Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1896-09-03
CAN YOU SWALLOW IT.
\Silver Not the Only Plank in the
BRYAN Platform.

should go to free coinage at % to l
by itself, will do well to read care
fully the following remarks recently
made BY ex-President Harrison in
New York, upon the Chicago plat
form, every feature Of which Bryan
has declared that he endorses:
..Neither conventions nor COM
,mittees can create issues. nor assign
them TO their places rs to their i'm
portance. That is the leading issue
of a campaign which most agitates
and most interests the people. In
my opinion there is no issue present.
ed by the Chicago convention more
important and vital than the question
they have raised Of protecting the
power and duty Of the national courts
and national executive. The de-
fence of the constitution and Of the
integrity Of the supreme court OF the
United States. and of the presidents
power and duty to enforce all OF the
laws OF the United States without
awaiting the call or consent OF the
governor Of any state, is animportant
(and living issue in this campaign.
NApplause.] Tariff and coinage will
be Of little moment II our constitu-
tional government is overthrow.
When we have president who be-
lieves that it is neither his right nor
his duty to see that the mail trains
are not INSTRUCTED and that inter-
commerce has its free way, irrespec-
tive Of state lines and courts, who
fears to use our ancient and familiar
power to restrain and punish law
breakers, free trade and free silver
will be appropriate accomplishments
OF such an administration and cannot
add appreciably to the national dis
tress or the national dishonor. Ap.
plause.
"There is only one rule by which
we can live usefully as nation or
peacefully as citizens. 1t is the rule
Of the laws, constitutionally enacted
and finally interpreted by the judicial
tribunal appointed by the constitu-
ton. When it becomes the rule that
violence carries its end, we have
anarchy condition as destructive
to honest labor and its rewards as
death is to the tissues of the human
body. Applause. The atmosphere
OF the Chicago convention was sur
charged with the spirit of revolution.
This platform was carried and its
nominations made with accompany
ing incidents Of frenzy that startled
the onlookers and amazed the country.
NThe courts and the president were
|arraigned for enforcing the laws, and
government by the mob was given
preference over government by the
law enforced by the court DEGREES and
by executive orders. The spirit that
exhibited itself in this convention was
was SO wild and strangely enthused
that Mr. Bryan himself likened it to
the zeal that possessed the crusaders
when they responded to the i'm
passioned appeals of Peter the Hermit
to rescue the sepulchre of our Lord
from the hands Of the inhdels His
historical illustration was more
potent and more forcible than he
knew, for the zeal of the crusaders
was a blind and ignorant zeal; they
sought to rescue the transient and
Intellectual sepulchre that had held
the body of the Son of God while they
trampled upon the precepts of love
and mercy which he had left for
their guidance in life, Applause.
He told us that our silver crusade had
arrayed father against son and
brother, and had sundered the tend
crest ties Of love.
"Senator Hill, watching the strange
proceeding, had to extend that brief
r tolitcal code from which he has
~ :.
gained so much renown. He felt
compelled to say, i am Democrat,
but am not revolutionist.' Sena-
tor Vest, realizing that they were
inaugurating revolution, reminded
the convention that revolutions did
not begin with the rich and prosper
GUS. Mr.. Tillman felt that the change
in the management Of public
affairs was to be so radical that he
proposed sulphur fumigation for the