The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-07-14

them that when we have restored the
n,onev Of fine constitution, all other
necessary reforms will be possible, and
| that until that is done there IS no re-
| form that can he accomplished.
| CHANGED IN THREE MONTHS.
"Why is it that within three months
such a change has come over the sen
timents OF this country? three
months ago. when 1T was confidently
| asserted fhat those who believe in the
| gold standard would frame our pat
| form and nominate another candidate,
| even rhe advocates Of the gold Standard
did not rflinIl that we could elect a
President. but they had good reason
| for the suspicion. because there IS
scarcely a State here to-day asking
The cold standard that is not within
| he absolute control of the Republican
party.
But note the change. Mr. Mckinley
was nomina ted at ST. Louis on plat
| form that declared for the mainten-
ance of the gold standard until 1t
should be changed into bimetallIism
| bv an international agreement. Mt
| Mckinley was the most popular man
among the Republicans, and every
| body three months ago in the Repub-
Lean party prophesied his election.
"How is it to-day? Why, that man
who used to boast that he looked like
Napoleon-that man shoulders to-day
when he thinks that he was nominated
on the anniversary of the battle OF
Waterloo Not only that, but as ne
listens he can hear with ever increas-
ing distinctness the sound of the
waves as they beat upon the lonely
shores of ST. Helena.
''Why this change? All, my friends
| is not the change evident to any VINO
will look at the matter? 1t rs no prl-
waite character. however pure, no per-
sonal popularity, however great, that
can protect from the avenging wrath
of an indignant people the man who
will either declare that he is i'll favor
of fastening the gold standard upon
this people. or who is willing to sur
render the right of self-governn1ent
and place legislative control in the
hands of foreign potentates and pow
ers.
CONFIDENT OF SUCCESS.
I'VE GO forth confident that we shall
win Why? Because upon the para
mount issue in this campaign there
is not a spot of ground upon which
| the enemy will dare to challenge bat
| tie. Why. if they tell us that the gold
standard is a good thing, we point to
their platform and tell them that their
platform pledges the party TO get rid
| Of a gold standard and substitute BIZ
metallism If the gold standard is
| good thing. why try 10 get rid OF 1T?
Il might call your attention to the
| fact that some of the very people who
= ~, Il Il -Ian
| tell YOU that we ought to declare in fa-
yor of international bimetallism, and
| thereby declare that the gold stand
ard is wrong and the principle of BIZ
metallism is beter-these very people
four months ago were open and
avowed advocates of the gold stand
| ard. and telling us that we could not
| legislate two metals together, even
| with all the world.
81 want to suggest this truth, that
| if the gold standard is a good thing
we ought to declare i'm favor of its re-
| tention. and not in favor of abandon
| ing it. and if the gold standard is
| bad thing, why should we wait until
| some other nations are willing to help
| us to let go?
THE LINE OF BATTLE.
Here is the line of batle:-We care
| not upon which issue they force the
| fight. We are prepared to meet them
| on either issue, or on both. If they
| tell us that the gold standard is the
| standard OF civillzat ton, we reply to
| them that this, the most enlightened
| of all nations of the earth, has never
declared for a gold standard, and both
| the parties this year are declaring
| against it.
IF the gold standard is the stand
ard of civilization, why, my friends,
should we not have it? SO, if they
come to meet us on that, we can pre-
sent the history of our nation. More
than that, we can tell them this, that
they will search the pages of history
in vain TO find single instance in
which the common people of any
land have ever declared themselves in
favor of gold standard. They can
find where the holders of fixed invest
, ments have.
mfr. Carlisle said in 1878 that this
was a struggle between the idle holders
| of idle capital and the struggling
masses who produce the wealth and
pay the taxes of the country, and, my
friends, it is simply a question that we
shall decide, upon which side shall the
Democratic party fight? Upon the
side of the idle holders of idle capital,
or upon the side of the struggling
masses? That is the question that
the party must answer first, and then
it must be answered by each individ-
! ual hereafter.
THE sympathies of the Democratic
party, as described by the platform,
are on the side Of the struggling
masses who have ever been the founda-
ton of the Democratic party There
are two ideas of government. There
are those who believe that if you just
legislate to make the well TO do pros
porous, their prosperity will leak
through on those below. The Demo
cratic idea has been that IT, you legis-
late TO make the MASSES prosperous
their prosperity win find IFS way up
through every class, and rest upon it.