Birmingham state herald., 1896-03-15
A PLEA FOR HARMONY.
To the State Herald.

To the State Herald.
 The one thing more than all others
 chargeable with the defeat of the demo-
 cratic party in the last national election
 in the United States is intolerance; in-
 tolerance among the leaders, one to the
 other about matter that ought not to
 be a source of dissension, but which
 ought to have been settled by compro-
 mise and adjustment among the leaders
 of the people in Washington. Democrats
 now differ vitally about question of
 coinage Such difference cannot be set
 tied at the ballot box and harmony re-
 suit. It must be manifest to every calm
 thinking, unprejudiced mind that when
 the smoke of battle has drifted from the
 field of contention there will not remain
 a united democracy.
 The defeated will find asylum in the
 ranks of those always opposed to the na-
 tional democratic party. It ought to be
 apparent to those who contend for sim
 gle gold standard and to those who con-
 tend for the unlimited coinage of silver
 that neither can or ought to succeed.
 Gold has become the measure of the val
 ue of silver and this will always be the
 case where one metal Is more valuable
 intrinsically than the other. The less
 abundant will become the standard of
 measurement of the more abundant. This
 country with its immense territory, Its \ immense and growing population and its
 immense resources and credit, can stand
 a very large amount of silver. The coun-
 try will not suffer if there be as much sil-
 yer, dollar for dollar, in circulation as
 there is of gold; and since the great com mercial countries of the world have adopted gold as the standard, and since the creditor element among the American people, including the president of the United States, insisted that gold must be the standard, and that silver must be subsidiary, therefore, in order to settle this controversy, let this be resolved: That there shall be as much silver coined in the United States of America, dollar for dollar as there shall be coined of gold, so that dollar for dollar, at all times there shall be as much silver in circulation as gold; and that the silver so in circulation shall be money receivable in payment of all public dues, and shall be a legal tender for all debts."
 If this resolution could be enacted into law the country would soon become adjusted to it and all controversy as to the currency would be settled. This might have been done at the called ses- sion of congress in 1893, and would have been done if the president had been wise enough to see that upon the question of the free coinage of silver there were de- termined parties in both the democratic and republican parties, antagonistic to each other, the one for and the other against the free coinage of silver. and 1t ought to nave been ms pOllcy pO nave brought about a compromise. It has been always the case in the history of this government that when there was strong antagoniSm upon any question of vital importance peace was obtained by a compromise. Take into considera- tion the strong antagonism resulting from the heated discussion of the free coinage of silver and the monometallic standard of gold, and having in view the result of such controversy in the state of Kentucky, can either MT. Johnston or MT. Clarke If nominated be elected in Au- gust? Will the men led by the Mont gomery Advertiser support Johnston if nominated? Or will the men who insist upon the unlimited free coinage of silver by the United States of America support Mir Clarke if nominated? It Is perfectly manifest there are large numbers of the supporters of these gentlemen who will hot sacrifice what they call principle to support a candidate on this question not representing their views. To an old vet eran who has fought Through twenty campaigns 1t seems incredible that over ] a question like this men should go mad.