The aegis & intelligencer., 1897-09-10
AsuGGEsTIoN TO MARYLAND DEMOCRATS

PubH>hcd by authority of the Maryland
Democratic Editors Assocation)
The Republican League OF business Men"
recently formed in Baltimore City, with
view 10 maintaining the fortunes of their party
iii Inc coming campaign. csnmenc" their dec
lar;tion oi principles Is io;icws
In 1895 the Republican party OF this State
i'll It's platform made three distinct promises
10 the people. 1t has fulfilled all three
FIRST nat il would enact an election law
by which the people should be guaranteed
iaiT elections.
Second That it would enact an equitable
assessment law; and
Third lat il would submit : civil service
act 10 TIE people at the polls.
For die Accomplishment OF these reforms
the people al this city and State Witnessed
litter struggles waecd in any State in the
Union. How well the party kept the pledges
Cf its Platform is we'll known q
Then apparently taking alarm at the painful
truth conveyed by the last sentence, they alb
ruptly leave the question of their stewardship
OF the trust confded To them in State matters
and dwell at much length and with amusing
vigor upon the extent TO which the financial
question was factor in the last campaign,
State and national and affirm that there must
be no step backward i'll the coming campaign"
They declare that in 1896 men of all parties
came together for the protection OF the
tons credit and the sound money candidate
for thy Presidency MAS elected" and cuncude
at is idle therefore, to say that only local is
sues are involved in the presrHt campaign"
This same spirit 0; fleeing from 4 defense
OF their record in State affairs and taking
refuge behind tho financial question a
tional issue is manifested by the Republican
press and politicians throughout tic State, who
have shown disposition 10 10 their bomb
proofs all along the line upou the first shots
fred by the Democratic press into their sham
reforms" in State matters.
The previous articles OF the Democratic Ed
itorG' Association have been devoted TO show
the Republican patty has kept that pledge OF
its platform FIRST above enumerated as 10 q
fair election law, and they here promise, N
iature articles during the pendcncy OF the
Campaign. 10 demonstrate in equally cir
cunlstantia and conclusive manner how .ronl-
plctely false 20 its trust 1t has proved IN re-
sIccI to the other enumerated rr:orniS
'an equitable assessment law and the clYil
service act.
tic public records the absolute bad faith OF
the Maryland Republicans in t":r e'iort 10
again deceive the people by injecting .he TN
anc1ai question into -ae S:ate campaign
1t i, quite true. as stated in the above quot
gd declaration OF principles" that many
democrats contributed their
the election of Major Mckinley They did so,
as Is well known, under the mistaken belief
that his party could be depended upon TO sup
port the gold standard of monetary value as
enunctated III the indianapolis platform and
that IN Difference to the influence which thus
secured his election, the Republican admins
trati"n would adopt a conservative course on
the tariff question, and give primary consid-
Grafton to the principle of sound money" as
thus interpreted. To this mistaken belief on
the part OF Democrats the astute managers of
me Republican campaign openly contributed
and, aside from the frank adm"nition of Mr.
said that the whole Republican campaign in
the Eastern States was with the sound
money idea, as eNpoundcd at Indianapolis.
tins the case in Maryland where the Rcpub.
lican press and campaigncrS with one voice
loudly proc aimed that the election OF McKin-
ley meant the permanent establishment of the
gold standard. Deceived and deludcd by these
false promises, several thousand low tariff
cast thsF votes m o1 Way AMY 2nd gisswhsTs T
great high priest of extreme protection.
But the records of Congress afford conclu.
sivc proof that these promises by which Mary
land Democrats were deceived into voting for
u Republican President deliberately re-
pudiated as soon a. the Republicans were in
power. Instead oi holding the tariff question
IN abcy4HCc,as had been promised and adopt
ing measures looking TO the permanent cstab-
lshment OF the gold standard the two diStinc
tive measures Ot the Republican Congress,
which assembled one month after tlie election
were in precisely the opposite direction.
/. The tariff bill upon which they immedi-
ately set to work. and which after eight
months OF contention among themselves over
the division OF the spols Of protection il car
ries, has finally been enacted into law. IS gen
orally conceded to be, As measure OF extreme
protection in advance even OF the famous law
OF 1890. which bore, the name Of Mckinley.
,. The international monetary conference
hill. prepared by Senator Nolcott, the great
friend OF free silver (who claimed I" have
stood between his party and defeat by preach
ing in the West financial doctrine exactly
the converse OF that promised in Maryland)
which was introduced i'll Congress in the first
days of the December session, and which, by
the solid support OF the Republicans of both
branches was promptly passed. was an open:
unequiy ocal endorsement Of the doctrine OF
the free coinage OF both silver and gold ard
essentially based upon that idea.
This monetary conference bill was openly
denounced on the floor of the Senate by
Senator Villas. the confidential friend OF Mr..
Cleveland. speaking for the gold Democrats.
as a breach Of faith with the sound money"
sentiment Of the Demo cratic party. and prac-
teal concession of the fundamental assump-
ton of the Bryan campaign