Mexico weekly ledger., 1896-08-06
Sound Money Address.
AUDRAIN COUNTY SOUND MONEY
DEMOCRATS PUBLISH AN
OPEN LETTER.
Have Not Concluded as Yet What They
Will Do In the Coming Campaign
Most OF Them Will Probably
Vote the Regular Ticket
When the Time
Comes.

Comes.
To the Democrats of Audrain County:
MExIco, Mo-, July 81, 1s96.--We,
the undersigned Democrats of Audrain
County, for the first time in our lives,
fiud that we are unable to endorse the
doctrines of the platform adopted by
National (so-called) Democratic
Convention. We cannot delude our
selves by pretending to believe that
which our judgments and consciences
repel simply because a majority of
our political associates assert and pro-
claim it and have seen fit to denomi-
nate it Democratic.
We do not believe that the United
States Government possesses the
power to legislate value any more
than it possesses the power to legis-
late weight or distance, and the posi-
ton of that platform that so cents
worth of silver shall be legislated into
100 cents worth is contrary to reason,
the teachings of political economy and
is In contradiction of every utter
ance of every Democratic platform of
every national convention of that
party relating to the subject. Its
counterpart is found only in the Wis
ions of the most visionary, and is the
legitimate offspring of the old fiat
money party, long since succumbed
to common sense and practically.
We can but believe that the conse-
quences of such legislation will be
disastrous in the extreme, depressing
and ruinous to the interests of all
alike. The declaration for free and
unlimited coinage of silver at the
arbitrary ratio of Is to / is contrary
to the teachings of Jefferson, wherein
he says: "Just principles lead us to
disregard the legal proportions alto
gether; to inquire into the market
price of gold in the several countries
| with which we shall principally be
connected and take an average from
them and the coinage of gold and sill
yer at our mints should be at a ratio
| thus determined" 1t is directly con-
trary to the declaration of the Demo-
cratic National Convention of 1892,
which enunciated the principle that
the two metals must be kept at a
parity, in which convention a propo-
sition for the free and unlimited COIN
age of silver at ratio of Is to 1 was
voted down by 900 delegates against
II for it.
No declaration of the Chicago plat
form is fraught with greater evil con-
sequences than that which denounces
the present Democratic administra-
tion for sending troops into Chicago
during the strike of 1894 to arrest the
destruction of property of citizens of
the United States; to prevent their
murder and pillage by an unlawful
mob engaged in the violation of the
laws of the United States. The direct
authority for this action is found in
section IS of article of the Constitu--
tion, which says: "He (the Presi-
dent) shall take care that the laws be
faithfully executed" This same power
was exercised by President Washing
ton in suppressing the whisky insur-
rection in Pennsylvania during his
first term of Office. An exemplifica-
ton of the same power conferred in
the Constitution is found in President
Andrew Jackson's Qualification Proc
lamation," where he said to the nulli-
fiers of South Carolina, who threaten
ed resistance to the laws of the United
States: "The dictates of a high duty
oblige me solemnly to announce that
you cannot succeed. The laws Of the
United States must be executed. l
have no discretionary power on the
subject. My duty is emphatically
pronounced in the Constitution"
We can but doubt the sincerity of
the leaders of the convention in sup
porting this plank when we remember
that on July 18th, 1894, several MEM
bers of that Convention, who were
members of the United States Senate
voted for the following resolution in
troduced in the Senate by Senator
Daniel, of Virginia, the temporary
chairman of the Chicago Convention:
adopted by the President of the 6hIeed
States and the members of his admin
istration to repulse and repei by mill
tary force the interference of lawless-
ness with due process of the laws OF
the United States, and with transpor-
tation of the mails of the United States,
and with commerce among the States.
The action of the President and his
administration has the full sympathy
and support of the law abiding masses
of the people of the United States, and
he will be supported by all the depart
ments of the government and by the
power and resources of the entire ma
| tion.'
By this plank of the platform they
attempt to deceive the honest masses
of the party and cause them to believe
that their President has been guilty o
a violation of his oath of office and ths
Constitution. They may be able u
deceive you temporarily but when the!
put forth that plank of the platform
they were not deceived themselves.
j The assault upon the Federal judici
ary Is grave and augurs great DANCE
to the perpetuity of constitutions
government. The courts are the bui
wark of the Republic against tn
passions and preiudices OF classes, sec
lions and parties and must remain indie
, pendent of party clamor and rancor
!. constitutional government win prov
!. !. to he anarchy instead Of a guaranty
y safety for life, liberty and property
!, Never before has the great party
: Jefferson, Jackson and Tilden been
under the domination of error innu
enced by passion and prejudice and