The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-07-10
A DANGEROUS COALITION.

All reports from Chicago reveal the fact
that the dominant power in the convention
is a coalition of free-traders and free-silver
monometallists. This coalition has organ
| lied sectional party made up of the old
secession leaders of the South and the dis
contented elements of the West, and de-
! signs to putinto power an administration
| adverse to the business and industrial in
terests of the great manufacturing States
of the Union. incidentally it is also a
class party and seeks to excite labor against
capital, the farmer against the manufac-
turer and the debtor against the creditor.
The object, of course, is to establish free
trade on the ruins of American industry.
gain Office and power for men like Tillman,
Altgeld, Bland and Others of like character.
and create a condition of civil disturbance
out of which demagogues of all classes
and degrees could hope for profit and re-
ward.
The cry of free.silver coinage by snch a
coalition is simply an attempt to take adj
vantage of great popular movement and
mislead it. To restore bimetallism in this
country without injury TO business and
industry will require craftsmanship not
inferior to that which conducted the
finances of the Nation during the war and
afterward restored specie payment. 1t re-
quires the administrative skill of men like
Lincoln, Chase, Grant. Sherman, Garfield
and Blaine. 1t requires, moreover, that
such administrators should have the sup
port and cooperation of strong majorities
of conservative, sagscious, loyal and patri-
otic men in both branches of Congress.
To attempt to restore bimetallism through
the men in control at Chicago, with the aid
of Populist allies, would be 10 bring about
confusion worse confounded and to restore
the reign of chaos and old night"
Conservative men of all parties have
begun to recognize the responsibilities that
rest upon them at this juncture. The
people of this country, so long as they re-
tain common-sense and an ordinary degree
| of patriotism, will not countenance either
sectional parties or class parties. We have
had an experience of what results from
the one and we viii not venture an expert
ment with the other. The truest advo-
Gates OF bimetalIism will sustain it only
when 1t becomes National instead of a
sectional demand and when its restoration
can be undertaken by statesmen and pa
triots and not by agitators and demagogues.
Democratic party.will perish in this cam
paign. A party that has vitality enough
in its principles and its organization to
survive the heresy of secession is not going
to perish from the heresy of free trade.
There will be this year, however, a repeti-
ton OF what occurred when Democracy
became sectional in 1860. The conserva-
tive elements of the country will stand
| together. The voice of the Pacific will
answer the voice of the Atlantic. Oregon
will vote as Maine votes and California
will add her strength 10 that of Massa-
chusetts. Our interests are identical with
those of the great manufacturing States,
with the great commercial cities, with the
Union as whole. That we favor bimet-
allism is beyond question, but we favor
protection first. for industry must precede
money. Moreover we are for the Union
and the whole people. Glass parties and
sectional parties win find no support in
California.