Evening star., 1896-09-09
STICKS TO THE PARTY.
Senator Carter for Free Silver. Ii
Opposes Other Democratic Doctrfu

Senator Carter for Free Silver buf
Opposes Other Democratic Doctrines,
Senator Carter, who Is in the east. and
cannot attend, has written a letter to the
republican state convention of Montana
which meets at Helena today, explaining
the action of himself and four other mem
bers of the Montana delegation to the St
Louis convention In reserving the right Of
the republican party of the state to accept
or reject the declaration in favor of the res
toration of silver by international agree
ment. The Senator says in the letter:
AS republican, l believe in the free
coinage OF silver and protection to Amer
lean labor and American industry. / do not
believe in free coinage coupled with free
trade, and l do not believe that free COIN
age with free trade can be successfully
ernment. The free trade policy will rem
der tie establishment of bimetallism an
utter imposslbility. The attempt to Sc
cure free coinage in conjunction with free
trade is a UtopiaN dream. After looking
the whole situation over, 1T will be found
that the republican party has not declared
in favor of the gold standard, but in favor
of the restoration of silver. 1 find in this
particular thai it differs from the opposi-
tion platform only in the matter of method,
l believe that the republican platform is
in this behalf too conservative; but, as
between the acceptance Of the republican
platform, with its conservative express
sion on this subject and the acceptance
of the Chicago platform, with its free
trade states rights, free riot and other
objec ctionable features I find no room to
questionable duty Of the delegates who
assemble under and in conformity with the
forms and usages Of the republican party
of this state, and as delegate representa-
tive of the republicans who reside here to
place in the field electors favorable to Nc
Kinley and Hobart.
The party in Montana should, in my
opinion. indorse the entire national plat
form. except as to the feature declaring
international agreement a condition pre-
cedent to the demonetization of silver.
For that declaration this convention
free coinage of gold and silver in the same
manner as our state conventions have
heretofore declared. Within the past forty
one months the country has fallen from
the height Of prosperity to the depths of
despair. Thoughtless men freely talk CT
revolution. In the midst of the reigning
chaos In political thought our party stands
as the only conservative force adequate
to restore order and confidence. Without
In the future, as in the past, shall stand
for protection and free coinage, firmly be-
lieving that the best interests of our state
and the nation at large will be subserved
by the election of Mckinley and Hobart.
I shall give them my support, notwith-
standing the national platform does not
meet my approval in one particular The
few who seek to find justification in the
platform for advocacy Of the single gold
standard are at war with the party and
it's platform. Their discordant utterances
are to be regarded as unavoidable noise
incident to a great present conflict To
those of our party who feel constrained
on account of a matter of method of one
Issue to depart from us on all other ma
tional questions at the coming election, we
should manifest spirit of toleration, well
knowing that in due season they viii re-
turn"