The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1897-04-02
Where We Stand.

II. Il. EWlIlp, vi gun, MAI lduti,
in commenting upon the union OF reform
forces discussed in the Silver Knight
Waterman, says:
They are having high old time "getting to-
gether' in the Sitrer Knight Watchmdn. They ap-
pear to progress like the philosophers lines that
approach nearer each other through all time but
never meet. There is a radical difference between
the Peoples party and the Chicago Democratic
party which has not been touched in this eX-
change of views. The Chicago platform declares
ment shall been redeemed in coin" The Pop
uist platform declares that all such issues shall
be full legal tender for all debt, public and
private Those two are fundamental principles
rreconcilable. In fact they constitute two en-
tirely different systems of finance Onwhch side
is the Sitcsr knight Waterman?
The Silver Knight Waterman is on the
side of democracy i'll its broad sense
against plutocracy in every sense. The
platforms of the Democratic party, the
Populist party, and the Silver party all
demand the free and unlimited coinage
of silver at the ratio of I6 to 1 by the
United States acting independently of
any other country. They oppose the
national banks and demand that all
money shall be issued by the government
and be full legal tender. They are on the
same lines, and not OH different lines, for
distance as great as can be travelled in
one campaign. The national banks, the
bond holders, the gold gamblers, and the
gold hoarders make their stand against
these propositions. The strength of the
enemy is established OH the gold standard
and bank issues, against biinetallism and
government issues of money.
The Silver Knight. Watchnan is in
favor of humanity against the assaults
upon the people by the money type,
which consists of the non producing par
asites who corner money and destroy
civilization by robbing and enslaviug the
masses 1t advocates the union of the
great army TO attack the stronghold of
the banks and the money powers, and
when that is captured and its defenders
dispersed it will be time enough to unite
or divide on other issues. 1t is undoubt-
cdly necessary for the Populists, the silver
men of the Republican party, and the
reform Democracy of Chicago to organize
together i'll separate divisions of the main
army to the end that there may be CO.
operation in the great battle before us.
There are many advantages in these sep
arate organizations. Thousands will or
ganize in this way who would not leave
their party to join another Besides, il
either division of the army should be be-
trayed by Greeks bearing gifts and
dodge the money issue, the other two
divisions could unite and fight the COM
bined forces Of gold monopoly. There
would still be party of the people and
for the people, to fight for relief.
The above article from the .Silve,
Knight WatcAmaN resulted from a pri-
vate letter, from which the quotation by
the Knight is taken. OF course we had
no objection TO its being made public.
The knight, however, has not answered
the question. To the generalities con-
tanned i'll the above answer no person or
party i'll the reform movement has any
objection to make, and if there was no
obstacle more than enumerated in the
above answer there would be no necessity
for three divisions, and no trouble what
ever i'll getting together"
We will endeavor to point out quite a
large difference between these three po-
litical divisions of reformers, and in order
to make the matter plain will quote the
vital point of the platforms
The Bimetallic, or silver party PLATFORM
adopted at St. Louis July 24th, 1896, de-
mands-* "the unrestricted COIN
age of both gold and silver into standard
money at the ratio of I6 to I and upon
terms of exact equality, as they existed
prior to 1873, the silver coin to be full
legal tender equally with gold for all
debts and dues private and public"
The Chicago platform of the New"
Democratic party on the money question,
reads
eve demand the free and unlimited
coinage of both silver and gold at the
present legal ratio of I6 to x n
We demand that the standard silver dol
lar shall be a full legal tender, equally
with gold, for all debts public and private
X and we demand that all paper
which is made legal tender for public
and private debts, or which is receivable
for duties to the United States shall be
issued by the government of the United
States and shall be redeemabLe in conn.,"
We italicise these words to emphasize
their Importance.
The money plank of the Peoples party
platform declares
81. We demand a national money.
safe and sound, issued by the general
government only, without the interven-
ton of banks of issue, TO be a full LEGAL
tender for all debts, public and byiaute,
just, equitable and efficient means of
distribution direct to the people and
through the lawful disbursements of the
government.
~. We demand the free and unre-
stricted coinage of silver and gold at the
present legal ratio of 16 to I, without
waiting for the consent of foreign
nations"
These extracts from the three platforms
contain the gist of the money question as
entertained by these separate party di-
visions. The first, or Silver party, who
are called Silver Republicans, says not
word beyond the free coinage of silver
and gold at the present legal ratio. Not
a word is uttered about the issue of paper
money, except incidentally government
is mentioned and that the Chi
cago Democratic convention embodied i'll
its platform the financial principles of the
party. The Democratic plat
fnr H. l.