The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-07-16

means both disaster and dishonor, as
they are that the sun will rise upon
another day.
1t is this last word that is the STUN
bling block. Appeal to Democrats to
sacrifice their opinions. if necessary, in
order to come together, and no one
would plead in vain. Any sacrifice
consistent with honor we would make
and ought to be made for the sake of
party harmony. But where it is not
opinions but established facts. as we
regard it, that are at stake, and where
the honor of the nation is involved, a
concession becomes impossible. Let us
illustrate. We consider the PROPOSE
ton for an income tax to be, at the
best, of doubtful expediency, and bet
ter fitted to form Of society which
recognizes superior and inferior classes,
as does that of Great Britain, than in
a democratic republic. 1t does not
seem to us, therefore, that an income
tax is good Democratic doctrine. Yet
no one would dream of refusing to ac-
cept an income tax plank at the hands
of the majority of a convention if it
declared this to be henceforth a part
of the Democratic faith. This, although
a very important matter, yet lies with
in the domain Of policy wherein a party
must fix it's own position anew from
time to time. But free silver is a diff
ferent matter in that it involves, to our
mind, the remuneration. Of solemn prom
ises. the reputation of debts fairly in
CURED and the scaling down, by an in
determinate but heavy percentage, the
savings of the poor, the deposits in
savings and other banks, the receipts
from life insurance and other bene-
ficiary investments, the purchasing
power of all fixed salaries and the
wages of all labor.
No party name or obligation would
make this seem right or wise 1t is not
question to be decided by poetry or
rhetoric, but by fact; and all the facts
in history are against the possibility of
action by this country alone raising
the price of silver bullion 100 per cent.
We are powerful and a splendid ma
ton. Nothing too eloquent can be said
on that score. Yet that does not give
US power over the elements, or ability
to change the minds of men. Value
/ is a creation of the mind. Commodi-
ties, including the money metals are
worth just what people in general agree
that they are worth. No possible ac-
ton that we can take will change the
worlds estimate of the relative val
ues Of gold and silver. 1t would be
possible for congress of the United
states to enact that every citizen
should travel hereafter by stage coach
and sailboat, and that no one should.
under heavy penalty, permit himself to
De conveyed from one point to an
other by any vehicle propelled by steam
power. This would not revolutionize
the worlds transportation system. 1t
would not command obedience at home.
Magnlncent as. are our resources and
energetic as are our people, they SIM
ply would not and could not give I'D the
new ana more highly developed tool for
the old and cumbersome one. The
money question is quite analogous 10
this. Money is an implement. The
commerce Of the world is busted all
the time improving and developing it
And that form of money which best
he
ly independent of legislation and can
rot be governed or revolutionfzed by ii
These are some of the reasons why
Democrats who have hoped and longed
for the possibility of harmonious party
action refuse to obey the commands
sent out from Chicago. If our friends
on the other side are as earnest as
they seem to be let them give up the
habit Of abuse and of insinuation that
has become too common with them,
and recognize that this financial ques-
ton is quite as much, at least, mat
ter Of conscience with their opponents
as with themselves. We venture to
say that In all this broad land there
is not Democrat who refuses to ac-
cept the Chicago platform and the Chi
cago ticket who does not do so with
Infinite pain and regret, ard the feel
ing that he is making one of the great
est sacrifices of his life; not through
pique, not from disappointment, not
because he wants a minority to rule
but because he believes that the higher
mandate Of fidelity to conscience, to
duty and to honor leaves him no sec
ond choice