The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1896-07-23

z. T.. billiard, Editor.
Published Every Thursday.
Entered at the Post Office at Scotland
Neck. N. c., as Second Class Matter.
THURSDAY. JULY %, 1895.
FREE SILVER TO WIN.
There have been few periods, il in
deed any at all, in our national history
when a movement gathered strength
from the whole people as rapidly and
aa surelv as has the silver movement
during the past sixty days.
THE COMMONWEALTH has had very
little to say ON the money question in
fact 90 little that 1t can scarcely be said
to have expressed an opinion at all.
Once, and only once, have We given e1-
preston, and that was to the effect that
we believed In the principles OF bimet-
alism. We have had good reasons for
not making effort to create or stimulate
sentineut. on the financial question.
Whether our reasons have been satisfac-
tory to others or not, we cannot tell,
but it has been q matter of conscience
to u.
The money question IL 80 compll-
Gated, 30 far-reaohing In all its bear
in&s. that We have never felt capable of
giving advice to this great nation as
to how its financial interests should
and could best be managed; and we
stick to what we said once before, that
many who have offered ADVICE were
none too well stocked themselves with
the wisdom they freely offeredt Others.
All the while this paper has said it
preferred to leave the settlement of
this money question to the national
convention, believing that men who
have given the matter years and years
of study and experience know much
more about it than we do.
The voice of the great Democratic
party Of the nation spoke forth in
thunder tones at Chicago two weeks
ago, and said in unmistakable accents
that the people want q national ad-
ministratlon ON platform which de-
mands the free and unlimited coinage
Of silver at the ratio OF Is to1.
THE CoAMoNwRAITH neither helped
nor hindered, in 80 much as feathers
weight, the sentiment that was herald
ed forth from that convention hall In
the platform adopted there.
But we have stood ready all the
time to do the Wish of the great Dem
ooratic party of the nation, and now
that it has spoken and made known its
wish we shall do our little best towards
helping elect tpe gentlemen named
On the national ticket.
There seems to be a disposition on
the part of some Democrats who have
been outspoken in favor of a gold
STANDARD to antagonist the platform
bet forth and the ticket nominated by
the National Democratic Convention.
This il u1wise. No one mans opin-
ion ought to be set up against the
opinions of millions of others.
The tight is on for silver. It is on
in earnest. The Democratic party, es
pecially %kat part of it which belong.
to the West and South, will never be
satisfied until the thing is tested. II
is poor policy In the Northern press
to say that tho men who fought for
formulated and adopted the free silver
platform at Chicago, were thieves and
enthusiasts without judgment. They
were good men. They were honest
men. They were men In desperate
earnest, and they meant what they did
in all the sincerity of great and noble
nature, backed by a. noble and hui
name impulses If the Northern press
does think that they wore enthusiasts,
1t IL unwise in saying they were insin-
cere. And if, after all, the free silver
IDEA does prevail, and it now looks like
Mr.. Bryan will be elected, and it
should prove disastrous to the country,
1t could not be charged even then that
the mem who fought It out were not