Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1896-11-12
EDITOR DEMOCRAT

;;::2assasSE fictitious of their
future political welfare, asks question,
Stree silver republicans, what have you
gained?" 1 believe 1 can speak for the
most of them and say that while they
have lost their candidate for the presl-
dency they at the same time have mann
tanned their principles. which were
more to them than the matter OF otf1ce
or political patronage. If the Judge
will look over the list of Silver Repub-
licans he will find that they were men
who could not be swerved from their
idea of right by the fat of convention
They were free silver men before the
Republicans endorsed the gold stand
ard, and they are free silver men stlll.
In this, principle was and is stronger
with them than party. and they have
shown by their votes that, unlike the
Honorable John ]. ingalls,, they ex-
pressed their honest convictions rather
than endorse platform they did not
believe in.
AS for having beaten lifelong friends
In this county, as the Judge declares,
the vanquished can attribute their de-
feat not to any i'll feeling entertained
for them by US, but to the action of the
Tribune itself. Had Judge Townsley
acted as becomes prudent man, one
who wanted votes for the ticket, no
doubt the situation would have been
somewhat different. Instead of giving
the free silver republicans credit for
honesty of purpose, the Tribune, I'M
mediately upon the endorsement of the
gold standard by the Republican party
at Saint Louis, began an insulting
TRADE against all who did not endorse
that platform, and charged them with
carrying the flag of anarchy in the
parade of the silver forces. The Tri-
bune knows, or ought to know, that
the free silver Republicans who refused
to bow at the shrine of the golden cali
are as loyal and patriotic as any man
to be found IN the party of Hanna, and
that calling them anarchists and follow
ers of the red flag, instead of enllsting
their support for the candidates OF their
choice, only drove them further away,
and noadoubt compelled them to en-
dorse, in some Instances, candidates
not of their liking and preference.
So far as any responsibility attaching
to the free silver Republicans because
of the defeat of those other than silver
men is concerned, the Tribune can lay
it to itself and to no other cause. Had
the Judge been disposed to treat us
fairly, to admit that we were entitled tc
at least decent consideration, he would
not now be in sackcloth and ashes,
visions of county printing would not
have vanished, and so far as they were
concerned the free silver republicans
would have given heartier support to
all State and County officers than they
did.
By its villifcation and abuse the
4IlOuuC d1lSndtCd ludhJ fOlSo ~ OiAA eA~
support of the local ticket. and they
were not confined to the ranks of the
free silver republicans. either. AS the
accredited mouthpiece of the republi-
can party, the Tribune took it upon
itself to belittle the opposition, to speak
slightingly of the free silver republi-
cans. and to condemn its own past
policy on that issue in justification OF
its denunciation of those In its party
who put principle above pelf, and pat
riotism above prejudice. Judge Towns
ley Is no more justified in reading the
free silver republicans out of the repub
lican party for their action in voting foI
a principle, than he is in pretending tc
be the conservitor of the party in view
of the boiling he has done in the past.
The free silver republicans want j