Omaha daily bee., 1896-10-12
FREE SILVER AND DISASTER
ireland Riddles the Chicago
Platform.
SAYS wORRlNeNEN WOULD SUFFER FIRST
Assertions of rrcc Coinage Advocates
at Ratio of sixteen tn one Com
trnrS to Experience and
Common sense.


who are Of all political opinions, gave the
following statement addressed to them to
tho Associated press:
IL am not unwilling in the crisis through
which tho country is now passing to speak
for the integrity Of the nation, for social
order, for the prosperity of the people
for the honor of America and tho per
manency OF free institutions. am a citi-
zen OF the country, concerned in all the
interests OF the nation, subject to all the
responsibilities Of citizenship To be silent
when words Of mine may be of some profit
to the people would be cowardice. would
be crime am not unmludful Of the
objection made against the churchman
speaking at any time on matters which
have entered the arena OF politics, lest
| his influence as a teacher OF religion seem
to be used to promote the interests OF a
political party. | might reply that there
are occasions when political platform
means disaster to the country, when poll
tics are closely connected with morals or
! religion, and that on those occasions the
churchman must be the patriot without
allowing moments thought to consilcra-
lions OF eNpodiency and must take in hand
tho moral or religious issue, even though
1t be vested in the garment of politics
But in the present instance I seek no
excuse of this kind: | speak entirely as
the citizen, without warrant from my
ecclesiastical position.
Deep as my convictions are | hold in
all due respect my fellow citizens who hold
convictions at variance with my own |
impeach neither their good faith nor their
homer. | am dealing not with men but
with principles and movements. This JUS
tice which | render to those whose ideas
| am ready 10 combat. l am sure they will
render to me. | stand by the platform
and the presidential candidate of the iepuh-
| lican convention at st. Louis | am op-
posed to the platform and the presidential
| candidate Of the democratic convention at
| Chicago.
COUNTRY is IN PERIL.
The days OF the civil war excepted at no
time did SO great peril threaten the
country as that which is involved in the
Political campaign of today. Tho question of
free and unlimited coinage of silver is mt
in the foreground. The question has It's
Importance; but 1t is of a minor import
ance in presence of other questions which
are brought into issue. The no,eIent VII ch
had its expression in the Chicago conven-
! tion and which seeks by means of popular
| Suffrage to enthrOne itself in the capitol Of
| the nation, is in its logical effect against
! the United States. 1t is secession, the Sc
| cession of 1861 which our soldiers believed
! they had consi sned to eternal death at An
| pomatoX, but which demands again rprogni-
|
| tion in the Chicago platform has and can
| have no other meaning: we denounce arbi-
! trary interference by federal authorities in
| local affairs as violation Of the constitu-
! tton OF the United States and a crime
/ against the free institutions The words
| point to the act 81 Grover Cleveland send
| ing United States troops to protect ma
| tional property and enforce national laws
| during the Chicago riots in 1894. In these
words there is the old secession doctrine
| that n rn iOJppnp1pnt ,F H.,
| government at Washington There is the
| annullment of the union. There is notice
served upon the flag of America that out
| side the District of Columbia It is without
power of self-assertion or self defense. The
| president of the United States Is told to en-
| force national laws and national property
| he cannot march his troops into any state
without the authorization OF the governor.
| of that state
"One of the chief speakers OF the conyen-
tion at Chicago understood the significance
! or the convention. and voiced its sririt-'I
| come from a state which was the home of
secession, said Senator T!llman of South
| Carolina. Il say he continued, 1T is a sec
tional issue and 1t will prevail And fitting
| was II that the spe elker voicing the spirit
| Of the Chicago convention should be the rep
| Tesentative of South Carolina. Thrice now
has South Carolina spoken for secession
! wnen 1t passed in 1882 the nulli1cation ordi-
| nance. when In 1861 1t fired on Fort sum
1
issue and 1t win prevail
MEANS MOB RULE.
'"The platform OF the Chicago convention
| threatens the country with destruction OF
social order with lawlessness and anarchy.
| The personifcation CT law and social order
| In America Is our courts, and the promise
| Of safety to our free institutions is the
prompt obedience of the people to these
| courts And now the courts are to be shorn
! OF their power. and shorn of 1t in favor Of
/ mohs, bent on rioting and the destruction
CT property.
1--WE especially object says the Chicago
| Platform, to government by Injunction as
a new and highly dangerous form of oppres.
| SION Here reference is made to the action
| OF the courts during the Chicago riots with
| out which action there is no calculating
| how much ruin should have come to the
| city The palladium of American liberties
| Is the supreme court at Washington. the
| counterpart of which in majesty and power
to enforce absolute justice does not exist
among the nations of Christendom But az
| far as it is possible TO human ingenuity out
| side of partisan politics, independent cf all
| political influences, through their life ten
ure of office the judges of this court rule
congress and president, states and nation,
| and eXpound the law in all its inneXibility
no matter who or what must yield to it,
| And now convention speaks of the supreme
| court as it may be hereafter constituted
|
| party represented in that convention come
| to power to so constitute the court
| by the popular election OF the judges.
| by the shortening of their term of office or
| otherwise, as to make it insensible to the
| stern voice of the law and responsible to
the passing whim of political parties. Worse,
| to my mind. is the spirit Of socialism that
| permeates the whole movement which has
| issued from Itbe convention of Chicago 1t
| is the International OF Europe now taking
| body of Americad OF this cannot but
| be convinced whan the movement is closely
| observed, thei shibboleths of its adherents
| listened to- the -discourses Of its orators
| carefully eYapined. The war of class
against class Is upon us, the war OF the
| proletariat against the property holder. No
other meaning, th9n this can be given to the
| appeals to The common people, to the la
borer,' to the poor and downtrodden' and
to the denuntiations against putocrats' and
corporations and money grabbers and
| bankers Many adherents OF the movement
, do not perceive its full meaning, but let
them beware; they are lighting torches.
! which, borne In hands Of reckless men, may
light up in the country the lurid fires of
| commune America heretofore has been
free from socialist hatred and warfare. II
has been a country Of opportunities for all
| men, and II las given to the laborer a live