Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1896-05-15
INTELLIGENT CITIZENS.
The Urgent Need for Them as Seen
bY A. r. McCook.

The Urgent Need for Them as Seen
by A. r. McCook.
In my Judgment there is greater
demand for intelligent citizens, in
telligent understanding of nationals
sues and politics and intelligent vot-
ing at the present and near future
than at any other time in the history
of our country and why there is such
a demand must be plain.
When any great political party, or
parties, as even at the present time,
ignore or "straddle" the greatest
question before the public, because
they are afraid that if they declare
plainly for one policy or the other,
they will lose the support of one OF
the other faction in the party, when
they try to make the people believe
that one of the minor issues is the
greater Issue-then there is a great
demand for intelligent citizens and
intelligent voting. The party which
is most to blame at the present time
for this kind of humbuggery is the
republican party. When a great po-
litical party tries to make the people
believe that protection is the great
issue before our country and that our
financial policy is of but secondary
Importance, then the policy of that
party should be watched.
The financial question is the great
question. Countries have prospered
under protection and free trade. But
search where you will through the
pages of the worlds history, and no
where will you find recorded where
any country has prospered under a
bad or financial policy for any length
of time.
And it is for the voters of our
country to say OF the next national
election whether we will continue the
present ruinous single gold standard
of money or adopt the equal coinage
of both gold and silver, and thus put
us on the bimetallic standard we had
prior to 1878 and in SO doing give our
country continued commercial de-
preston, bond issues and suffering OF
give US back prosperity and .happi-
ness. If this be true isn't it important
that citizens understand intelli gently
what they are to vote for.
The silver party will tell you be
4 fore the next election why the best
policy for our government to adopt il
the equal coinage of both gold and
silver into full redemption or primary
money at ratio of 1G to 1; and il
their reasons be true, no man is g
patriot who does not cest a ballot fol
that party which is pledged to the
equal coinage of gold and silver an6
pledged in terms that can be inter
preted but one way. Any politica
party which goes before the people
with platform that can be inter
preted in more ways than one which
does not declare plainly its views up
on all questions and issues of nationa
Importance is unworthy of the sup
port of an intelligent people.
To show what may be the disastrou
results of platform being adopted
and supported as general election
and then departed from by the polit
ical party intrusted with it, is onl.
necessary to call attention to the plat
form upon which the people electe'
the present administration, q plat
form which, as the people supposed
was pledged to the adoption of ,
double standard of money at q ratio
of 16 to 1. We all know all too wei
how it has been carried out and wha
have been the disastrous results c
3 not carrying it out as the people sup
: posed it would be.
And though love to call myself
: Jetfersonian democrat-butt that doe
l not mean Cleveland democrat-bu
a double standard one; when / com
to cast my ballot, will not ask TO
the name of the party but whic
: party will give us back a doubl
1 standard of money, and with it pro:
perity. When any person vote!
against his better judgment SO tina
4 he may vote in the party of his fathe
a or his youth, that man is not worth
e of the right of franchise. When W
I have class of citizens who befor
e the time to cast ballot make care
full study of all the issues and que:
tions before the people and after the
have formed their opinion vote 70
that party whose principles coli cid
: with their own, is our country safe
: But only then and not till then is TIL
destiny of any republic safe.
We will close with quotatio
p which we wish were known by ever
p citizen and taught to every scho'
+ child: "When party changes il
+ principles, patriot changes his pol
f tics"
Some neonle talk of the intrinSj