The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1897-07-17

that the cause is the demonstration of silver and
declaring that the remedy is the Te-estabshmen
of bimetallsm. The great political question of the
future, therefore, is shall this pledge be kept2 l
it is kept in letter and in spirit and the party i
wisely conducted as it is to be hoped il will be- IL
| other essential particulars the members of thai
party NAV not only contemplate with pride il.
glorious record of past stachievements but may hope
to see it win further victories"
If space permitted, similar extracts might
be made from Mr.. Dngley, the leader of the
! House, and other prominent Republicans oi
! that body.
As already stated, this bill, looking to the
establishment of the free coinage of silver,
passed both the Senate and the House with
the solid support of the Republican party. II
also received the solid support of the Demo
! cratic party. In the Senate, composed of 90
members, there were but dissenting votes
those of Mr. Allen, Populist, Mr.. Pettigrew,
| Silver Republican, and Messrs. Villas and
| Roach, Democrats. In the House, consisting
of $50 members, there were the same number
of dissenting votes-those of Messrs. Henry,
of Connecticut, johnson, of Indiana Knox,
of Massachusetts, and Quigg. of New York,
all Republicans. President Mckinley, acting
upon the authority thus conferred, with very
great promptness, appointed as the High
Commissioners of the United States in this be-
half, Senator Edward o. Wolco.t, ex-Yice-
President Adlai E. Stevenson, and General
Charles j. Paine. These distinguished gen
tlemen have accepted the trust and at the pres
ent time are in Europe, practically engaged
in their great mission on behalf of the rein
statement of the free coinage of both silver
and gold upon an agreed ratio.
To the apprehension of all fair-minded men,
regardless of their views on the coinage ques-
ton, it, therefore, clearly appears that, by the
concurrent action of the three political parties
in Congress and of the Republican administra-
ton. the financial question has been effectually
placed in allegiance. The character of the en-
inent and accomplished gentlemen who have
gone abroad on their mission of international
bimetallism is such as to warrant the most eff
fectiye as well as honest exertion in that be-
half Should they succeed, ,as every real friend
of the emancipation of mankind from financial
seryitude will earnestly hope, then the fnan-
cial question will be effectually eliminated
from national politics, and the next Presi-
dental campaign will be fought upon the tar
iff and the other questions upon which party
lines have heretofore been drawn. Should
they fail, as many believe they will, then the
question of independent action by the United
States, as the only means of compelling Euro
pean concurrence, will inevitably receive an
impetus in the next national campaign which
it will be difficult to resist successfully. All
agitation of the question pending these nego.
tiations is not only futile, but bears evidence
of bad faith.
From the aforegoing facts, taken from the
national records, it clearly appears that the
step backward, . which the Maryland Repub-
licans, in their efforts to get away from their
vulnerable record in State matters, aver that
they will not take in the coming State cam
paign, has already been deliberately, concert
edly and irreyocably taken by the national ad-
ministration and Congress of that party, As
an evidence of the inconsistency and bad
faith of the Maryland Republicans in their ef-
forts to take refuge behind this subterfuge, we
have only to look to the Presidents own State
of Ohio, where, in their pla;f form Just adopted
and in the speech of Mr. Grosvenor, the
spokesman of the administration, they have
relied especially upon their party's action in
behalf of international bimetallsm as means
of forestaling the injection of the silver ques-
tion into the State campaign by the Demo
Gratis.
If the Maryland Democrats are wise, they
will not by any iniudicious action aid the Re-
publicans of this State in their proclaimed pur-
pose to hide behind the financial question as
subterfuge TO stand between them and their
faulty record in State affairs.