The daily morning journal and courier., 1896-09-05
DIR. CUTLER ON THE CHICAGO
 PLATFORM.
A Ringing Plea for Honesty.

Ringing Plea for Honesty
 The political conflict in which we are now engaged is one in which the moral elements enter so largely that-just as Tn the crisis of 1S60-religious people and the religious press are summoned to an active part. The old party lines are dissolving like flax in the flame, for the issues are of the most vital and Fundamental character. I am not sur prised that most of the leading reli- glous journals, in all denominations, do not hesitate to speak out boldly against the ruthless attempts to debase both the nations currency and its financial honor, to tamper with its ju- dietary, to overthrow it's civil service reform, to create hostility between the rich and the poor, and to put "Fopu- lism' into power. The utterances of a few religious journals sadden me. One of them in defending the free coinage of silver admits that tt will drive out gold, and thus it becomes silver mono- n1etallism. The editor also declares that it will give us "cheaper money" That really signifies cheat money; for it will force its fifty -cent dollar on eve e J servant girl in her payment from the savings bank and every soldier in the receipt of his pension. All this wide spread mischief and peril of bankrupt cy in many quarters will inure to the pecuniary profit of the rich silver mine owners of the west, and to spectators in coin everywhere.
 But far worse than financial disaster is the menace to sound government. Populism is Pandora's box of revolu- tionary radicalism. The one tremen- dous indictment against MT. Bryan is that he is in sympathy with Populism, and finds among his warmest support CTS such men as Tillman and Altgeld and their kind
 A western Presbyterian paper eulo- gizes him heartily as a Presbyterian church-member, of clean, irreproacha- ble life and sincere convictions. No doubt he is: and so was Stonewall Jackson's splendid powers devoted to an effort to destroy our Union and to perpetuate chattel slavery. To-day thousands of the best men of the south, with all their intense admiration of General Jackson's piety and military genius, rejoice that his efforts failed, and that secession and slavery never triumphed MT. Bryan's private char acter may be unimpeachable, but he is proposed for the supreme honor of chief magistrate of this republic. He has planted himself on a most danger ous platform. Some of his public ut- terances are radical and revolutionary. An eminent member of congress from this city who was with him in the house of representatives says that In his speeches Mir. Bryan was rhetorical Iy eloquent, but in private converse ton he defended some of the most crude and unwise doctrines of Social ism. He was then practically a Popu- list, holding to many of the most mis- chievous delusions of that revolutiona- ry party And 1t is proposed to place this glib-tongued young Socialist in the lofty chair of government once eeeu- pied by Washington, Jefferson, Madi- son, Grant and Abraham Lincoln!
 Tn a republican government there can be no legitimate divorce between Chris tian conscience and the solemn duties of citizenship. God-fearing citizens are to be the leaven to preserve the na- ton from error corruption, dishonest ies and demoralization. If parties rush into wrong courses, then men of clear heads and sound hearts must brace themselves to resist the dangerous cur rent This ought to be year for deep l honest thinking, fair discussion, earn est praying and courageous voting The ballot is a tremendous and sacred trust. And the Almighty will never save a nation that is unwilling to save 1 itself-Evangelist