Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1896-08-01

/ ed:
on such a full sea are we now ahoat, and
we must
| Take the current when II serves,
/ Or lose our ventures
For 20 wears we have been pleading WITH
the people to espOuse the sacred cause
which is at stake in this campaign we
have constantly urged through good ana
! through evil report that our pr nclpies
were more important than party assocla-
lions: were above all considerations of
private fortune or the petty and feverish
! ambitions of men. We have thus Tar
suited our action to our words made
! through five presidential campaigns,
| stretching from 1876 to 1892. You correctly
estimated the purpose of old party mana
! gers and events have sustained every
! specification in your indictment against
them. Millions of honest men within old
party ranks were deceived lured INTO am
bush and betrayed. But not a single one
of your picketS has been caught mapping
or been taken by surprise. To your de-
voted efforts is largely due the revival or
economic learning in this country, when
has enabled the democratic party to as
sumo the present admirable attitude.
Your work now promises much to man
kind and is about to break forth in com
plete victory for the Industrial masses.
Though oft repulsed by the multitude
whom we would have liberated, though
cructied in return for our k ndness, yet
through it all we have steadily conhded
in the righteousness of our cause and the
final good sense of the people. We still
believe that this nation has a mission to
perform which bad men will not be per
mitted to Destroy and recent events IN
dictate the nineteenth century is not after
all, to close with the friends of freedom
Respondent in the western hemisphere.
This country has recently witnessed
d. 4 1sly
tism of fire. The recent convention at
Chicago sounded a bugle call for union
which can neither be misunderstood nor
go unheeded. In patriotic utterances ana
action it swept away all middle ground
and opened the way to formidable organic
alliance. They not only made union pos
sible, thank heaven, they have rendered
it inevitable.
From the very beg ming of our organi
zation days we made party feeling subor-
dinate to principle. We will not here re-
verse ourselves and refuse 10 accept vic
tory now SO easily within our reach. We
will not refuse the prOffered assistance OF
at least 100000 free silver republicans
simply because they have shown the good
sense to come with an organized army
fully equipped and manned for battle.
Let them have their own divisions and
army corps Let them manifest their own
esprit du corps. The field Of glory is
open 20 all competitors who are lighting
for the same principles.
The populsts have already shown their
prowess in many engagements during 70
years of struggle. If our allies can strike
sturdier blows at plutocracy than we can;
if they can scale the battlements Of the
gold power more CALAMITY than our old
veterans and are able to plant their col
ors one foot nearer the citadel of the en-
envy than we can ourselves, let every
heroic work. We will all march under
the same flag, keep step 10 the same mu-
sic, face the same foe, share in and shout
over the same triumph.
We cannot be mistaken concerning the
real issue involved in the struggle of the
present year. 1t is between the gold
standard, gold bonds and bank currency
on the one hand, and the bimetallic
standard, no bonds, and government cur
rency on the other. The people are asked
to choose between enforced idleness des-
titutiOn, debt, bankruptcy and despair on
the one side and the open door Of OPP
pOrtunity under just laws and normal
conditions on the other.
A Mighty Civic Question.
The situation presents the mightiest
civic question that ever cOnVulsed civ
!lzed nation. The conflict can neither be
postponed nor avoided. Ia the name OF
the suffering people l affirm that this is
no time for dissensiOn nor party divisions.
The supreme hour for action has arrived.
If we would be victorious we must make
common cause with the heroic men who
dominated the Chicago convention No
other cause is either prudent or desirable.
We are not asked to abandon our party,
nor would it be wise to do so. If it is to
be preserved we will, in my judgment, be
compelled to that course which | am
about to indicate. The silver democrats
have lined up as an organization; now
let the populists, free silver republicans
and the American silver party do like
wise. Form an embattled square-impen-
etrabe to the assaults of the confeder-