Birmingham state herald., 1896-11-07
OUR LETTER BOX.
THOUGHTS ON THE ELECTION

| I ne issue was the most Nllal IildL cOulu 1 be presented to the people
 l The success of Maj. Mckinley cannot 1 be construed as a defeat of binetalltsm I and the success of the gold standard, if 1 the republicans are sincere in their plat l form and honestly intend to faithfully and fully carry 1t out, as a part of the 1 Mckinley administration.
 The platform is but an acquiescence in l the present financial situation, until by l interna tional agreement it can be 1 changed.
 The argument was made by the repub
 licans that the cause of the general de- pression and hard times" Is not the 1 money question, but 1t is the tariH. They 1 insist that if we inaugurate high pro 1 tective system, augment the burden or 1 taxes, increase the cost of living by mak- l ing the articles of most common use | among the masses higher in price that l this will set the mills to work and will | regulate the money question, and prosper
 1 ity and good times will prevail and every | body will have a good time. The Ameri- | can people are confiding and conservative. l They are slow to change, and much op- | posed to innovation as to any statu quo. The employed laborers of the immense l and powerful corporations are largely l dominated and intlmidated by the state | men, if not threat, of their employers that l if Bryan was elected business would be paralyzed, mills, factories and shops shut down and labor thrown out of employ
 ment and universal ruin take place.
 Because of the little fringe of silver, as 1 before stated, in the republican platform and the belief that the party would secure bimetalism through international agree | ment, a large majority of the people nave accepted the theory and plan of the re- publicans and turned over the govern ment to them to carry out their propo- | sitions.
 The republicans have taken the job to | have good times and prosperity, and the people will hold them to rigid perform | ance of their task
 Of course, the republicans propose to use legislation as the means to accom- plish their purposes; good times Will De ordered through an act of congress. Remember the argument made against the democrats during the campaign was that they proposed to attempt the impos- sible: that Is, confer value on silver by legal enactment. We will wait to see if the republicans can bring good times Dy | legal enactment; if they can create con sumption and confer ability on the masses to buy the products of the mills oy tarllI | laws By legal enactment they propose | to secure the stability of the purchasing power of the dollar, and thus prevent falling prices And this legal enactment | is to be a law to increase the import duties | on goods which Is means or taxation. Of course the republicans expect large importations of goods from foreign coun- | tries, because, unless such 1mportatlons take place, the government will not de- rive much revenue from their protective system, and they charge that the gov ernment Is getting deeper in debt dally and Is in great need of revenue to meet such indebtedness and this is the main source of our trouble.
 Of course, the republicans are too saint1y and too free from all greed ana selfishness and in no manner tainted With the desire to make fortunes for them selves, as other common mortals are in- fuenced, and don't expect to export any of their goods to foreign countries, be- cause exportation would not influence the financial surroundings of the masses | of our land and relieve the farmers and wealth producers of their impoverished condition Of course, they expect to | sell all their goods in what they boast, | as the "home market" and compete with | foreign merchants in the sale of goods i'm | this their nome market" and they ex- pect that prices for all their goods Will 1 be at bed rock prices, as the dear souls are too pure to desire to make any proho | for themselves. They spurn all trusts, | combines and associations to initiate prices, yet say they increase and pay | their laborers higher prices for their wages while they are realizing the very l reverse of prices for their goods MT. l Republicans, this is the analysis of your position. You have undertaken the Jop. Now proceed to carry 1t out
 l insist that no silver legislator or advo- | cate throw any obstacle in their way, l but give the whole rope to them, and not | lend them the excuse, in case or their | failure to say the democrats obstructed | them in the senate or in the house and prevented their success.
 I warn them, if they do not bring good times and prosperity, they will be driven from the control of the house in 1898, and from the presidency in 1900, by much larger majority than by which they went in.
 I regret the failure of success to the cause of silver but there is no reason for Encouragement but much to encour- age its friends.
 As said before the result of the elec- | tion is no abandonment of independent free coinage of silver by the United l States, but because of the arguments of l the republicans. and the opposition to | change, so long as there is any argument or proposition to support the statu quo l As before mentioned, the people have l continued the cause of silver for settle
 ment in the event of failure of republican l theories.
 l That such failure will follow there can l be no doubt in any well-informed, un- | prejudiced and disinterested mind. In 1900, when the people are aroused l because of the deception of republican | promises and failures of their theories l there will be no obstacle in the way, no l argument to bring forth to defeat the 1 CduSS ol SiiNci, oS tilc SouSC VI thc 6oio | standard will have been tried with the l republican regulator, and found to be a l snare and delusion.
 l The issue will be freed from all false | pretenses of other causes of distress, the l failure of the gold standard made bare | and the restoration of the money of the | constitution made easy. Coming under | such circumstances and conditions, after l full and fair trial of the gold standard l accompanied with high protection, the | sure means of prosperity as claimed by | the republicans, and the experience by | all farmers, wage earners and wealth | producers of its absolute failure, free | coinage will remain forever, and the f.
 nancial question settled in the United | States I predict not until then will it
 | be settled. w. H. DENSON.
 We wish we could make