The advocate., 1896-06-17


established beyond any mans ability
to doubt. A recently published letter
shows the swfulest misgiVing on the
part of even the infsllible Tsubeneck
that there may be no free silver cOnven-
tion at st. Louis at all 1t is now as
good as certain that the Chicago con-
VentiOn will nominate free silver can
didates on a free silver platform, and
that the Democrats fully expect US to
Join them because the conduct and ut.
terances of our leaders and our press
have given reason for euch an expects-
tiOn. What shall we doP Our alleged
leaders are in an awkward predlca-
ment. Have they got the party into
a predlcament, tooP Not at sll. There
Is an easy and honorable way out. Let
ian extremist" propose a plan for
dealing with the situation which Eek
tremists' predicted and which has at
last arrived.
From beginning to end, there has
not been one gl9sm of common sense
apparent anywhere in the agitation for
a ''union" at st. Louis. No union was
practicable there; none was necessary.
If there is to be union, the time for
1t will be after the election, not before.
The National convention can only de.
clare the party creed and name csndi-
dates to be voted for by Electors when
they shall have been chosen by their
States. Should it appear after the
election that the gold standard csndi.
dates have not majority of the Elec-
tors and that no candidates have a
majority, then the Electors opposed to
the gold standard must either unite
their votes in the Electoral colleges or
throw the election of President into
the House. The latter course might be
dangerous; 1t would at least be uncer-
tain; and it would be better for the
Electors to settle the matter themselves
while the exclusive power to do so re-
NAMED with them. Under such cir.
CumstsnCes, we could extort a pledge
that should any Of Our measures pass
Congress, they should not be vetoed
and that the constitution should be
obeyed as to the employment of the
federal army; and these pledges would
give US all we could get by electlng our
own candidates. We might even get
the Vice President for ourselves. "Ex-
tremist" as / am, l would favor such
'union" then. We Missionaries" are
the very men who most desire prsc-
ticsl results; only we do not call giving
ourselves offices practical results for
the people, 1 therefore propose that
the National convention shall adopt
resolution in substance as follows:
If, after the election, IL shall appear that
the candidates nominated by this convention
have not secured q majority Of the Preslden-
tial Electors, and that no other candidates
have secured such majority, then, on the -
day Of November, all the Peoples party Elec-
tors chosen at said election, together with all
the Chsirmen of State committees, shall meet
in the city Of - at - O'Clock - M, to con-
fer concerning the situation as it may then
exist; and said conference shall have full
power to agree upon candidates for President
and Vice President who shall be agreeable to
the Electors Of any other party opposed to the
gold standard, but under no circumstances
thecandidste Of the Republican party and in
all Electoral colleges, 1t shall be the duty Of
every Peoples party Elector to vote for the