Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1896-04-16
Both Protection and Sound Money,

The sole hope of any serious Democrat
ic fight in the coming Presidential cam
paign is to side-track the Protection ques-
ton. treat sound money as the only issue,
put the Republican party in false posi-
ton and attempt to identity the Demo
cratic canvass through Cleveland or Car
Isle with the maintenance of a stable cur
rency as the foundation Of business secur-
ity and confidence This is now the
Democratic cue in all this section of the
country.
There are several difficulties in the
way. In the first place, to look to the
Democratic party for the support of
sound money is like looking to the DRAM
shops for the support of temperance.
From the war to the present time it has
been the persistent and incorrigible foe
of all honest finance. 1t has been the
party of imitation, reputation and free
silver coinage. 1t has invariably stood
as an obstruction to every movement In
defence of the public credi. and the ex-
isting standard. To-day in three-quar-
tiers of the States majority of the Demo-
Gratis are for free silver. A majority of
the Democratic Senators and Representa-
tives have voted for it at the present ses-
sion. A Democratic Congress would pass
free coinage bill and no power could
stop it. We hope the Administration by
the use of all its enginery may succeed
in throttling free silver in the Chicago
convention; for while such result would
create third party which would absorb
most of the Democrats in the Democratic
states it would eliminate the question al
together in the States that will elect the
President.
In the second place, the Republican
party is just as much of sound money
party as the Democratic party is an un-
sound money party. The currency has
always been protected under Republican
rule. No man ever felt under Republi-
can Administration that there was any
danger of public dishonor or financial
shipwreck. The Republican party car
ried the country safely through all the
financial difficulties and perils of the war;
it reestablished specie payments in the
face of every Democratic obstacle; and
whenever it has been in possession of the
Government the business world has had
a sense of safety and security. Individ-
ual Republicans have been wrong, but in
every emergency the controlling judg-
ment of the party has kept it right, and
has saved it from any disastrous mistake.
The Republican party is right now. 1t
is overwhelmingly against free silver
coinage. Within the past two months,
by vote in Congress or by adopted plat
form, twenty-four Republican states have
shown themselves against the free silver
movement. In the face of the past re-
cord and the present fact no issue of hon
est money can be raised with the Repub-
ican party.
In the third place, the st. Louis Con-
vention will settle the question once for
all by an explicit and unmistakable plat
form. There are some Republicans who
would play into the hands of the Demo-
cratic schemers by paltering with this is
sue. They do not consciously mean to
serve Democratic aims. They are led
into this folly only through fatuity or
stupidity. But they constitute very in
considerable fragrant of the party, and
they will be impotent to prevent it from
planting itself on solid and sure ground
at St. Louis. The Republican party will
enter the coming campaign under the
joint banner of Protection and Sound
Money, with candidate who represents
both, and, no matter what may be done
at Chicago, the Democratic party cannot
make serious fight against that Repub-
Hcanisn-Press.