Birmingham state herald., 1896-08-04
CLEVELAND AND PARTY DUTY.

David B. Hill says T am a democrat" President Cleveland has long ago gone beyond mere assertion and told why it is worth while to be democrat.
 Those democrats who are angry that the president was not indorsed by the Chicago convention and who are now so perturbed in spirit that they are making a question whether they will support the ticket and platform while they still claim to-be democrats, are earnestly referred to the declaration on party loyalty of MT. Cleveland himself. It should settle the trouble with every doubting demo- crat. Responding to the committee which in 1892 notified him of his nomina- tion, MT. Cleveland said
 ''True to it's history and it's creed, our party will respond to the wants of the people within safe lines and guided by an enlightened statesmanship. To the troubled and impatient within our mem- bership we commend continued unswerv- ing allegiance to the party whose prin- ciples in all times past have have been found sufficient for them and whose ag- gregate wisdom and patriotism their ex- perience teaches can always be trusted"
 This is as sound and wise counsel to- day as it was four years ago, and the
 
 care to repeat and emphasize it detracts nothing from its patriotic spirit.
 The aggregate wisdom and patriotism of the democratic party found positive expression in the Chicago platform, which contains not single declaration that is not proven and justified by the history, traditions and practices of the party as evolved and developed from it's fundamental principles since it's organi- zation, and which from time to time have received the indorsement of a majority of the American people,
 Not until three years ago, when the deadly blight of Clevelandism fell upon a small element of the party, could there have been found democrats in any sec- ton of the country who would have hes itated to give earnest indorsement to every enunciaton of the democratic plat form as orthodox expression of ancient and time -honored democratic doctrine. There has been no change or modification of the great principles of the party dur ing these three years. They are recog- nized now--as expressed in the Chicago platform-by the vast majority of the great party leaders and of the masses of the party as the same declared by Thomas Jefferson at the foundation of the party-the same that have been sa- credly maintained by his illustrious sue cessors in every party trust and leader ship, without break, for nearly a cen tury. The free coinage of gold and sil- yer at the present ratio bimetallism- is an historic doctrine of the democratic party, and has even had the pretended favor, in its national platforms, of the republican party. No other ratio has ex- isted ln this country since 1854. nor has any other been seriously considered. The present monetary system-sold mono- metalism --or at least its open advocacy in democratic quarters, is the puny off, spring of the 'dilletante statesmanship of the Cleveland regime, which has done more to bring the name of democracy into dsrepu.e, shame its principles and impair it's usefulness than all the as- saults of all it's enemies.
 Those democrats who seek excuse for