The herald., 1896-07-19
AN ADDRESS TO DEMOCRATS
Issued by the Wisconsin Delegates Who
BoIted
They Have Not Yet Decided Upon the
Treasures to Be Taken to Encom-
pass Bryan's Defeat

|
ence today of the Democratic delegates
to the Chicago convention who refused
to vote for a presidential nominee, an
address to the party in Wisconsin was
drawn up. 1t recites the course pur-
sued by the silver men in the conven-
tion, tells of the policy carried out by the
| Wisconsin delegates favorinS a gold
standard. and says:
THE platform adopted by the Chicago
convention is directly at variance with
the doctrine which, since its creation
has been part of the creed of the DEM
ocratic party. While Democracy has
| for nearly a century been the advocate
of honest money and at all times op
posed to its debasement. the Chicago
convention declared in favor of com
pelling the citizens of the United States
to receive as dollar, one-half value in
the product of single industry.
while the Democratic party has
! sturdily maintained that courts in which
| justice is administered should be above
and beyond political control, the con-
vention at Chicago adopted resolution
| looking to the reconstruction of the su-
preme court of the United States to ac-
| complish the reversal of its decision.
! While we condemned the use of that
| court IN 1877 for political purposes and
to accomplish the inauguration as pres
| ident of a candidate not elected; while
we denounced an appointment made by
a Republican president to a position in
that court for the purpose of revers-
ing a decision which denied the right
! of the government to issue paper money
Of q q
resolution referred to to adopt the same
methods which we have condemned in
our opponents.
THAT convention refused to approve
of the fidelity and honesty of the one
national Democratic administration
elected during the past forty years. The
principles enunciated in the Chicago
platform other than those in favor of the
free coinage of silver are socialistic in
their character and commend themselves
to the communists of the country. The
candidate chosen by that convention
| publicly announced his determination
years ago to leave the Democratic party
and fight for free silver in the ranks of
the Populist party. Under these cir
cumstances. the undersigned delegates
at the convention considered their duty
y under the instructions received by them,
to oppose with the utmost vigor the
adoption of the platform, and after 1t
was adopted to decline to vote for a
candidate who represented it.
We have thought it only proper to
make report of our action to the Demo-
Gratis of Wisconsin and to say that
crisis is imminent, such as has never in
the history of the Democratic party con-
fronted it. Its enemies predict its disso-
luton its false friends invite its abb
sorption by the Populist party Such
enemies and such false friends are un-
trustworthy and mistaken. The Demo-
cratic principles are the foundation on
which a free government rests; they are
firmly established in the hearts of the
American people; they cannot be de-
stroyed for long, as the love of liberty
and the belief in Republican form Of
government exists. No efforts of man
seizlng forcibly upon the machinery Of
the party can control the votes of Demo-
Gratis believing in these principles.
I'VE have faith to believe that large
majority of Democrats of Wisconsin arc
as much today in favor of the principles
declared by our state convention as
! NleH ltlul uecldTGtlO WAS ildQe. w e
have entire confidence that if a proper
opportunity would be afforded to that
majority to express It's views in mass
meeting or convention to be called at
some date, not distant, the true prin-
ciples OF Democratic faith would be
again pronounced in no uncertain tone
and that some way will be found by
which the Democrats can cast their
votes in favor of a Democrat and at the
same time against the protectionists
nominated by the St Louis convention
and the Populist nominated by the
| Chicago convention"