The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-06-22
TELLER AND THE P0PULIsTs.

The address of Taubeneck and other
Populist leaders advising the faithful
to pin their faith to Senator Teller COM
plicates the political situation somewhat
so far as a combine between the free-silver
wing of the Democratic party and the
Populist party is concerned. The leaders
of the silver wing of the Democratic party
have been counting upon the Endorsement
of their National ticket by the Popuiist
convention, and there is no doubt at all
that such a combination has been favor
ably considered by such Populist leaders
as United States Senator Alien, chairman
of the National Committee; Taubeneck
and General Weaver. 1t is pretty well
understood, too. that Boies and Bland
have been doing good deal of still hunt
ing among Populists on their private ac-
count, but the introduction of Senator
Teller disturbs the cast of the whole play.
All wings of the Democratic party are
for the nearest possible approach to free
trade. So are the Popul;sts who, how
ever, go further and advocate the appli-
cation of the principles of paternalism
in the management of the Government.
They claim that it is the function of the
Nation to own and operate all railway and
telegraph lines and issue all money.
Moreover they hold that it is the right of
every citizen to borrow money from the
Government at mere nominal rate of in
terest. In short, the Omaha declaration
OF principles means that the relation be-
tween the Government and its citizens
should be substantially the same as that
between father and his minor children,
only that the children must, as far as they
can, earn their own living.
Senator Teller abhors the paternal theory
of Government, and he regards high pro-
lection as absolutely essential to the pros
perity OF the country. He expressly said
and wanted to be understood as meaning
in his speech before the st. Louis Conven-
ton that he heartily Endorsed every plank
of the platform save the one denying
silver to free and independent coinage
at the ratio of Is to l; therefore com bina-
ton between Silver Democrats, Populists
and Teller would be as incongruous and
inconsistent as could be imagined. Teller
has no use for the principles of the Democ-
racy, nor has he even respect for the doc
trine as whole Of the Populist party, but
if those parties would hide away their
long and variegated list of political abb
surdities and come together upon plat
form of just one plank, that of the free
and unlimited coinage of silver, he could
not even then afford to be their can
didate for President, for however the
intensity Of his affection for free silver
may have blinded him, Mr.. Teller has too
much good sense left to suppose that the
great mass of Americans will make free
silver coinage instead of the tariff question
the paramount issue.
No one questions Senator Teller's hon
esty and sincerity in advocating the doc
trine OF silver coinage. Only the honest
man would withdraw from a party which
he helped to found, and for whose success
he has faithfully labored for forty years,
and which held still further honors to be-
stow upon him, because he believed it had
gone astray on just one issue. Such a
man is too honest to accept the nomina-
ton of any party or combination of par
ties whose platform did not harm onize
with his own views on every economic and
monetary question. Under such circum-
stances the Democratic party or the Popu-
list party. separate or combined, would in
suit a man like Mr.. Teller were they to
ask him to become their standard bearer
until they had declared for every princi-
pie of the ST. Louis platform save the
single one of providing monetary system
for the country. This neither party would
be willing to do, nor could either of them
without becoming an annex to the Repub-
lican party. The ambition of the Demo
cratic party reaches only to the loaves and
n. n
list party is a paternal form OF Govern
ment. Senator Teller hates such debased
and un-American ambition.