The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-09-03
Interior Of TomsOn Hail. Indianapolis Where the Gold Democracy
Holding Its National Convention Scene Viewed From Stage

| this evil, and from those who have followed
their evil teaching. We cannot follow them
Ill the road they have taken; for their feet are
swift TO destruction and their way is the way
of death.
The ties that bound US were as strong as
hooks OF steel, but we part from them, though
in sorrow. Loyalty TO party discipline and
to organization has ever been the pride and
strength of our party. Loyalty to principle
has ever been and ever will be its cardinal and
leading tenet param cunt to eli others, bind
ing in conscience and guiding the action of
every true Democrat
The Chicago platform has the stamp of our
party and claims its allegiance, but it is a mere
simulacrum, form without the substance of
Democracy, and no Democrat is bound by it.
nor is it entitled to his fealty. The declara-
tons of that platform are "open, palpable and
hagrant' departures from all that Democracy
has stood for. They assail the money standard
OF the country and declare for the inflated and
deprecated standard of silver at l6 to /
They assail the right and power of the
executive to enforce the law and to
protect property under the control and in
the custody of the Federal courts in any
state in the Union; they attack the integrity
OF coordinate branch of the Government;
they declare that the function of issuing paper
money is to be exclusively exercised by the
Government ITSELF they assail the right of the
citizen to contract payment in any legitimate
commodity, Tor they declare that the obliga-
lions of the Government for which gold was
received, and for the payment OF which in the
same coin the National faith is pledged, may
be paid in deprecated coin. And we declare
each and all of these attacks and declarations
are I'M Democratic They are an assault upon
the constitution the time-honored principles
of the Democratic marty and the distinguished
fnF and ro fIo Id
the only victories it has achieved in thirty-six
years.
1t is the Ismael of platforms. 1t raises its
hand against some of the principles of both
parties and nearly all the primo iples of the
Democratic party. 1t is begotten of the IN
hallowed union between so-called Democracy.
Populism and anarchy, and that the Scriptures
may be fulfilled sit will be a fugitive and
wanderer on the face of the earth!'
We mold that no argument is needed to show
the revolutionary and anarchis tic character
OF the doctrine that the laws can be en-
forced in a State to protect property which is
in the Jurisdiction of Federal courts, or 10
protect the United States mails, or that the
Supreme Court ought to be reorganized, or
that the National honor should be stained, or
the National faith violated, or that the free
dom of private contract ought to be limited.
or that the function of issuing paper money
ought to be exclusively exercised by the Fed
eral Government. We hold that the theory of
free coinage of silver with gold ct the ratio of
10 to 1 admits of argument, but we hold that
the weight OF authority. the strength of reason
ing and the facts of history ali point TO its
fallacy and the ruinous consequences of its
adoption. We hold that it will rob the
poor man of his wage and the rich
man of his wealth, the widow of
her savings the child of his patrimony, the
soldier of his pension, the industrious of the
fruits of his toll and the inventor of the re-
ward of his genius. We hold that it win de-
moralize and seriously disturb the immense
trade and commerce of the republic and drive
the country to a discredited, deprecated and
depreciating standard; smite our finances as
with palsy and trade with blight We hold
that the Nations credit will fall PROSTATE: its
obligations will be dishonored and its unsul-
lied character will be stained with fraud and
deficit We claim that these averments are
true, established by historical fact, by unan-
swerable reason, the opinions of the most dis
tinguished political economists and the COM
nonsense and common honesty of the largest
portion of our fellow citizens.
The credulity and cupidity of some of orr
good citizens have been played upon and
aroused by artful fantasies and cunning dema-
gogues. There are, however, many honest
patriotic and intelligent men who cling with
all the strength of conviction to the spacious
i
If their theory is denounced as false and per-
nicious no imputation is cast upon their char
acter nor any slur upon their intelligence.
The free coinage of silver is, and has been
since Mr.. Cleveland's Inauguration, the SUI
preme overshadowing issue before the coun-
| try. Upon that issue the President and a ma
jority of his party took opposite sides. In con-
| sequence he has been powerless to effect fnan-
cial reform and secure immunity from gold
| raiding on the treasury.
Since the inception of the struggle for free
silver no compromise has been possible Our
brethren knew that the battle was on to the
] cratic party has on several occasions pro-
I claimed the irreconcilable nature of the con-
hict. 1t is fitting elimination for our
brethren to obtain allies from Populism at the
price of incorporating its nefarious doctrines
in their platform and attempting 10 pass them
off as genuine Democracy. 1t was fit that to a
degraded and deprecated currency should be
added an assasslnated judiciary and power.
less executive.
party. We are in the house of our fathers We
/ cannot be driven from it. We will defend the
honor OF our country and the integrity of our
! principles long as life endures. We can
neither be ousted from our political heritage
nor forced into the ranks of our old-time adj
versary. We intend TO preserve intact unlm-
paired and unsullied, by and through the or
| gsnization which we perfect to-day, the De-
mocracy of Jefferson, Jackson, Benton and
/ tIaVal4nd We N furn ieh