The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-09-21

ara rF,gran 20 some extent. bat canno.
but have contempt for their heads Pop1-
lists sant 10 curb caoitailsu-so do I, but
/ know that free silver VII not III the very
least loosen is grasp. but viii dc the very
reverse. Free silver r1ay hurt some capt.
ia!ss.s a N.tIe. but Il Will hurt our people
more. and viii especially immensely r.
fure our wsge-earners. Il Will be adopting
the policy OF the !dIo. who cut off his nose
II order 70 spite his face.
'.Mr Bryan completely nisun6erstands
the situation wnen he hsrps upon "our
right TO frame our own money system
No ore disputes our right 10 decree ny
law that tire moon be made Of green
cheese. and that X come down 20 be eaten.
Exactly SO X IS with money under the
presen. competitive system. the question
Is not as 20 our right. but as 10 our power,
We cannot zbrcgate physical laws, and Il
Is equally foolish 20 knock our heads
against economic laws. Socialists In ali
countries know that the gold standard >
an essential part Of the capitaAstie. conf
mercial system under which we live. and
they therefore hold that this gold standard
with the use OF as much silver as posi-
h.et is tire only fl standard as long a. this
system last. We know tina. free silver at
i TO ! will completely wreck our country.
and very likely bring on another French
revolution in This blessed country OF ours
and / will do nothing 10 help bring this
about
'.By the year 1870 our people may posi-
bly, be prepared for the great change that
surely Is coming; by that time they may
have leaders who are nol blind. Mean
while. protection under Mckinley viii. |
am sure. have given US breathing spell,
tilat IS a couple o. years OF comparative
prosperity.
The free silver agitation. Furthermore,
has caused the mischief OF an;agonizing
farmers and city wage-earneTs. Instead
OF antagorazing these interests they should
be harmonized. which can De done when
| IL is understood that agriculture has
ceased 10 be our basic industry. and that
manufactures now occupy that position.
This campaign promises TO become +he
most important in which our people have
ever engaged, not excepting that of 1854
IL very likely win be a fierce, passionate
campaIgn-the more on that account de-
sire 10 reason with my friends in the OPP
posing camp the proposition: under
Bryan as president We shall 20 straight
down To ruin and destruction; under Nc
klnley We shall have a breathing spell
before It becomes worse
The big fusion convention IN Chicago
was a signal for fraternal overtures be-
tween the Democrats and Populists OF
Clalam county. The Port Angeles cor
respondent OF the Post-Intelligencer
says they could be found at every
turn seated tete-a-tete, while the infant
Silver Republican organization was per-
m!tted to figure an agreeable third
| party. Lately the complexion OF af-
fairs changed, and a sordld desire for
political spoIls caused them TO hurl in
Vectives al each other with a vehemence
which. in view of their past love feasts.
was remarkable. Fusion between the
three parties in this county resolved its
bf bar Of. h. Do lfo--
but not until the Democrats and Silver
Republicans had Inundated themselves 10
the fullest extent by groveling before tho
Populists and begging for at least a small
slice Of the spoils. This result was not
reached without causing a serious split
IN the ranks of the Populists. and the
members Of that party asserted on the
floor that their committees had been
manipulated; that they were apparently
out for spoiis, and that they were putting
up ticket simply to be slaughtered.
The vote in the Popllist convention
stood - 10 Il against fusion. and during
the two days that the convention has
been in session Ii has remained at that
ratio. The dominating spirit of the con-
vention has been A. A. Richardson, the
present county clerk, against whom the
Democrats have a special grudge. 1t was
Richardson who upset the pet plans Of
the Democrats by preventing fusion, for
the Democrats refused 10 fuse with him
"a their candidate for county auditor. and
the PopulIsts declined 70 fuse unless he
occupied that particular place on the
ticket. The Populists who were in favor
OF fusion claim that Richardson manipu-
lated the convention 10 further his own
ends, and that he has sacrificed their en-
tire ticke; by SO doing
Thus left to their own resources, the
Democrats and Silver Republicans at
tempted 70 put bold face and fuse
their two weak conventions into one
They did 50 and nominated ticket. but
the most s8nguInc of their number are
Disguised and discouraged. and Democrats
and Popuitsts alike concede the election
Of tho Republican ticket in November.