The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1896-02-07
Silver Clubs.

Last spring, the democrats maue
an endeavor to sidetrack republican
voters by the organization of free
silver clubs. The effort was abortive,
because the matter was shown up In
its true light by the republican press.
The attempt is now being revived,
in spite of its futility last spring, in
hopes of carrying some precincts
in the spring election. Silver clubs
are being organized quietly in some
towns in this county. The NORTH
ERNER would urge upon republicans
the utmost care and rigid investiga-
ton before they join themselves to
these organizations, not because the
NoRTHERNER desires republicans to
be inimical to the interests of silver,
but because it has come to be po-
litical axiom that all roads out of
the republican party lead into the
democratic party. These silver clubs
will be found to be organized at the
instigation of democratic committees
and Differed by scheming democrats,
with just enough republicans in the
official list to fool susceptible republi-
can voters. Republican clubs will
shortly be formed all over the country,
and these are the proper forums in
which republicans should congregate
to discuss political issues. The sill
yer question will not be tabooed. A
free discussion of it will do good to
the party.
Since its organization, the repub-
lican party has boldly met issue after
issue, without lodging or equivocat-
ing, and has wisely solved them in
every instance. We believe it will
so meet the silver issue. The proper
way to accomplish desired reforms is
by working within the ranks of the
republican party, educating the hon.
est voters of that party and thus
bringing the party to the issue.
The democratic party is a single
gold standard party if it is anything.
If the democratic administration has
done aught to clarity the political
atmosphere, it has done it by defn-
ing the position of the democracy on
the money question. True, the
Michigan democracy has once de-
clared in favor of free silver; but the
Michigan democracy has very little
to do in formulating the political creed
of the democratic party. While a
few minor democratic organs have
accepted the Michigan state platform
as political gospel, such is not the
case with the leading democratic
journals, as is evidenced by the fol
lowing from the Detroit Free Press
the organ of the democratic party in
this state:
''There is manifest disposition on
the part of numerous republican or.
gans to denounce the democratic
party as without any settled finan.
cial policy. So far as the administra-
ton is concerned it has left nothing
in doubt or uncertainty regarding
this matter. Both the president and
the secretary of the treasury have
committed themselves without equiv.
ocation to honest money and per.
manent retirement of the legal ten
der notes. No one has higher au.
thority to speak for the party or has
been more fearless in doing so. Their
utterances in this direction are or,
thodox democracy and wherever
there is dissent within the party
ranks there is a departure from the
tenets of the true faith"
On the other hand, the populist,
are practically silver monometal
lists. The republican party is bi
metallic party, and has always beer
SO. Not single state or nationa
platform can be produced that de
clares to the contrary. Let no re
publican be deceived. The silve
question is getting to be a great is
sue, and the only hope for its sue
cessful settlement is through tn,
safe and sure channels of republican
legislation.