T means reputation per Sc and sim
pie. The statement is too broad, the
statement is too sweeping; it has not
been carefully considered
| do not propose to detain you by any
other criticism of this platform at this
time. 1t is sufficient that you have
entered upon an issue on which the
Democracy is largely divided. In adj
ditfon to that, you have unwisely
brought into this platform other ques-
tons foreign to the main question,
and made them the test of Democracy
There is time enough yet to retrace
these false steps. The burdens you
have imposed upon US in the Eastern
states, in the support of this platform
in its relation to silver, is all that can
be reasonably borne. But in addition
to that, you have put up on us the ques-
ton of the preservation of the public
credit. You have brought into it the
question of the issuing of bonds You
have brought into 1t the question of
the reconstruction of the supreme
court. You have brought into it the
question of the issuing of paper money.
You have brought into it the great
question Of life tenure in office, and this
platform is full of incongruous and
absurd provisions which are proposed
to be made the test of true Democrats
Great APPLAUSE
II oppose this platform because I
think it makes our success more diff
cult. [ want the grand old party with
which I have been associated from my
boyhood to be securely entrenched in
the affections of the American people,
[ dislike the Republican party. / dis
like all their tenets. / have no sym
pathy with their general principles, but
1 do think that we are here today, max
ing a mistake in the venture which we
are about to take. Be not deceived.
Do not attempt to drive old Democrats
out of the party (applause) that have
grown gray in its service, to make room
for a lot of Republicans, and old
Wings and other Populists that will not
vote your ticket after all. Great APP
plaIlse and cheering)