The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-06-19
The n-.nlts at St. Louis.

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1t means neither victory nor defeat to
either party. except in so far as it is
compared with the more or less vague
forcbodings as to the action of the De-
moeraey at Chicago. The campaign can
take on nc shape. and prophecy is mere
empty g~uesswork until the Democratic
platform is adopted and the Democratic
candidates are named. Then, and not I'M
til then, We may be able to say whether
the ST. Louis nominations are equivalent
to an election.
Matched against the full force of De-
mocratic principle. against true repre-
sentatives of true Democracy, the st.
is an extremely weak one. Its single
element of strength is its explicit dec
laration for the gold standard; but po-
liticai combinations being no stronger
than their weakest part. the strength of
the gold declaration is undermined and
destroyed by the habby u~nreliability of
hAS SatV1uatc 1oI IFtSlueLt.
Apart from the gold declaration, the
Republican platform is a mixture of
reckless d~emagogism and childish folly.
The paragraphs about temperance, wom-
an suffrage, free ballot, lynehings, home
steads are such miserable twaddle that
their insertion In the instrument is an
insult to American intelligence. The dec
iaration upon civil service reform is un-
meaning. following as 1t does upon Presi-
dent Cleveland's conclusive action upon
this subject. The proposal to create a
National Board of Arbitration" is an
Insane surrender to the demands of State
socialism. This is what National arbi-
tration amounts to. The paragraph shows
the length to which this u~nscrupulous
party Is willing to go-in its pledges-to
secure votes. The pension clause might
be taken for mere fabbergast if the
looting of the Treasury during the Har-
rison administration did not show that
It was only too sincere.
The foreign policy outlined represents
the extreme aspirations of jingoism.
Hawaiian annexation: interference be-
tween Spain and Cuba. perhaps Cuban
annexation; the vigorous assertion" of
the Monroe doctrine. coupled with the
Navy clause. is a first rumbling of war
against England, while the Armenian
paragraph displays a design to carry our
interference out into the troublous field
OF European politics.
This exhausts the platform. with the
exception of the tariff and currency
pianks.
The currency plank is in its terms adj
mirable. It is all we could hope and
desire the Democratic Convention to
adopt, SO far as the issue between gold
and silver is concerned. Tt be sure, it
negleots the important matter of our
endless chain of paper currency, but it
Is SO strong against the silver heresy
that Its omissions may be forgiven. We
are of opinion, however. that this plank
IS not worth the ink it takes to print
1t. discounted as it is by its history and
associations 1t was adopted in bitter
opposition to the wishes and ideas of the
Presidential candidate and his hackers.
They fought against it with all their
strength. They only rave in to it when
they found that in no other way could
their other plans be carried out. They
do not like 1t now. They do not really
stand on It. They win, we believe, do
all they can throughout the canvass to
abate its force. and when McKinleyss
Letter of Acceptance is issued. we pre-
diet. he viii be found to repudiate it in
greater or less degree.
The tariff plank is the one sincerely
meant part Of the platform. 1t repre-
SCENTS the true motives, desires. aspira-
tions and purposes of the horde of sharks
n blood-suckers now in control of the
Republican party and constituting Me
Kinley's special faction. But even sthis
part of the platform is not without its
grotesque and ludicrous element. II
pronounces against domestic monopoly
In one sentence. while for the rest it Is
devoted to clamor for the protection
upon which and In virtue of which alone,
domestic monopoly exists. The old alb
sufdity Of demanding protection in one
breath and reciprocity in the next is also
N evidence. while the grand old idol Of
Republican devotion, the Sugar Trust
tits enthroned over the whole Babel Of
selfishnegs. dishonesty. greed I'M con-
tempt for the common people. with g
paragraph all to itself.
On this platform is nominated fol-
President one Of the most contemptible
men who has ever risen to prominence
IN American public life. william Nc
Kinley has never contributed an idea 4
American politics. He has never beef
identsaed with any great movement d
great cause exeept that u high tari1
$ rsprezenfed ii tae monslrons enact