The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1896-03-05
ON THE DELEGATION.

SILVER ON I.HE DELEGATION.
Republicans who attend the coming
Icaucuses and conventions should see
to it that the cause of silver is repre-
sented on the Minnesota delegation
which goes to ST. Louis. A large por-
ton, if not a majority, of the Republic
can voters of the State favor the free
coinage of silver on equal terms with
gold, and surely that fact must not be
ignored in making up the delegation.
There is no manner of doubt that if
the question of free coinage were put
to a vote it would carry at least in the
Second, Sixth and Seventh. congress
sional districts, and would have a
strong following in every district:
Even Minneapolis has such eminent
opponents, of free silver, as Senator
John Day Smith, Senator Morgan,
County Attorney Nye, and Judge Van
derburgh; while Duluth sends a free
coinage representative to congress.
The labor and farmer. element of Min
nesota is largely free silver, and the
cause has support among hundreds of
careful and thinking business men
Moreover, it is growing. It cannot be
safely ignored by any party which ex-
poets the support of the people. The
single gold standard and gold bond
policy of Grover Cleveland is not the
platform of the Republican party. The
Republican party is pledged to bimet-
allism, the daily organs to the CON
trary Notwithstanding, and the delega-
ton which goes to St. Louis should
represent bimetallism and not the gold
standard idea w y
The Minneapolis platform of 1892
said in explicit language this truth:
"The American people, from tradition
and interest, favor bimetallism, and,
the Republican party demands the use
of both gold and silver. as standard
money" The platform used the term,
standard money" This does not
mean the single gold standard, with
silver as a subsidiary coin. It means
that silver is to have equal station
with gold. The so-called ''sound
money! coterie of New York, which
sends out broadcast it's tracts in behalf
of the gold standard, is fair and honest
enough to say in SO many words, that
there can be no double standard, with
out free coinage of gold and silver on
equal terms. We regret that our
daily organs are not so frank and ex-
plicit. ~..- --. - z..f "
The silver standard was recognized
in the last Republican campaign text
book, that was prepared by the Ma
tional Republican congressional com
mittee for the campaign of 1894. On
page 81 of that textbook Of Republi-
canism, we find the silver standard
recognized from the earliest time down
to the present. The committee says:
"The original mint act provided for
dollars Or nits:-each to be of the
value of a Spanish milled dollar as the
same is now current, and to contain
371} grains of pure silver Half dol
lars, quarters, and dimes were also
provided for, Of proportionate weight
and value; and also gold coins, eagles,
and half or quarter eagles, of defined
value and weight. By subsequent acts
of congress the amount of pure metal
in each Of these coins has been
changed, except the unit, a standard
silver dollar--that has always re-
manned the same.'' -
This is the interpretation placed
upon our monetary standard by the
National Republican congressional
committee in only the last campaign.
1t is Republican doctrine, the claim of
every daily organ in the country to the
contrary. It is the sentiment Of the
rank and file of Republican voters,
moreover, and it must not be over
looked when Minnesota sends her dele
cation to St. Louis. Every Republi-
can primary should see to it that the
coinage question is not buried, that it
is voiced in the person of the delegates
selected, and is not left to few self
appointed city bosses to fix up to suit
themselves and their banker friends.
And yet of all the numerous candi-
dates which have been slated for St.
Louis, it is difficult to recall the name
of a single free silver man who has
been put forward. St. Paul and Min
neapolis have four or five candidates