Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1896-06-25
FREE SILVER THE ONLY PLATFORM.

Encouragement Capehart on Whitney and
the Money Issue-There Must be No
Straddle
Point Pleasant. W. Va. June %.
To the Editor of the Register.
I read with interest your editorial in
yesterdays paper on Mr.. Whitney as a
presidential possibility. 1t must now
be apparent 10 all that a square issue
between gold and silver is to be fought
to a finish in this campaign. No COM
promise, no Straddle, will be tolerated
by the Democratic party. If the con
ventiOn at Chicago fails TO declare for
silver; if IL attempts to evade or de
ceiye by any declaration on this ques-
ton, the struggle for party suprem-
acy IS at an end then and there. Nc
knley will be inaugurated next March,
after having been elected without oppo-
Sition. and in the same manner the Re
publicans viii take charge of our State
soveSnTenE assert emphatically
that this year the Democratic party will
not make a fight for any other than
silver candidate on a silver platform.
ard il is worse than folly to attempt
to foist upon it now a candidate not in
sympathy with the great mass of Dem7
Ocratic voters. who never in any cam
paign. on any issue. have shown 50
clearly that they know what they want
and their determination to have It.
Mr.. Whitney talks the International
To nc % ~
people no longer with that old chest
nut. All men Of sense know that Eng
land with her great mortgage on this
country will never consent to remon-
citation Of silver. Their great news
papers. their leading statesmen. tell us
so plainly. This international agree
ment SOP was al that the Republicans
in convention at St. Louis had to offer
to the silver men of their party. 1t
was rejected with scorn, as l hope it viii
be rejected at Chicago, for it is a lie.
II is intended to deceive. 1t is by such
makeshiftS as this that Mr.. Whitney
and others hope to discredit the party
and bring upon it defeat if it declines to
uphold the gold standard. Mr.. Whit
ney was going 10 Europe. He changed
his mind and goes to Chicago. Mr..
German has for months been reported
as determined to stay away from Chi
cago. but row he will go, and Demo-
Gratis may as well face the plain facts.
These men go. not to help Democracy
to victory, but failing to engraft on
its platform their own ideas of finance,
which we all known are hostile TO sill
ver) 20 encompass its defeat, which
they know is certain if any shutting or
evasive answer is given TO the demand
Of the Democrats for a restoration
of the coinage rights Of silver
Mr Whitney and Mr.. German, as well
as Mr.. Cleveland, would infinitely pre-
fer the defeat of our party to a victory
won on silver lines. Democrats should
be alert and watchful. Defeated by an
immense majority in the conventions Of
Democrats in nearly all Democratic
States, these professional conspiratCrs
will not hesitate TO inflict a death wound
on the party they call their own. They
will aSsassinate it just as cheerfully as
German & Co knitted the Wilson bill in
the secrecy Of Senate committee rooms.
Let us have done with these jugglers
If the voice af the rank and file of the
Democratic party is not needed in our
national convention, if they are robbed
of the fruits of victories won in the pre-
liminary battles of the campaign, then
will q new party step in and occupy
this field while We will go downs to the
most disastrous de-eat in our party's
history. And defeat is that which Mr.
Whitney desires if gold is not endorsed.
Is this the sort of man TO offer as a
presidential candidate? We have often
made great mistakes. but never any so
suicidal as this would be.
There are tides" in the affairs of
political parties as we'll as in the "af-
fairs of men," If We are wise enough
TO take this silver tide at the food, it
will lead us to victory and to the glor-
ious fortune of a restoration of national
prosperity. Yours truly,
J. CAPEHART,