Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1896-05-08

hC LOLiOSluplS NONASA ~ - -
derson last Saturday, attended by a
large number of free coinage Demo
Gratis from the Second district coun-
ties, appointed committee of six to
prepare an address to Democrats,
urging upon them the importance of
attending the mass conventions at the
court houses on May Both. The ad-
dress is given below:
ADDRESS TO DEMOCRATS.
To the Democrats OF the Second Con-
gressional District:
For the first time in the history of
the country, the voters of the Demo
cratic party are called upon to decide
by their votes whether the principle
of bimettallism, tenet of the Demo
cratic party as old as the party itself,
shall continue to be the party law, or
the modern or English system OF fl
nance known as recommendation,
based on a single gold standard, shall
take its place.
This is grave question and Ken
lucky Democrats must assume their
part of the responsibility in the ac-
curate settlement of this vital ques
ton. The advocates of this modern
doctrine until quite recently have
been confined to the Republican par
ty, but lately they have found enthu'
| siastic allies in our own ranks.
Last year the Republican party in
this State, recruited by desersions
from single gold standard Demo
Gratis, was able to defeat our
State ticket from top to bottom.
Encouraged by this success,
gentlemen claiming to be Dem
ocrats and at the same time adj
herents of the single gold standard,
have already announced their purpose
to commit the Democracy of this
State to their gold standard theories
and to adopt at the Lexington con-
vention June 8, platform conform
ing to their views and to send a
delegation to Chicago, pledged to
carry out their theories and to act in
concert with the money barons, of
Wall street.
This scheme we hold to be against
every interest of the plain people, not
only Of our own, but of every State in
the Union. The promoters of this
gold standard scheme are aided in
their policy by the active co operation
of the present national administra-
ton, likewise by all the daily news
papers published in the city of Louis
vile and by the organized money
power of the East. These are the
powerful influences arrayed against
the plain PEOPLE. Already they are
boasting that they have won the fight
in Kentucky-"But the race is not al
ways to the swift nor the battle to the
strong"
Knowing the rank and file of Dem
orrats are still true to party princi-
pies, as expounded by Jefferson,
jackson and every other real Demo
cratic leader since their day, these
gold conspirators have determined to
defeat the popular will as far as pos
sible in the selection of delegates, and
thereby prevent full and fair ex-
preston from all the people.
Having secured control of the ma
iority OF the members of the State Elk
ecutive Committee, that majority has
determined upon return to the old
and unfair system of mass conven-
tions at the court houses as the best
plan to guarantee that the county
conventions to be held on the Both of
this month will be controlled by rings
and influences acting under their
domination.
Vigorous protests by the friends of
bimetallism on this committee
against this unfair method of choosing
delegates, were unheeded. The advo-
Gates OF this unfair method we'll
knew that mass conventions was their
only hope OF carrying out the schemes
of the gold standard people.
They of course understood that this
system of mass conventions at the
court. house would necessarily disfran-
chise large number of Democrats
living remote from county seats.
They knew or believed that from one
cause or another those Democrats
living at distance, all or nearly all OF
whom are opposed to the present fl
nancial system, could not well attend.
We do not believe that it can be fair.
ly maintained that the mass conven,
tions are calculated to reflect the real
sentiment of the mass of the Demo
cratic voters of the state. But we APP
peal to the Democratic voters OF the
Second congressional district, so Tar
as they are concerned, to thwart the
purpose and rebuke the scheme OF
those who have thus attempted to dis
franchise them.
Let Democrats in all the counties OF
this district, at whatever sacrifice,
make their arrangements to visit their
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