Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1896-10-08

pressly discarded and laid aside-the safe
guards OF individual freedom, the preser.
vation Of the rights of the states, opposi.
ton to the interfering hand Of paternal
government In the affairs and business Oh
the people. are all forgotten in the intem.
perate zeal to declare the financial heresy
Of free silver coinage gt 16 to /.
Upon platform of practically one
plank how can an honest man stand, II
be believe that plank unsound? In cam
paign of but one issue, self-respectine
man must range himself on the side
pointed out to him by his Judgment and
conscience.
To do Mr.. Bryan justice, he agrees with
me In this position. He has repeatedly
said that there is but one issue to be de-
ciaed at the polls, and that the financial
one.
In accepting the nomination of the
free-silyer, protection tariff Republicans
the other day, In alluding to the fact that
they had left their old-time party associa-
tions. he said
I know something Of party ties. and
because l was in position where l
looked forward to passible like action
on my own part, / can appreciate the
depth of the conviction that led them to
the welfare of their party"
MIR. Bryan has no greater rights in this
matter than has amy other Democrat.
And those Of his supporters who denounce
Democrats who are true to their convic-
tions. do not agree with their chief.
No, let us have down with all this stuff
and nonsense about party allegiance
that must stile conscience and overwhelm
"a HDrFaa uNI
stand on both, | should not deserve the
respect of those whose good will thus
sought to concliate
i acknowledge that a cardinal principle
of Democracy is acquiescence in the will
Of a majority constftutionally expressed.
But mems opinions are not to be governed
by majorties. The very essence of the
rule is that every question submitted to
the decision Of popular vote, should be
intelligently considered, and that every
vote cast should represent an honest opin-
ion.
All this would be impossible II you
voted on the single issue presented in
this campaign, not as you believed, but
as majority of the Chicago Convention
declared it believed.
So far as know. never before in the
history Of the country has single ques-
tion been so distinctly presented for the
decision Of the American people, as this
question of the free coinage of silver at
the ratio Of 16 to /, in the present cam
paign.
ABHORRENT ALLIANCES.
1t behooves those who have made this
new departure. who have created a new
Democratic party, and entered into
strange and abhorrent alliances, to make
apparent to their old associates, who still
adhere to their ancient faith, the wisdom
OF their course.
The burden OF proof iE on them. They
cannot rid themselves of this obligation.
In criticising and denouncing platform or
policies, / have no intention to disparage
either the sincerity or the patriotism of
the candidates nominated at Chicago, nor
that of the many good friends and hitherto
good Democrats who think 1t their duty
to support those candidates.
But l must again remind them that the
burden is on them to show why we should
abandon the old Democratic party. to make
these strange alliances with silver Repub-
licans. and the yociferous ignorance of the
Populst party.
1t may be that Mr.. Bryan is right. and
that ! am wrong. 1t may be that free and
independent coinage Of silver at 16 to /
will cure all the evils and relieve all the
hardship and distress real and imaginary
with which the body polite is afflicted. II
so, we are interested to know it. II it be
true, 1t is our duty to help bring ii about,
we will share in the happiness and we'll
being to be produced and no one can pre-
vent our participation in the blessing of the
silver millennium.
But don't you think, when SO great a
charge is to be wrought In the worlds
of value out of which we are
promised so much of good is to come to the
people of this country, we ought not to be
left In the dark as to how this great benefit
is to reach all classes and not be confined
to a small number in whose interests the
was first started? We ought not
to be asked to take anything even ap-
preaching leap In the dark
Recollect that by our present monetary
standard, all our currency silver. paper and
gold is of equal purchasing power, and is
good the world over at its face value. Upon
tho stability of this standard hundred of
Of contracts to be futurely per-
formed, are depending. sudden or seri-
ous change In the standard of payment,
would bring inevitable disaster if not ruin,
upon thousands of innocent men concerned
In these contracts.
Don't you think we should be able to as
sure the 4,S75,000 persons who have on de-
Dosit in the savings banks OF the United
States $3.50, 100000. are now relying on
he stable gold standard, that they will suf-
'er no loss when they withdrew their de-
josits in silver? These are not shylocks
you are dealing with; they are Industrious
ind thrifty men and women, nearly 5,000,- |
100 of them scattered all over this land |
Have you any right to ask them to risk |
heir present security of a certain and |
table standard? Ought you not to make 1t |
Jlain to them that they will receive back |
Is good money as they paid In, and not |
leprcciated money worth only half as |
much?
Is is not an admission that their fears |
ire well founded, when the only word |
to them is MIR. Bryan's. who |
n his speech at Madison Square Garden, |
n New York, spoke as follows:
much solicitude has been expressed by /
'ur opponents for the depositors in saw
ngs banks. They constantly parade be-
ore the depositors the advantages of a
;old standard, but these appeals will be /
IL vain because savings bank depositors /
inow that under a gold standard there is /
Increasing danger that they will lose /
heir deposits. because OF the inability Of
he banks to collect their assets"
Do you think the burden of proof rest
ng upon him to show these poor people