The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-08-27

nave
always advocated what l believed Whatever
have been my mistakes, they were never
the mistakes of dishonesty. / shall not begin
now; II the free and unlimited coinage Of sill
yer has been un-Democratic for 50 many years
1t Is not less un7Democratic when 1t be-
comes greater sfnenace and peril and more
unfinchingly should 1t now be encountered
Conscience tolerate no excuse, no de-
vice. no shift for such regeneration. | should
not dare to- meet the ecitzena s5f-tfis statAs as
have always met them. IN public discussion.
ance of truth. do not believe party can
stand, or ought to stand which will 80 deal
with important public questions. The
PRINCIPLES OF FRANCE
| are not fckleYthe gusts of passion. They do
not change for human wishes or for human
rage. The principles Of policy which UNDER
lie and distinguish parties are as immutable
as the rights of man. Il They are not the
creatures of frenzy, whether manifested at
Bedlam or Chicago Men may forswear or
deny the truths Of Democracy and declare
themselves Democrats still, but their vain
words will be dissipated on the breath Of the
wind. Democratic truth will abide against
every enemy, every deserter, and the woe
of its desertion Will be on tfre people who
run after false gods II we shall maintain
that party we must maintain the great truths
upon which we stand.
In all the inconsistencies Of politicians. in
all their story of sudden conversions, moth
ing like this was ever heard before. Are the
great heart and brain of Wisconsin Democ-
high prominence in the nation by intelligent
fidelity to principle, to- be turned in three
weeks from sanity to madness by the minis
trations of Tillman,l Altgeld and their like
who threw the balance of power against the
old party in the Chicago convention? Yet
Democrats who for years confronted this de-
structiye heresy with clear perception and
unbending 'front.' all at once surrendered to
it and contributed their efforts to fasten its
fatal consequences on their country. So far
as concerns those who, during past, years,
have found their Judgment mastered by this
false doctrine, unsheltered by Democratic
faith, we may neither wonder nor criticise.
|, Theirs, as Dougherty says, Is the gift of
| fortune. To them, and to all who share
their opinions, we owe patience, considera7
ton, the charitable efforts of sound reason
and, prayers, for their recovery. But, with
selves who have received no new light but
that which shines from the mere force of
numbers in the Chicago. convention? Do
they proffer us the plea Of party regularity?
All it's force is msdirected. Regularity re-
lates to methods, to party usages, to choice
Of persons, not to fundamental principles
We recognize without resolution that the
association of citizens In party for the pro-
motion of great policies OF government must
compel submission OF individuals In subor-
| dinate points, not Of principle but OF method
The success of a great cause must not be
! jeopardized by differences or indiscrimina-
ton, by venting personal disappointment
The murmur of INSTRUMENTATION in the ranks
cannot be tolerated because OF dtssatisfac-
ton with the generals plan of battle. But
widely different when false hands have seized
the colors and orders are issued IT. TO marcn
Resistance to betrayal of his country's cause
is not INSTRUMENTATION, but the patriots duty
When the basic principle OF party IS
overlooked when its great aims and pur-
poses are suddenly reversedaby the Intrusion
Of enemies into its councils, or the false
conduct of those who ought to guide 1t TO
their accomplishment then arises the higher
duty of individuals to cast OIL these man
acles and re-establishs q true association TO
promote afresh the objects their principles
profess. To talk of regularity under such
circumstances is to substitute form for sub
stance, to transform mere rules of ritual to
idols in place of the true God. The
HoRDEs OF .PoPULIsM
may. indeed, as we have seen them do, with
barDaric violence invade the sanctuary OF
party and drive out it's high priests, put on
their vestments and attempt to minister at
it's desecrated altar; but they cannot rewrite
the bible of it's faith. They may for time
lon, or substitute for them the fraudulent
mmicry of their incantations, but they can
not impose. during their short-lived possess
sion, false doctrine upon the faithful Reg
ularity indeed In such an hour 1t is but a
synonym of timidity or political cupidity.
From such poverty of argument, from such
poverty of spirit, comes the cry OF kicking
and -s"bolting.''e They are not boilers who
stand fast by their ancient faith. They kick
as the Great Teacher kicked the money
changers from the temple To such kicking,
humanity it's advancement and elevation
Where. would, have been the liberty of today
if supine submission had governed them who
carried the standard of principle in the strug-
I have said that the convention substituted
one issue to predominant in this campaign.
| surrendered the chiefest and most conspic-
uous question which has divided the Demo-
Gratis and Republicans in recent times. 1t
abdieated Democratic. leadership of the peo-
n n r hpa IF for 70
form. 1t bid cunningly for the support of
the Republican protectionists by the tdeclara-
lions of its platform. Instead of maintaining
the well-established policy that tariff should
be levied for the purposes Of revenue only, it
adroitly drops the governing adverb and de-
clares with tricky phrase in favor of tariff
change in our tariff laws Emphasis was
piled upon this surrender by the selection of
| a candidate for vice president who has ever
| belonged to the high tariff and protection
/ cabal among Democrats the same by which
| the great purpose of the party and the cause
| of the people were thwarted In 1894. McKin-
high tariff than Sewall, of Maine, and never
| has enjoyed, as Sewall has, the benefits of It's
| class distinctions and legislation to the heap
| ing up of riches.
| What. indeed remains of all the recog-
| nized principles, the long fought for doctrines
| of the Democratic party in that capitulation
| to silver protection which formed the. declar-
alton of alleged principles at Chicago? Where
or in any action taken there renewal of the
faith of his life? That platform met the APP
Republican party. 1t mayo indeed, have had
| their help in its concoction. We know, al
least, that dissenting Republicans were active
and Jealous in contributing to the results
achieved at Chicago. I'VE know they were
| present there and weahave every reason to
suppose they participated In the councils OF
| the spirit of that body. Gathered from many
| attending circumstances, not less than from
the language in which their profession was
couched 1t is too plain to challenge a reason
/ able doubt, that not only in purpose but in
| fact, the powers which secured dominion
there surrendered everything IN Democracy
to strengthen the one dominating, overruling
undemocratic and fatal scheme to debase the
standard of money in this country. 'a~'
There is nothing preserved of principle OF
| party usage, of party tradition, much less OF
party hope for the future in all they proffeT
/ us. IL there is to be a Democratic party II
| there are tc be Democratic principles which
| can command our allegiance in the future
years, the best hope for their salvation hangs
/ on the action which will be taken at Indian
| apolis in the first week in September The
| proposal of sudden and radical
DEBAsEMENT OF MONEY STANDARD
| by the United States of reputation of pub
| lie and private contracts by decreeing their
| enforced payment in debased coin, has awak-
ened Amusement and alarm not only in this
country, but throughout the world; an ap-
prehension qualified only by the lingering dis
| belief that such thing is possible of accom-
plishment with the American people. No ad-
vocate of free silver even, except the noisy
gabblers who have not yet escaped their
/ pithecoid inheritance, but feels In his heart
that the experiment proposed is one of aw-
full risk 1t is an assured certainty Of dis
| aster .unspeakable. Not since our sky rever-
Sumter fell, has such dark pail overhune
us as was cast by the convention at Chi
cago. The energies of bushes have been par
alyzed by fear. Nobody dare loan money ION
long time Nobody dare STRAIT n new enter
prise. Nobody dare make new engagements
for the employment of men. Nobody dare
| trISf Inupor fo he Snirit af coincidence