The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1896-09-19
TEACHINGS CT JEFFERSON.
Some Views of the Sage of Month
cello Cited to Show the Errors of
Indianapolis Democrats.
FnErDoN. MD., September y. lss,

Gently gathered in an alleged convention meu
who have been highly honored in the past by
the Democracy, with the avowed purpose Of
aiding in the defeat of the regularly nomin.
ated candidates There is not the slightest
pretense among fair minded men that the can
didates of the boiling assistant Republicans
will carry even single voting precinct in the
country. Nay, more, it is not probable that
any considerable number of the gentlemen
now posing as delegates at indianapolis will
fail to cast their votes for the Republican
candidate in November. The determination
TO name candidates was had only when it was
believed that in this way the greatest harm
could be done to the Democratic party.
There has been no assembling in the matter
The officeholders, the men of wealth standing
for the great trusts and combines who gath.
cred at Indianapolis, boldly claimed that they
have embarked upon a campaign for the
election of Mr.. Mckinley and for the defeat
of their party. Let us examine some of the
charges made by these great statesmen against
the party whose favor has lifted some of them
from obscurity.
1t is charged that the platform adopted al
Chicago by the representatives of the Demo.
cratic party is contrary to the teachings OF
Thomas Jefferson in that it proposes that the
privilege of issuing notes to circulate as money
shall no longer be delegated to the national
banks, and that all paper which is made q
legal tender for public and private debts, 81
which is receivable for duties by the United
States, shall be issued by the government oil
the United States and shall be redeemable in
COIN This is very simple statement. II
seems to me in full accord with the teaching,
of Jefferson as | have read them. Let me
quote one or two extracts from. Jefferson
letters TO prove my assertion. Writing at &
time when the Treasury was embarrassed nc
less than now he said:
Bank paper must be suppressed, and
the circulating medium must be restored to
the nation to rhOm IL belongs. 1t is the
only fund on which they can rely for
loans; it is the only resource that can
never fail them, and it is abundant for
every necessary purpose. Treasury bills,
bottomed on taxes, bearing or not bear
ing interest, us may be found necessary,
thrown into circulation will take the place
of so much gold and silver, which last,
when crowded, will find an effiux into
other countries, and thus keep the guam
tum of medium at its salutary level.
tFd VI. page 1879. HdshiagtoR's Edition. POpH
Tar Forest, Sept. II, 1918. To Hr. Eppes.)
Replying to the criticism of his assertion
that his policy if adopted would result in the
destruction of the banks (for it seems there
were even in the days of Jefferson men who
turned their heads towards the banks when
prophesying) he said:
'tBut it will be asked, are we to have
no banks? Are merchants and others to
be deprived of the resource of short ac-
commodatiOns, found so convenient. |
answer, let us have banks; but let them
be such as are alone to be found in any
country on earth except Great Britain.
There is not bank of discount on the
continent of Europe lat least there was
not when | was there) which offers any
thing but cash in exchange for discounted
bills. No one has the natural right to
the trade of n money lender but he who
has money to lend. Let those, then.
among us who have monied capital, and
who prefer employing it in loans rather
than otherwise, set up banks and give
cash or national bills for the notes they
discount.
(Fd. ", page III, Hashington's Edition. Month.
cello, June e. 1913. To John W. Eppes.)
As have read the proceedings of the al
legged Democrats at Indianapolis | have wen
dered what would have been their action
could Thomas Jefferson have been heard in
their gathering in response TO the denuncia-
tons hurled at Democrats for demanding, al
most in the very language of the founder OF
their party, that the privilege of issuing notes
to circulate as money should be taken from
the banks and restored to the people to whom
it belongs. can easily imagine that unau-
imous protest would have been raised against
such an evidence of ''populism'' in gather
ing of Gentlemen Democrats accustomed to
listen to no word against the granting of
special privilege when banks and trusts were
concerned.
We have come upon evil days for the coun-
try if the very words of Thomas Jefferson
mus be sneered at in Democratic gather
ing. The men of wealth at indianapolis pre-
tend that they expect in the future to keep
the ark of the covenant of the Democracy.
But they embark upon their effort by casting
reproach upon the grave and memory OF
Thomas Jefferson and by an endeavor to es-
tablish in this country that rule of privilege
against which Jefferson devoted his best DAYS.
1t would be difficult to conceive of a clearer
demonstration of the flimsy nature of the
charge against the action of the Chicago con-
vention than this And it must be admitted
that this is the ground upon which the bolt.
ing Democrats stand. They believe that a
successful attack upon the banks would be
followed by the final destruction of those
agencies through which wealth has become Sc
concentrated in this country as to have prac.
tically overthrown what Jefferson believed he
had secured. and to have established in its
place the schemes of Hamilton and his tory
allies.
l can look back with pleasure upon life
spent as a Democrat. No one more freely rec
ognizes the human frailty of parties composed
ofmen. have seen the errors of the party and
have gloried in the fact that there was enough
VIII al NV fha IL LII l.,
the fathers as the basis of the party's conten-
ton to uplift it above the blunders of parti
sans and keep it alive for the purposes in
tended by the men who gave it birth in the
early days of the nations life. Nor do be.
lieye it can be fairly contended that any other
political organization of this country could
ever make this proud boast. The closing oil
the war between the sections found the Re-
publican party in power and its excuses
drove from Its ranks the best and most trusted
leaders. 1t fell into the hands of lot OF
mere politicians who were bound by no guild
ing principle and sold their organization to
the trusts and combines by which the country
has been cursed
may beg your further indulgence as the
campaign progresses for space in which to
discuss some of the other claims of the men
who would destroy the Democratic party I'M
der the false plea of standing with Thomas
jefferson. / will now merely call attention
to the fact the gathering at indianapolis has
been called a convention and its members
delegates 1t is notorious that the persons
composing that convection are in no proper
sense delegates and that they represent
only the aggregated wealth which has made
them conspicuous. As bearing upon such q
gathering let me invite attention to one more
extract from the writings of jefferson. 1t is
not only II clear statement of the political
situation in this country to-day, but is, be-
heve, prophetic of the fate that will befall the
men of wealth who arrogate to themselves
virtues they deny to the plain people of the
land. Writing to General Lafayette, Jeffer-
son said
Behold you, then, my dear friend, at
the head of a great army, establishing the
liberties of your country against foreign
enemy. May heaven favor your cause.
and make you the channel through which
it may pour its favors. While you are
DISCRIMINATING the monster aristocracy,
and pulling out the teeth and fangs of its
associate, monarcy, contrary tendency
Is discovered in some here. A sect has
shewn itself among US, who declare they
espoused our new constitution not as
good and sufficient thing itself, but only
as step to an English constitution, the
only thing good and sufficient in ITSELF in
their eye. 1t is happy for us that these