The daily morning journal and courier., 1897-07-15
CLEAVE TO THE OLD FAITH
Continued from First Page.)

- appeal, 1t may be for the last time, to the serious sense and Judgment of our fellow democrats. We are here to pro- test against the vagaries of body of incompetent leaders, who have prosti- tuted the name and principles of the party, and who seem more than ever bent upon pursuing the course which has wrecked us, yet who present no claim to the party confidence except such as may be allowed, two defeats in hand with the deluge yet to come. As a political issue the free and in dependent coinage of silver at a ratio of 16 to l, or any other ratio, is as dead as the institution of African slavery After the wretched experience the dem ocratfc party has had of it there would be no thought of keeping 1t longer be- l fore the people, even to yindicate those who are responsible for the evil it has done us, except that back of it still stand the ,silver kings of the rotten I boroughs and the stock -jobbers of the | senate of the United States. These rep resent millions of present and specu- lative wealth, supplying the needed i sinews of war, and whilst the agita- tion lasts-no matter what comes of 1t or who suffers-it can be made to serve the ends, sometimes political, and sometimes pecuniary, of those who have 1t In their special keeping and who never let 1t go until forced to do so by public opinion. In Gods name, I ask, | shall the great historic democratic par ty, with all it's glorious achievements and noble possibilities, be scuttled and sunk by such men and in actual sight 1 of an open sea and safe harbor? It is | with the rank and file of the party to say. To the rank and file, therefore, we turn with eager, but with confident l hope. We ask them in sober truth, as l friends, and brothers to look about 1 them, to stop and think, and, seeing whether we are being hurried by pas- sion and error, to help us reverse the | engines before it is too late.
 MT. Carlisle said, in part:
 I congratulate the national demo- l crats of Kentucky upon the significant response they have made to the call for this convention, and congratulate the friends of sound money, tariff re- form and good government in every part of the country upon this suspicious opening of the campaign, which, am
 
 of our party. The proceedings of this great assemblage of intelligent and pa triotic democrats, who have refused tc abandon their lifelong convictions and transfer their allegiance to a new po- litical combination formed without their consent and composed largely of their old opponents, will be watched with intense interest by conservative and law-abiding citizens in every state in the Union and will inspire our friends everywhere with new zeal an6 courage for the conflict in which we have enlisted.
 This is no ordinary political conven- ton; it is not composed of subservient partisans, carefully selected and drilled by local managers to go first on one side and then on the other, in obedi ence to nod or wink from some self. constituted leader, who has bargainec 1 away their votes In advance You dc not acknowledge the divine right ot King Caucus or any other potentate te bind your conscience in political mat ters or dictate how you shall exercise the highest prerogative of citizenship the right Of suffrage.
 You are not here, gentlemen, tC wrangle about the distribution of of fees or to bubble about the phraseolo gy of & platform, laboriously construct ed to conceal your real opinions anC cheat the people out of their votes You are not here to trade your prin, ciples for office, or to solicit the en dorsement or the acquiescence of DO IIitical opponents by ignoring or misrep resenting the real issues presented bI the existing condition of the country and by the dangerous character of tn policies which threaten it's peace anC prosperity in the future.
 You are not here to impeach the per
 sonal integrity or patriotism of an, part of your fellow citizens, or to assai their motives. however widely the. may differ from you on public ques
 tions: but, if I understand your pur pose, you are here simply to make tplain and honest declaration of demo