The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1897-02-05
ID e 81 NoT ID 80

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growth of our party and the fact that
in the recent election nearly half the
voters in the union indorsed much Of
our platform. No party ever achieved
more brilliant success in so brief time.
Although handicapped IN the late cam
paign, we emerge from the contest
stronger than ever. Cur party alone
has a voting force larger than that
which elected Lincoln and an able, eff
fective reform press of nearly 1000 pa
pers. We elected several governors as
well as hundreds of other state, county
and town officials. We hold the bal
ance of power in the United States
senate and have four times IS many
congressman as ever before.
We united with the silver forces in
the recent campaign, not because we
believe free coinage of silver is the so
luton of the financial problem, but be-
cause it would better existing condi-
tions, would meet with the least resist
anee and become the entering wedge
for our main Issue, viz, full legal ten
der paper money, issued and regulated
by the government alone. Having
proved our loyalty at the polls, we are
free to act separately on advanced
lines and to emphasize the real issues
our party was born to advocate. We
cannot in honor lay down our arms and
cease our activity until the war for
which we enlisted has ended in victory
for our cause.
The democratic party proposes to
continue the silver fight. Two parties
cannot exist on the same issue. The
greater sbsorbs the smaller. There
fore, if we remain mere camp followers
Of another party, disintegration will
result. Our party success alone forced
the democrats to adopt the Chicago
platform and nominate a popOcrat for
president. Converts made by party
regularity cannot be trusted with the
reforms of the future.
While chairman Of the Chicago
branch of our executive committee dur
ing the campaign, my contact with the
chairmen of democratic state commit
tees revealed to me the fact that in
many cases they were more anxious to
elect their state tickets and absorb the
populists than they were for the sue
cess of Bryan and the Chicago plat
form, but this does not apply to the
chairman and officers of the national
committee.
We are not demo Gratis and cannot be
classed as such. We'simply united for
a single campaign. The democratic
party is but the rear guard of our own,
We do not stand for redemption money,
but for a scientific dollar, kept invaria-
BILE by proper regulation of the money
volume. Then why should a high
school graduater e-enter the intermedi.
ate grade? Our grandest achievements
are in the future, if we inspire the peo-
pie through separate party action with
our chief issues, and hold our forces to-
gether by taking the lead which belongs
to US in pressing to success the reforms
Of the day,
The millions Of converts to silver
during the recent campaign must ad,
vance. They viii not remain where
they are. We must educate them W
to the main issue, and the time to do il
is now, not just before a presidential
election. We must also hold the dem
oeratic party to its present position o.
compel it to advance,
History teaches that to achieve con
servatiYe results, a radical position
must be taken. The substitution o.
our main plank for a subordinate one
as the fighting issue of the next foul
years, is in line with the best senti
ment of our party and requires NJ
change of front, no abandonment Of
principle, no new platform. The maiI
army merely moves up to occupy the
position held by the skirmish line.
| President Cleveland supplies US with
fresh incentive for renewed effort il
his official demand for the retirement
of the greenbacks and the issue ant
control of paper money except coiI
certificates by the banks. Senator
Quay says this should be made an issue
by the republicans, and advocates the
substitution of United States notes
payable in gold, for the greenbacks.
Here we have a living issue with botl
wings of the gold forces, which bring
our main question to the front-shal
the paper money of the country be is
sued and regulated by the people or b.
the banks? This will precipitate no
debate in congress that will focus pub
lie attention upon the relative merit
of scientific and redemption money
which will become the absorbing ques
ton of the day, just as the silver move
ment followed the silver debates
| year ago, and viii afford our sentinel
in congress an opportunity to neasur
the true attitude of the silver, demo
cratic and republican leaders, on al
issue vital to our party and the wei
| fare Of the country, and to determin
to what extent our recent allies can b
depended upon.
Again, the fact that the railroad
telegraph and telephone companies be
came the willing tools Of a eampaig
committee in the recent election fu
nishes us with another striking argr
ment for the government OWNERSHIP
OF these great mOnopolies. We are nc
a free people so long as they can b
utilized for campaign purposes in tn
interest Of trusts and combines.
The proposed retirement of tn
greenbGcks and the discussion Of th
Pacific railroad question viii bring b,
fore congress the two strongest mea!
ures Of cur platform; and whatever i
sues the other parties may adopt, tn
logic of events viii so force upon bot
congress and the people the consider;
ton of these measures as to owe
shadow all others and win to or
ranks thousands Of voters from bot
the republican and democratic partie
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