The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1896-07-11
DEMOCRACY'S DOOM.
a Free Silver Platform.
VIII Certainly seal It-Postmaster
General Wilson so Declares in
in a. Letter to the IT. Louis
GIobe-Democrat.

The Globe Democrat" invites from
me an opinion of the fatality OF max
ing free silver the supreme issue Of
the Democratic party. am glad to
respond to its request. although this
momentous issue seems about to be
decided under conditions little favor
able to calm discussion, This in it.
self Is ground for alarm. 1t was
truly said by the late MIR. Lamar that
financial legislation deals with the
two most delicate and sensitive parts
of the apparatus OF civil society-the
currency of country and the all
pervading relation OF debtor and
creditor This being true. there is
nothing in the relations of human So
ciety that ought to he touched so eau
tiously: nothing that rash experiment
may effect more disastrously. If
questions 50 essentially non-political
as the standard of value and the quail
ity and quantity OF currency are ever
to be submitted 70 popular vote such
submission can be safely made only
after full aud honest discussion at Il
time when people are ready to listen
with open minds and with sole de
sire to determine what is right
It j. periiouS in the extreme to fofNe
such questions into the arena OF par
tisan politics N times of general de-
preston. when men are too often ready
10 BY 10 any fallacy or delusion that
is held out to them "a an immediate
relief for thei, distresses. Our uni
form experience has been that in every
era Of hard times many voters are
the victims Of financial dclusionS and
concessions "a these delusion- or
comDrvmis5- with them are directly
responsible ioi our disOrdered none
tary system and Cor the industrial
stagnatioE mat is sure to follow an
unstable or suspected currency.
It i n0w p"oposed to commit the
party to free coinage Of silver at an
arbitrary ratio. so that the Govern
ment shall stamp As "a dollar" lu0c
worth Of gold bullion ar .J9c worth OF
silver bullioR for any one who may
prcsen. one or the other at its nints.
This never has been a Democratic
doctrine and cannot be haTmonized
with the principles or the practice of
the party. M. Jefferson. its founder.
repeatedly said.
The proportion between the values
81 -olG and silver j. u mercantile
problem altogether. and again:
Just principles viii lead Us to disre-
gard thc IegaI propositions altogether:
II inquire into the market price of
uu.d im the several countries with
which We shall probably BE- connected
in commerce and take advantage from
them, and n repeatedly expressed
his preference for gold because of
it, superior convenience in transpor-
tatiOn
Their was never a day from 1892
down - its exit from power in IS6I
when the Democratic party did not
Unanimously "'o'P' NJ r',,e' sun
rules anu III" lo' % a'ei"iiH ioiio" MN
IN us coinage l""9' III i't'iiohS Win
'iliS we" were ho' o"iS 'ne ue'i"r".
'lon7 OF lne 'eiiioer',ic P'"'Ioilii o!
io'-' p"' 'lie ieI'eI Vi '''se seP'iiHe vi
'o'H MI '.-eH e'''ii" anu WI 'o'7' eH-
son an" 'Ile N"'ioIal 'o'iN eii'lol' "S
Pfdtlic''liF UNANIMOUS 'oIt' reJec't'
the proposition Oh Ny. fat'erSoh'
81 'oI"rduo' - insert III I'9 Pi"'Ioiin
ID" "ofd Iiee' even "heh he coh-
l3h"eu 'haI II meant noI 'lie coinage
Oh 4 'Vc "oil"F' '"' ,.le coinage VI
goa o"iIaf ana SILVER ooliar nav
lh@ AHeo parry ana e1'h uoilar
containing metal "' equal intrinsic
value.
NEW TEST OF FEALTTY.