The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1896-08-20
DEMOCRACY AND THE GOLD STANDARD.
If History be True No Democrat Can Favor
MOnOmetallism.
Correspondence to The Comet.

ern ? They meet in convention and
formulate the platform of principles
upon which they propose to admins
ter the government if elected by the
people. When the platform is framed
it is submitted to vote of the conven-
tion and adopted by majority vote of
all the members present. When thus
passed upon and adopted it becomes
the law of the party, and all real demo-
Gratis accept it as final and binding on
the whole party. Each individual sub
mits his Judgment to the combined
judgment of the whole, and when the
minority refuses to be governed by the
clearly expressed will of the majority,
they put themselves outside of the
pale of democracy. They are no longer
democrats. They are revolutionists, or
anarchists, or some sort of nondescript
party who set up their own will in def
ance of the majority, and under their
teaching and leadership it would be
impossible to have democratic govern
ment. In democratic government the
will of the majority when once express
ed must be supreme and final, or any
kind OF government, except anarchy,
becomes an utter impossibility.
Now, those Self-styled democrats and
so-called "sound money" men who
bolted the Chicago platform and its
candidates can only be democrats for
some selfish or sinister purpose, as it is
impossible for them to be democrats
from principle. We have already seen
that the only foundation upon which it
is possible for democracy to rest is the
right of the majority to rule. Let us
run over little history and see how
the democratic party stands related to
the gold standard And for my present
purpose it will only be necessary to 60
back twenty years, three years after
silver was demonetized by the crime of
4 1878.
4 Platform of 1876. In national con-
vention IN 1876, the party declared in
favor of "Honest money, consisting of
\ gold and silver, and paper convertible
into COIN on demand" Reader, you
will please observe it is "paper con-
.vertible into COIN" and not gold. No
A gold standard in 1876.
4 Platform of 1880. The party declared
d for "Home rule, honest money-the
strict maintenance of the public faith
\ consisting of gold and silver, and pa
per convertible into COIN on demand. "
Does that read anything like a single
\ gold standard
A Platform of 1884. -"We believe in
honest money, the gold and silver coin
age of the Constitution, and circulat-
4 ing medium convertible into such
money without loss" No fifty cent
dollar here-no gold standard. And
yet Mr.. Cleveland was elected on this
bimetallic platform in 1884, aud gave
the country successful and reasona-
l bly, clean administration.
\ Platform of 1888. The Wall street
| gold bug put in an appearance and got
the committee on platform to pass over
the money question in silence. But
5 did the trusts, and corporations, and
tariff barons passing along the Doodle
!, to buy an honest election of the people
have no meaning? Surely the demo
Gratis are to be left out in the cold this
time, or Wall street would not be 81
\ lent in the 1883 platform. These Simon
h pure "sound money" democrats saw
N themselves laid up IN the dry dock,
and their appetite for pie caused then
to rally thusly in the
Platform of 1892. 2.-"We hold to The
4 use of both gold and silver as the STAN
DARD MONEY of the country, and to thu
coinage Of both gold and silver withou
discriminating against either metal, ol
charge for mintage."
Do you see any thing resembling
single gold standard in that? J? If not
how can any man be honest and CLAIM
his democracy is too pure for him t.
accept bimetallism in the platform o
1896? And yet Mr.. Cleveland wa
elected by an immense majority on tn
gold and SILVER PLATFORM of 1899, ant
at once proceeded to repudiate it an,
commit treason to his party.
Platform of 1896. eve demand tn
free andunlimited coinage of both gol'
r and silver at the present legal ratio o
e IS to 1, without waiting for the aid o
consent of any other nation. We de
mand that the standard silver dolla
shall be full legal tender, equal
y with gold, for all debts, public an
o private, and we favor such Legislation
as will prevent for the future the de
monetization of any kind of legal ter
L der moner by PRIVATE CONTRACT.
= = Here is where the "nigger" was hi
r in the wood-pile, but it is extremel
difficult for an honest man to see ho'
the Sound money" democrats can !
: : candid when they charge the Chicag
convention with having deserted dem,
t. cratic principle on the money question
le For twenty years the party had nm
= ! formly pledged itself to maintain bot
gold and silver as standard money
1 1