Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1896-04-10
FRIDAY MORNING, APRIL 10. 1896.
one THING OR THE OTHER.

ONE THING OR THE OTHER.
The tremendous effort the Republicans
of the country are making to define their
position on silver so that nobody can I'M
derstand it, foreshadows straddle at their
National convention. They do not take
into account the four years that have pass
ed since the two great parties adopted
national platforms, nor the thorough dis
cussion of the subject that has taken place
since '92. That discussion has greatly
simplified the matter and made it, to
straddleg, a cruelty plain one. The issue
before the people to-day is that OF TWO
distinct standards. 1t is to be solved
al the coming National conventions this
way;
l, BY declaration outright for the Tree
and unlimited coinage of silver at IL TO l.
That meals the silver standard. VI
9. By u declaration for gold with the
use of silver as subsidiary coin. mat
means the gold standard and speaks 1ol
itself
All The past accessories Of the ju2gler on
the issue are out of date 1t Will DE
unavaiiiDg to talk about 1.-THE maintenance
of the parity''; the free coinage OF silver
s'by intern ational agreement; 1.-THE coin,
age of the domestic silver product; "pl'
netalisn . OF any of those stock phrases
OF the dodg ger. However honestly they may
have bean used in the past-and they were
honestly sed by most men-they are no"
out Of date. Nobody now believes thai
there viii De any international agreement
during tn ) generation, if ever: nobody no"
believes tllat with free silver the parity OF
the metals can he maintained, for everybody
now knows that if it is adopted gold VII
first go to premium and then disappear
nobody now believes that if free silver il
adopted it will be confuad TO The "domes
tic produce" or thai it should be if the
main purpose Of giving more metal cur
rency is t. be pursued and nobody no"
believes that with the disappearance OF
gold there can be any increase Of the meta
currency.
These Illusions having disappeared, The
time has arrived 10 5nd0rse without lie
serve or dodging, o0o Of the TWO systems
the free coinage Of silver with silve
standard, OF the gold standard with silvel
as a subsidiary currency, VII .ch is practl
ealIy what exists to-day. III any event
the peopls should 10 longer be deceived by
evasion. The Two great political organiza
tions of 5he country eve it 20 the people
to make distinct declarations, brief, direct
unmistakable declarations of what thelI
policy is to he. Up to this date there is
nc Indication that the Republican National
convention will come up to this standard OF
political honesty. Their State conventions
SO far have been cratic and confusing. II
some instances gold standard platforms
have been adopted, and yet silver NAL
endorsed, in one case gold standard was
endorsed and the leading free silver senator
of the country elected to represent it at
the st. Louis convention. and ii another
a State convention endorsed two candidates
One foI gold and the other believed to be
for silveg for the Presidency. And most
Aconfusins of all is the glazing straddle OF
the STATE which presents candidate. sc
far by lolg odds the strongest, we speak
of Maj. Mckinley, for the Presidency
To chose of us who. since Democratic
congress refused to deal with and settle the
financial question, have been told
by the republican press to wait and see q
party thst would measure up to the 6nan-
cial situation, this confusion is bewilder
ing and dispiriting. The Republican party
seems to know little about finance from
the evidence it has given so far, and thu
country may as well prepare itself to g
through another four years of hard time
and financial uncertainty. That is to say
if it permits this financial quack doctor tt
cajole it out of the government by words Of
owl-like wisdom, evasive diagnosis an(
bread pills.
1t is a sad commentary on the ability OF
American statesmen of both parties, that
GheY have permitted, and are permitting
and contemplate still further permitting
an unsettled financial condition to add tt
the hard times which so cruelty Cypress thu
people, and we believe that there is
strong feeling growing up among the people
to demand something different-to demand
one thing or the other. We think il
is becoming clearer every day that nc
National convention that adopts plat
form which has anything doubtful about
it; which may not be clearly apprehended
by the humblest citizen; which is not cleal
of any misleading phrases, or which is moi
absolutely frank and candid, can command
for it's candidate the votes of the majority
of the people.