The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-01-10

II
yet me democrats Ghe gold democrats in |
cludedl commenced agiIating Tor The re- |
Pea OF me Mckinley tarif act as soon as |
sold republicans inclnded) commenced arl- |
tnting FOR the repeal of the Wilson tar.m |
NJ New ~ yos scon y oi as 1t tGcame law. The
the purpose of agitation. Il first agitaied |
AGAINST the protective tariff and then |
against b'metallsn The Home Market |
club was organized to carry on an agta- |
iion against tariff reform. ! mention theea |
INSTANCES TO show that the people who |
now oppose agitation against the gold |
sttnuaru nave always been willing 10 ayi- |
eate when they were not satisfied with cx-
istins legislation.
Those who regard this election as con-
elusive settlement of the question at issue
should recall the recent political history
OF the United States. The exact vote can
not be given at the time this article is
written but 1t is 80 close that a change of
less than 10000 votes, properly distributed
over several States, would overcome the
republican majority In the electoral col
kentucky, South Dakota and Wyoming
that ~ change of 100 votes either way
would change twenty electoral votes. On
me basis OF the electoral vote. therefore.
there Is nothing to guarantee permanence
in the victory for the gold standard. Bu,
even II the republican triumph was more
sweeping imam the figures at present in
uicate, II would not settle the next cam
pdLgn. In the past. parties have often
recovered rec quickly from what seemed over
wheiming defeat. In 1872 Mr.. Greeley WAS
defeated. and yet in 1876 Mr.. Tildeu was
eiddy, bby. the democrats to have been
eieGted. Mr. blaine was defeated in l@i
The republican victory of lsSS was quickly
fouowed by the democratic victory of 1874
and the election of President Cleveland
two years later. The election Of President
Cleveland by large majority in 1899 was
iollo.wei two years Letter by an enormous
republican victory. The changes which
have taken place in the past indicate The
possibilities of the future. There is only
one prophecy which can he made with Ger
American people will study a subject until
they understand 1t and VIII then settle it.
Changes of opinion will 20 on until the
hest solution of every question is found.
our form of government Is based upon the
theory that the people are capable of
ss,1lf-goyernme,npt; This theory is, in my
both the Intelligence and patriotism TO Sc
icct and to secure for themselves those
gagged IN an effort to discover and secure
a satisfactory financial policy and 1t would
be q reflection upon them to say that they
would permanently accept an unsatsfac-
ant part in the settlement of public ques-
tions. That financial and industrial con-
ditons are unsatisfactory at this time,
| no one denies. The advocates OF free COIN
| age have insisted that these conditions are
| largely due to the gold standard They
dence that gold Is rising, and they assert
that the rise in The purchaSing power OF
| an ounce of gold Is due TO legislation
| which has increased the demand for gold.
| The republicans. on the other hand, have
| blamed the Wilson bill for the present
hard times and have promised to restore
prosperity by opening the mills The next
four years will determine whether the re-
publican promises can be fulfilled.
In 1890. in report which accompanied
his tariff bill. Mr.. Mckinley said: THAT
there is widespread depression in this in
dustry lagIdculture) today. can not be
doubted This admission was made after
the. country had had thirty years of pro
| ture Is more widespread and acute today
| than 1t we9 six years ago. In the same
report. Mr. Mckinley said: This great
| industry tagriculture) is foremost in mag
| nitude and Importance in our country. Its
success and prosperity are vital to the
Nanon No presperIy rs pSssiois 70 Other
| was correct in asserting that prosperity
must begin, with the farm. The farmer
has suffered because the price of agricul-
tural products has fallen, while lakes
debts and many other fixed charges have
not fallen in the, same proportion. His
total income has decreased while his nee.
essary expenditures have stubbornly re-
fused to decrease. and he has been com
PEELED to economiae in his living. expenses
The president-elect recognized this fact II
1870, because he said in the report above
people, already suffering from low prices
-
which will result in lower prices" In the
late campaign the laboriwg men have beer
told that low prices are an advantage Il
them, while the farmers have been pointed
to the advantage of higher prices. II !:
going to be very difficult for the incomnl
administration to secure higher prices fol
the farmer and lower prices for the wage
Garner. 1t must be remembered also, that
the financiers have denounced as dishonest
power VIII the advocates of a gold stand
ard try TO raise prices AMI thus, accord
ing their own language. become repudi
ators? WIN they be willing TO have debts
paid with dollars which buy less than tn,
dollars borrowed II. on the other hand
the maintenance of the gold standard re-
as bimetallsts believe, In still lower prices
then the condition of the farmer will be
c, me worse than " has been in the years
just past.
If our opponents imagine that the bimet
, al!sts will be easily defeated in 1900, le
them remember that thousands of repnb
year by the pledge that their party vii
Try 10 secure International himetallism. !
the party did not intend this pledge 10 b.
, | relied upon, why II inserted? If re
publicans have relied upon 1t, VIII the,
, not lie disappointed when the -four year
pass without a successful en ro TO sec ~
tons? We have charged that interna
. tioHal bimetallsm was not seriously con
, made 10 deceive the voters: the next fey
, years Will sustain or disprove our charge
The gold standard democrats can not d
9 as much harm In 1900 as they have don
4 this year At Chicago they advocated
financial plank almost identical with III
one adopted by the republicans. The
4 declared that free coinage would interior
4 w1lh international bimetallism. towar
: which, they added. all efforts should b
A directed. The fact that the gold demo
=? Gratis, whose devotion to international b
= metailism approached the pathetic so lon
: | as they were members of the Chicago con
f Vention, forgot all about NJ when the
q reached indianapolis, illustrates the lac
@ of candor which has all along character
9 ICED the advocates of the gold s;hndare
L | During the last three months the goI
e democrats have gone up and down IN
s land loudly declaring their affection 10
n democratic principles, while they hay
= strIven 10 undo all that Jefferson an
e jackson l4bored TO accomplish: and in OF
f der to give a touch CT numor to the
i campaign they fixed the word national
/. 10 tho word "democrat," although the
!, neither expected nor desired their cicks
8 10 carry n single county la the entire NJ
ton. They used their party orginl9ai'o
= for the purpose of misleading other
v while they themselves spared no ehoft
/ secure the success of the republican tleke
| ,,t,r,. -, NOT list-ttiea Themselves again.