Mexico weekly ledger., 1896-08-06

ohiy chlO Wdy ~ dCttdiiy uo What WO
intend, is to do nothing and refrain
from voting. If the chance should
happen that our independent action
had no effect on the result, why is it
worth while? We would be as mill
tary force, assuming to take part in a
great battle and deliberately using
blank cartridges. If independent ac-
ton should (as it doubtless would) in
fluence the outcome, why should we
not exert that influence directly with
knowledge of it's tendency, rather than
initiate soldiers who with shotted guns
fire, regardless of the effect on the
contending armies.
Neither do l believe in the policy of
nonparticipationi in this election. Bryan
or Mckinley must be the next Presi
dent. We cannot, in my judgment,
consistently with our duties as citizens,
refrain from making choice between
them. Which shall it be? While
serious results will attend the election
of either, am optimist enough to be-
lieve that whether we elect Mckinley,
who has manifested a disposition to
stand anywhere on the money ques-
ton, or Bryan, who certainly stands
somewhere on the question, this coun
try will net 60 to the devil, though it
may differ from whatever is wrong in
the principles or pernicious in the
practice advocated by the President
elect. AS for Mckinley, if the distinct
and sole purpose of his nomination
has been to repel from the support of
the ticket the sound money supporters
OF the present administration, nothing
better could have been done. For a
decade he has stood, the most con-
spicuous embodiment of governmental
policies which are Numerically op-
posed to those held by the Democratic
party under the leadership of Cleve-
land. Except that his platform (not
himselD is unequivocally for the
maintenance of the present parity of
all the money of the country, he and
the platform represent everything
which our party has fought for gener-
ations, and, trust, will always fight.
He is for federal force bill legislation.
He even now urges high protection as
the dominant proposition of his can
didacy. He seeks to continue and
perpetuate theories of government
which, in my judgment and yours,
have operated for nearly 80 years to
the advantage of the few at the ex-
pense of the many; which have re-
suited in congesting the vast amount
of wealth produced in this country
and bringing it under control of a
small minority of the inhabitants. He
and his party have for years bribed
and corrupted some of the people with
the honest earnings of the rest. 1t
was thought desirable to break the
solid South, and to that end planters
were bribed with sugar bounty. Re-
publican ascendancy in the Senate
seemed threatened, and rotten
borough States were created to pre-
vent it; and if ever there was an in
stance when "the invention returned
to plague the inventor" and when even
handed justice commended the
poisoned chalice" to the lips of the
one who prepared it, it exists in the
present attitude of Western Senators
toward the Republican party. That
party is the fruitful parent of the pres
ent storm, and its policies have at
last realized and demonstrated the
truth of the assertion of Junius that Kit
is the pernicious hand of government
alone that can make whole people
desperate" If Mckinley is elected it
will mean continuance of those poll
cies, and it will not settle the money
question. The Senate is hopelessly
for free silver. There will be four
years more of blocked legislation and
increased agitation. Can the country
stand that better than the wrench and
wreck which would result from a
change in the money standard? Maybe
so. Yet, shall we vote to perpetuate
what is, in our view, the provoking
cause of this crisis, either by open sup
port of Mckinley or by indirectly aid
ing him, while shrinking from openly
espousing the Republican party? 1t
seems to me impossible. The perverse
influences of false theories of govern
ment long followed have, as you and l
have seen, affected many of the rep
resentatives of our own party, and
were strikingly exhibited recently
when men who had joined in or led
the denunciation of the administration
for borrowing money to sustain the
national credit Yeh han5of tnI over the
Presidents veto, and in spite of de-
pleted Treasury and deficient reve-
nue.. Looking at the principles of the
Republican party and of its candidate
as do, hold that it is for those who
believe in them to support them, not
for me. Those Democrats who think
it will be better for this occasion to
turn over the government to the Re-
publicans that they may operate again
! on what we believe are wrong and I'M
lust lines of policy, should vote Tor
Mckinley. I am not one OF them
Neither is 1t fair to say that an admin
istration Democrat, who votes fol
Bryan, stultifes himself and violates
his convictions on the money question
I believe that free coinage will have
the effect of raising the price OF silver
IT do not believe it will raise it to th'
ratio of 16 to 1. By as much as it fall
short of doing 30 it viii operate t.
scale existing obligations not mad
payable in gold. This in my judgment
is wrong. AS long as l entertain thl
lopinion / could not vote for Is to ]
But if my vote for Bryan can be fairi
Iconstrued as such vote, so can tina
of my brother Democrats who vote fo
Mckinley, or who vote for an inde
pendent ticket, which he knows wi
aid Mckinley, be construed as cast
favor of q return to force bills, bount
appropriations and robber tarih
Neither construction is fair. Our di
ference with the present attitude
the national Democracy is serious;b b'
lit is not serious enough to make n
ioin the Republican party, with whie