The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1897-08-05

| the Tree and unlimited coinage of sill
yer at a ratio nearly, if not quite,
twice the real value of silver bullion
will surely prove delusive, that, true
to history and traditions of our par
ty, we declare our hostility to policy
so fatal in the absence of an enlight-
ened international agreement regulat-
ing the whole subject to the early
establishment of which agreement
we believe the efforts of the govern
ment should be steadily directed"
There is not even implied in this
declaration of the views of Maryland
democracy one year ago an approval
of the theory Of international bimet-
alism, but simply Of IAN enlightened
international agreement regulating
the whole subject" 1t was a decla-
ration that was assumed to represent
the views of the great majority of
democrats in this State, of all, in fact,
except the free siIverite faction vino
stood out for the impossible ratio of
"16 70 l."
Yesterday the State democracy
again assembled in convention at
Ford's Opera House. Senator Cor
man was again the master spirit of
the gathering. Only this time he
exchanged the position Of presiding
officer for the not less important one
/, of chairman of the committee on res
olutions. This year, as last year, the
platform of the convention bears the
impression of the Senator's own per
sonal Endorsement. But what a CON
trast there is between the declare
lions of the deliberate views of our
people one year ago upon the none
tary question and that which is now
presented in their names. 1.-The
Democracy of Maryland,' says the
platform of 1897, I'm common with
the democracy of the Union, believe
now, as they always have believed,
in honest money, the gold and silver
money of the constitution and the
coinage of both metals without dis
elimination against either into stan
dard dollars of final payment and
redemption" I'VE note with satisfac-
ton this new declaration of party
faith proceeds, that the demand of
more than six and One-half millions OF
Democratic voters at the polls last
November has compelled President
Mckinley and a Republican Con
gress to urge upon the European pow
ers, through the medium of a duly
appointed commission, the necessity
for an international conference to ar
range the terms of bimetallic system
under the operation of which both
gold and silver shall be used and rec
Ognized as money of final redemp-
ton" The prediction is then ven
tured that ''bimetallism will surely
come" 1T may come through the
instrumentaIity set in motion by the
present administration, though, in
truth, inspired by the trepid action
of the Democratic voters. But it
will come, and the prosperity and
happiness that follow in its train will
be due to the courage, the undaunted
fidelity and the intelligent patrio-
tism of the Democracy"
All this is very drolI, or would be
so if the subject were not too serious
to be transformed into comedy, even
to suit the purposes of Senator Cor
man. The emphatic declaration Of
the platform of a year ago in favor Of
1.-THE maintenance of the existing gold
standard" is abandoned, and 50 equal
ly is the emphatic declaration of the
Chicago platform in favor of the free
and unlimited coinage of both silver
and gold at the present legal ratio of
16 to I, without waiting for the aid or
consent of any other nation y = = =
Mr.. German and his rainbow-chasers
declare that bimetallism must come"
that prosperity and happiness will
follow in its train but that the
"credit will not belong to the McKin-
ley administration but TO the Democ-
racy."
a more palpable ''straddle,' more
complete evasion of every real and
practical final question which is now
before the American people could
hardly be imagined than this latest
masterpiece of Mr.. Gorman's states
manship and leadership-the plat
form adopted yesterday by his CON
vention in the name OF the Democracy
of Maryland. There are Maryland
Democrats of two sorts-silyer Demo
Gratis and gold Democrats. 1t remains
to be seen what satisfaction Mr.. Cor
mans platform will afford to either.
s--------s--s----------s
Maryland Democratic Convention.
Senator German held State con