The record-union., 1896-09-02

propagated it; and their followers who,
it it prevails, will get into office by it's
means. The rest of us will be common
sufferers in the general ruin. The ar
gumeht by which they support their
financial proposals is a jargon of stock
phrases and vague statements, of false
promises and conclusions not related
to them, vociferously asserted, but
which no man can understand, not even
the most ignorant.
1t is upon such grounds that it is pro-
posed to abandon the old, cool
headed financial principles that have
been established by the experience of
all civilized countries, by which all
considerable nations firmly abide. and
under which this country has attained
its unexampled growth and prosperity;
and to substitute in their place these
newly discovered theories that have
conducted the few small countries that
have experimental with them into
hopeless embarrassment Of finance and
business. 1 do not believe there is
any man whose experience is large
enough or whose Imagination is vivid
enough to predict the extent of the
evil consequences which, if adopted,
they will entail upon us.
There are those, strange as 1t may
seem, who, concurring in the views I
have tried to present, are still consider
ing whether adhesion to the existing
organization of the Democratic party is
not more important than the salvation
of the public interests. With a man who
is content to place his party, right or
wrong, above his country, | cannot rea-
son, for we have no ideas in COM
mon. But the question still remains,
Win the sacrifice preserve the party
that makes it? Shall we get, after all,
the mess Of pottage for which we ex-
change our birthright?
The party is already hopelessly dis
rupted on the issue presented. We can
not follow both it's divisions at the same
time, however desirable it might be,
since they are moving in opposite direc-
tions. On the one side are the old, time
honored principles of the party, under
which all its great traditions have been
generated and which all it's illustrious
leaders have advocated. Chief and
foremost among those principles always
! in times past has been the maintenance
Of sound and honest money, of dollars
that are dollars, of a national stamp
upon them that does not lie. If this is
now abandoned the party has no prin-
ciples on the most vital question of the
time. On the same side are its most
trusted present statesmen and leaders
and very proportion, at the least, of
it's better and most instructed element.
Which way shall we go, then, since we
cannot go both ways? With its states
men, or with it's camp-followers? With
its principles, or with it's organization,
stampeded and graded by it's enemies? /?
III which direction lies the future Of
the party, if it is to have any future?
And who are they who will control 1T
hereafter, when this tyranny shall be
overpaSt?" Let no man be afraid to
be right on this question, for it is the
right that will triumph in the end,
whether it reforms the party or de-
stroys it.
1 shall therefore vote for Mckinley.
/ am not Republican and | never shall
be. / do not believe in protection and
/ shall never be converted to it, But in
the throes of a deadly malady l cannot
afford to reject the only physician who
is in a situation to help me, because
his political opinions are different from
mine or even because l think there are
better physicians than he, if they could
only be had in time. / shall go further,
and shall vote at the September election
for the Republican candidate for Gov
ernor. j could not vote for any Demo-
cratic candidate, however estimable his
character and however sound his per-
sonal views who permits himself to
be run on the Chicago platform of
fraudulent money, more especially
\ ~ ,,1a ~,
nomination have, at the dictation of the
men who obtained control at Chicago
| ANONYMOUSLY hauled down the flag
| they first hoisted for sound and honest
| money, and raised one directly to the
contrary, which they have thus pub
| licly admitted they know to be wrong
On the vital and only question of the
day. The amount of the ma ajority at the
September election in Vermont may be
of much significance. 1t may inspirit
or may discourage those who in other
fields are bearing the burden and heat
| Of the fight for the right. I wish my
vote, since 1 can contribute nothing else,
| to be cast as to count for the most it
can wherever it is counted.
And if my voice, which does not troub-
! le them often and will not trouble them
| long, should reach any Of those with
whom / have stood for so many years
| in exertions that we have a right to
claim were diSintereSted because in our
| own State they were always hopeless, !
| should say to them: STAND as you have
always stood, for what you believe to
| be right and for the best interests of
| your country. Let no man cajole you
| out of that proud consciousness, or lead
| you to blot a record that is your child
| hoods best inheritance"
| Excuse, my dear sir, this long letter,
which 1 have not time to make shorter
and believe me, very sincerely yours,
Z. J. PHELPS.