The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1896-06-26
LIVE ISSUES.
The Silver ITEMS Protest.


The protest was read by Senator
Cannon of Utah. The prelim-
mary introduction is omitted and
the essence of the document is as
follows:
"We recognize that in all matters
of mere method it is but just and
helpful that the minority shall yield
to the will of the majority, lest we
have chaos in parties and in govern
ments. But as no pronouncement
by majorities can change opposing
knowledge or belief sincerely enter
tanned, SO it cannot oblige minor
tiles to abandon or disavow their
principles. Assuredly as it is
requisite for peace and progress
that minorities shall yield to ma
jorities in matters of mere method,
Just SO surely is it necessary for
that same peace and progress that
minorities shall not yield in mat
tiers of fundamental truth.
"The republican platform of 1892
affirmed that the American people
from tradition and interest favored
bimetallism and demanded the use
of both gold and silver as standard
money. This was accepted by us
as declaration in behalf of the
principle upon which rests the in
terest of every citizen and the
safety of the United States. In
such terms the platform was then
satisfactory to the believers in BIZ
metallism within our party; only
because of equivocal construction
and evasion has it since been dem
onstrated to be insufficient. The
platform this day adopted in the
national republican party conven-
ton at st. Louis says: 'As the dec
laration of 1892 has been by a ma
,jority of the party construed to
justify single gold standard for
our monetary basis, and as the
recent trend of the official power of
the party has been in that direc-
ton, we can but assume that the
money plank of the new platform,
being much more favorable to per-
petuate gold recommendation, will
be determinedly used in behalf of
that idea. The republican party
has won its power and renown by
pursuing its purposes courageously
and relentlessly; it is, therefore,
only in accordance with the party's
history to assume that if it shall
come to present authority in the
United States it will crystalize into
the law and administration under
this tempting platform the perpet-
ual single gold standard in our
finances. This, if long continued,
will mean the absolute ruin of the
producer of the country and finally
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''The American people not only
favor bimetallism from tradition
and interest, but from that wise
instinct which has always been
manifest in the affairs of a people
destined for the worlds leadership.
Under the operation of our great
demand for advancement we have
become to other nations the great
est debtor nation of the world. We
pay the vast charges, which every
year accumulate against us in the
clearing house of the world, with
the money of the world, procured
by the disposal of our commodities
in the markets of the world. We
are a nation of producers. Our
creditors are nations of consumers.
Any nation of international or ma
tional finance which elevates the
price of human product makes our
burden lighter and gives promise of
that day when it shall be entirely
lifted and our country freed finan-
cially, as it is politically, from the
domination of monarchy and for
eign autocracy. Any system of
finance which tends to depreciate
the price of human productions,
which we must sell abroad, but so
far adds to the burden of our debt,
and conveys threat of the perpet-
ual servitude of the producers of
our debtor nations to the consumers
of creditor nations. To use it is a
folly without a parallel that this
country or any political party
therein should deliberately accept
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