Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1896-1899, 1897-06-22


lo the free coinage OF silver, governmeI
G. currency. and the initiative an
to referendum. Why not get tngeth'
II on these, and take up the Others
their order OF Importance afterward
All the good things may be accom-
lishcd in the fullness OF time, bu
they can't all be done at once. lie
US do one or two things at a time, anC
do them right There is nothing t.
|. be gained by biting of more than VI
can chew.
1t is easy enough to tipd fault with
another's work, and to suggest ter
thousand different plans for doing it
no one of which may be half as good
So there seems to be plenty Of critic
ism Of the Albany convention, and
many other plans advanced, but none
TO equal the Albany plan ii all reform
ers will go to work on the lines there
laid down. The beauty of the Al
bany plan is partly that it proposes
to draw power and inspiration directly
from the people at the primaries,
while Mr.. Spaugh and others propose
10 'Ohicially" bind the people to sup
port whatever platform and ticket
is put up by the leaders. Speaking
for one, the writer will remark that
he doesn't propose to be "oflicially"
bound beforehand, by any so-called
leader, in any such manner.
Indeed, among those who are OBJ
jecting to the Union party, as organ
ized, there seems to be a very hazy
idea of what the object of Union
really is Examine Mr. E.J Bingham
scheme, the Iowa plan, rs published
in Thursdays JOURNAL. IL comprises
what? Simply the capture of the
offices and the division of the same
between the Democrats, Silver Re- /
publicans and Populists. There is no
PROVISION for any agreement on any
platform or declaration ofA principles,
or on any reforms TO be carried out. !
1t is purely bald temporary alliance
between warning parties, for the
lvOwed purpose of getting whack at
the spoils Free silver is to be simply
4 password to the sacred precincts OF
the pie counter. Now that may be
very satisfactory 20 those who expect
TO get front seats, but to the rank and
lie who want to see real improve
nent in methods it dosn't seem to be
precisely like the thing they are look
ng for.
If we are going in only to knock out
and divi5e the offices; to :
se the cry of free silver and reform
My to catch votes; to turn out one
ct of professional spoils politicians
nd put in another set of professional
polls politicians; to let things run
nder exactly the same old system of Z
the dear people" at election time,
nd "the people be damned" between
lines, then the Union party may as II
'ell Idle aborning." We may as we'll .
e skinned by one set of schemers as =
mother, and we must at least give
he Republicans credit for the fact
hat they are thoroughly onto their
DO. that they perform the painful 9
uty with the utmost neatness and
lspatch. (Ah, no thanks, Judge y
Still, we can hardly expect even re- :.
,rmers to be entirely unselfish. As
lere is bound to be pie, perhaps it
ould be better to have it divided 7
If another convention is
ally necessary, by all means let US
,nvene and talk the thing over some
ore. But let the plan of operations
, substantially that of the Albany
,nYention, for it cannot be much
approved on. 1t is surely better to
Ill together and accomplish even
tile good than to kick and bray at +
Ich other while the country contin- &c
IS to go unchecked to the demnition Sc
DAVID BURR CHASE. er
Salem, Or, June 20, 1897. an an
- -- In
Union. as
IlnC. MAVATnr, Ia to-