The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1896-08-19
A CALL TO GoLDITES.
Anti-Silver Democrats Issue an
Address to Voters.
The Platform and Candidates of the Chi
cago Convention are KepudIated and
Its Proceedings are Declared to
Have Been in Violation OF
the Tenets of the Party.

=
national executive committee OF the
gold democratic party was held Mon
day at the Palmer house. Chairman
Bynum, of Indiana, presided. The
principal business which called the
committee together was the prepara-
tion and adoption of tho following ad-
dress to the democratic voters OF the
country:
TO the Democrats of the United States: The
democratic party is the only existing political
organization with history extending back to
the birth OF the republic. Party after party
has attempted It's overthrow. Some have
achieved temporary triumphs. With each tri-
umph was heard the prophecy that the demo-
cratic party would surely die. 1t has survived
all defeats BY virtue OF its indestrucuble
principles 1t has witnessed the birth and death
OF every rival save one and this, its present
great antagonist, with history OF no more
than 40 years, had no part In laying the founda-
tions OF constitutional popular government
For moro than century 1t has kept the faith.
without variableness or shadow Of turning
1t has held fast TO the fundamental principles
OF free government formulated by its founders
and subsequently enforced by its great leaders
from Jefferson to Cleveland For more than
constituted democracy.
Every true democrat insisted upon strict
observance Of the mandates Of the federal con-
stitution and OF the limitations therein pre-
scribed, as well as upon loyal support OF all
the institutions thereby created to be guar
antees OF the liberty it sought TO perpetuate'
He profoundly disbelieved in the ability OF
government through paternal legislation or
supervision to increase the happiness of the
nation. He was opposed to all attempts to
coniure comfort into the homes Of its citizens
or wealth into their pockets. He believed that
it is the function Of government to provide the
people with an honest and stable medium OF
exchange, thus enabling them to transact their
business safely and conveniently in every mart
and market OF the world. He reprobated every
attempt to supply to money by means OF legis-
| laton that value which 1t can possess only by
| reason OF those inequalities that render 1t ac-
| ceptible TO the world when unsupported by leg
| islatiye fat.
| With such o record and such creed, the
| president, moreover, being democrat elected
| on platform reaffirning the sound principles
| OF democracy, the democratic party was called
| upon to select delegates to u national conven-
| tion. The delegates to the convention held at
| Chicago we're authorized to proclaim platform
| embodying their views Of the true solution OF
the particular problems OF the government
now agitating the nation, but upon tho condi-
| tion that such platform should be consistent
with the cardinal principles held by the party
throughout It's existence. These principles
constitute the essential element Of the party's
life. II they are abandoned, the party ceases
| to exist 1t was, therefore, not within the
power Of any majority Of the delegates assem-
| bed ut Chicago to bind the United States to a
platform inconsistent with the party prin-
ciples or to any enaction that should result In
their surrender.
| In violation OF the trust committed to them
majority OF the delegates assembled in tina,
convention, ignoring the rights OF the minor
ity, unseated regularly elected delegates tc
make places for others In sympathy Will
themselves They proclaimed Q sectiona
combination Of the south and west agains
north and cast They impeached the honest!
and patriotism OF President Cleveland, who
under exceptional embarrassments produced
by past errors OF legislation has heroicall!
maintained the honor and integrity OF the re
| public Against the protest Of one-third Of tn,
delegates they promulgated a platform at vari
| ance with the essential principles OF the demo
cratic party.
This platform is in its politics dangerous tC
the welfare and life Of free government 1t 4
, mischievous In It's tendencies. But even NOR
threatening and mischievous was the spirit o.
the convention that adopted it, o spirit mani
tested not alone by its affirmative action. bu
US well by its reckless rejection OF every prop
osition tending to temper the declarations o
, the convention with conservatism and justice
! The platform proposes to degrade the coin Q
the United States by means of the free, un
limited and independent coinage of silver b
! | our government and the exercise Of the powe
| by the nation to compel the acceptance of de
y preciated coins at their nominal value, there
4 by working an injustice to creditors: defraud
! ing the laborer of large part of his earning
I and savings; robbing pensioned soldiers Of
7 part of their pensions; contracting the cur
rency by the expulsion OF gold coin from circu
:, lation injuring, II not destroying, domesti
trade and foreign commerce
4, While protesting to advocate policy OF b
metallism 1t censures the present democrat
:, administration for maintaining the parity
= gold and silver. 1t proposes TO reduce III
= country to condition of silver monometallisl
z with it's vacillating and unreliable standard
values and tends to bring the farmer the wal
:, worker and the salarled man to the wretche
y condition Of the same classes in countries
which the silver standard prevails, and whel
:, the rewards OF agriculture and labor are lowt
= than anywhere else in the world
It demands the free coinage Of silver
= the arbitrary and fictitious ratio of 70 80 l. a
q though the ratio established IN the world
"A market is about 81 to |, and although neith
!, experience nor reason warrant the belief TIL
- the commercial ratio between the two meta
~ can be reduced by the action of this Cover
y ment TO any ratio even apprse nlating tn
proposed 1t threatens in certain contingenci
=, to increase to an unlimited extent the vo
~ ume of legal tenders issued by the federal go
a ernment, the ultimate effect Of which would
- to force the withdrawal of all coin from crc
- lation and to compel public and private bus
4, ness 10 be transacted in deprecated paper Gu
=. rency,
A. 1t nssAals the independence of the judlcia
70 by q covert threat to reorgani2e the cour
whenever their decisions contravene the d
80 crees Of the party caucus.
1t seeks to allure office-seekers and spoil
men to its support by attacking the exiSti
civil service law, which gooG men OF all pa
l. ties have labored so long TO establish and
D. extend TO all departments OF the public ser
"a ice.
y The Chicago convention having thus depart.
from the recognized democratic faith and pr
lc lnulgated doctrines new and strange to the d
T. mocrncy oil democrats are absolyed from Q
A legation 10 support its programme.
That this party as we have known II may n
'. die, let the faithful OF years rally around
h historic banner refor2a its broken lines aI
= with aoidlng faith in the final triumph OF /
" principles unite to restore the name democr
70 to It's former meaning and proud distinctiO
= To this end we ask all democrats who are o.
y posed to tho platform adopted and canddat
Is nominated at Chicago to organize In their se'
eral states and to send representatives TO Il
convention OF the national democratic party
be held at Indianapolis on September 2, lB0d
It Wage Reductions Brought Into Court.
If OMAHA, Neb., Aug. 1s.-The tel
n graph operators on the line Of Il
Is Union Pacific have fled sensations
d suit in the federal court. The case
" brought in the name of the Order
.o Railway TelegrapherR. The plaintiff