Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1896-10-08
TO THINKING MEN.
Sound Advice from = Leading Agricultu-
st raj Journal. -

SOUND ADVICE from q Leading AGr1cultu-
raj JOURNAL. -
1t has been an unbroken rule of Farm
News to refrain from taking any part in
which are issues In party politics. Under
ordinary conditions no other course il
proper for a strictly agricultural paper.
In recent years, the issues between POI
litical parties have been such that the
triumph Of one or of the other meant no
radical changes fraught with danger to
the American people.
This year conditions are extraordinary.
The questions at issue are vital and upon
their proper settlement depends the hap
piness and prosperity of our people, If
not the perpetuity of our form of gov
eminent itself: After careful delibera-
ton, long and thoughtful consideration
of every phase of the question. Farm
News believes that it's duty to American
farmers, the duty of its management as
American citizens. requires that 1t viO-
late its heretofore unbroken custom.
The radical and we believe dangerous
policies enunciated in the Democratic
lenge to every man who believes in law
and order, progress and prosperity, ma
tional honor and national honesty, and
to answer that challenge effectually there
is no course open but to advocate the
election of William Mckinley.
We do this not because he Is a Repub-
lican. The mere names Republican or
Democrat have no meaning for us, as
our non-interference in previous cleo
tons will testify. We take this course
entirely free from partisan spirit and
no man can more bitterly regret the
necessity for such step than do the
management of this paper. Nothing but
the strongest sense of imperative duty
could force it.
At such a crisis, candor requires a
candid statement of the reasons govern
ing this departure from an unknown Gus
tom.
The free coinage of silver at 16 to 1,
demanded in the Democratic platform,
means a silver standard of currency for
this country. 1t is not demand for BIZ
metallism in any sense of the word, and
in the opinion of the leading bimetal-
lists of the world, including Gen. Francis
A. Walker, whose life and great talents
have been devoted to the cause of BIZ
metallism, the free coinage of silver by
this country alone will make ii practically
impossible to secure for silver the posi-
ton which bimetallists believe it should
occupy, equality with gold in the cur
rency of the world. Silver monometal-
lism means the reduction of our currency
system to equality. with that of Mexico,
or China; a chasing of ourselves with
the governments of Asia and the stagnate
second rate powers of South America
1t means currency fluctuating in value
from day to day, dollar worth one
thing now and something else next week.
Men who lived through the period of de-
preciated paper money from 1862 to 1879,
know the curse of an unstable currency.
1t means no fixed level upon which all
prices and all wages can stand, but val
ues shifting constantly and without fixed
relation.
Outside Of the radical demand for sill
yer monometallism. the Democratic plat
form enunciates doctrines that cannot
be held less than direct attacks upon
law and order, and if carried out would
sap the very foundations of our govern
ment.
The thinly-veiled suggestion of an in
tention to pack the Supreme court, to Sc
cure such decisions as party exigencies
might demand. is revolutionary.
The denunciation of the present adj
ministration for using force to put stop
TO rioting, plumber and murder, is a bid
for support from those classes that are
inimical to all law, and is an insult to
the honest laboring men of the country,
because 1t assumes that they are Anar-
chists.
The civil service plank is a demand
for return to the spoils system with
all It's corrupt and brutalizing conse-
In view of these new, radical and dam
gerous doctrines which the Democratic
party has adopted under the lead of reck-
less men. Farm News would be recreant
to duty if it failed to cast its influence
on the side of sound money, respect for
constitution and law, national honor and
prosperity.
This paper becomes no political organ,
owes fealty 10 no man, and when the
doctrines represented in this campaign
in the personality of William Mckinley
shall have been accepted by the Amer
lean people, as we hope and believe they
will he, Farm News will again take it's
stand outside of party politics in the
hope that never again will such attacks
upon American institutions be made by
any political party as to demand the
alignment under another party banner of
every American citizen whose love for
free institutions is greater than his de-
sire for party supremacy.