Mexico weekly ledger., 1896-07-30
LETTER FROM T. B. BUCKNER.
A Comparison of the PartY's Plat,
forms of 1892 and 1896.

iufL1S Vi lo0S u 1850.
I. B.. Buckner, formerly Prescott
ing Attorney of Audrain county, now
of Kansas City, publishes the follow
ing open letter:
KANSAS City, July 26.-Four years
ago the Democratic party met at Chi
cago and adopted a platform with
practical unanimity. The financial
plank expressly pledged the party to
a repeal of the Sherman law, and to
maintain the gold and silver coinage
at a parity of the two metals. The
free coinage men, headed by Tom
Patterson, of Colorado, offered as a
substitute for the financial plank a
resolution pledging the party to the
free coinage of silver at the ratio of
Is to /. The convention, voting on
the substitute, cast 913 votes against
it and II votes in favor of it. Patter-
son bolted, went home and carried
Colorado for the Populists. The peo-
pie in the convention nominated
Grover Cleveland, the greatest Ex-
ecutive this country has produced
since the days of Thomas jefferson.
His views were then well known. His
letter of acceptance gave his views
unequivocally on the question. He
was triumphantly elected by the peo-
pie. His administration has been in
harmony with the platform, upon
which he vas elected, in every par
ticular. His administration has been
slngularly able, honest, courageous,
economical and strong. He.has main
tanned the honor of this country in all
of It's foreign relations. He has main
tanned its national honor and credit
unaided by Congress. He has main
tanned the domestic peace by prompt
ly s~uppressing riots, saving multi
tudes of lives and millions of prop
erty, and cleared the way for the
prompt carriage of the mails, and for
the peaceful progress of inter state
commerce. In short, he has maintain
ed Democratic principles, national
honor, national credit, suppressed
lawlessness and established order and
given the country an administration
of which, under the trying circum-
stances, every patriotic citizen should
be justly proud.
Now, after four years of fault find
ing, inaction, ~imbecility and obstruct-
i've tactics of the Democratic polite
ians, they have produced a condition
of panic and distrust, and are fatten-
ing upon the famine which they and
the Populists have created. AS a re-
suit, they have adopted the same res
olution which, four years ago, was re-
pudiated by over 900 votes. They
have nominated a man because he is
Populist. They have refused to in
dorse an administration that was true
to the pledges and traditions of the
party. The convention expressly re-
pudiated every act of his administra-
ton.
The platform is not only un-Demo'
cratic, but Populistic and A~narchistic
Under the leadership of Tiliman, Alt,
geld and Stone they have evolved the
proposition that the President of this
great country has no power to sup
press instruction, unless first invited
by an Anarchistic Governor, who may
himself be actively engaged in or il
sympathy with the insurrection. Law
abiding citizens and loyal Democrats
will repudiate any such dogma. Al
much as we may dislike free silver, j
is sugar coated in comparison will
this stab at the maintenance of the es
tablished order. 1t is worse than Sc
o~essinn. IT is open defiance of fedora
authority and its government. Their
is no reason why the Democratic part.
of 1892, which SO CALAMITY won unde
the stars and stripes, should marcl
under the red flag of Anarchy in 1896
The issue is distinctly raised-th'
maintenance of the establishment o
law and order and the public credi
and consequent private security O.
the one side, or Anarchy and repudia
ton upon the other.
l care not what course others ma
take, l care not for the jeers of bein
called a bolter. have been an actlv
party worker for years. l believe i
the principles of 1892. They are tn
antipode of the principles adopted i
1896. If standing firm for the princi
> pies of 1892 constitute me a boltel
then 1 plead guilty; I will not marc
under the red flag of Anarchy raise
for the first time in this country
this year of our Lord, 1896. =
THOMAS 3. BUCKNER.