Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1896-1899, 1897-04-22
BIMETALLISM,
And Question of the Union
Of Reform Forces in Oregon Poll
tics Discussed.

Ollu AOl dtuo WilbSS
Vile Or, on April 10:
Permit me, through the columns Of
THE JOURNAL, to dwell briefly on the
question of the fusion of the reform
forces in the state of Oregon.
[ notice in the issue of THE JOUR
NAL, of the 18th inst, an address pre-
pared by the state central committee,
of the Populist party, to the people OF
the state of Oregon, opposing fusion.
In this address this bold declaration
is made: that the "Populist party is
the original and only National Bime-
tallic party" Let us see:
The platform of every true bimetal-
list in the United States is this: Gold
and slversas standard money, paper
or greenbacks issued direct from the
Treasury department to the people
without the intervention of any bank
or corporation, the abolition of the
National bank as bank Of issue, and
the option left to the secretary Of the
treasury in redeeming government
obligations in either gold or silver.
0Now then, if L haYe correctly out
lined the Bimetallic platform, let US
see if the Populist party is the only
National Biznetallc party. Let me
quote from the platform of the Dem
ocratic party, adopted at Chicago,
July 8, 1896, 1T says: Recognizing
that the money question is paramount
to all others at the present time, we
invite attention to the fact that the
constitution names silver and gold as
the money metals of the United
States"
Further on it says: "We declare
that the act of 1873, demone tizing
silver without the knowledge or the
approval of the American people, has
resulted in the appreciation of gold
aud a corresponding fall in the prices
of commodities produced by the peo-
ple."
Again il says; 1--WE demand the free
and unlimited coinage of both silver
and gold, at the present legal ratio
of 16 to without waiting for aid or
consent of any other nation"
Again; "We demand that the is
suance of notes intended to circulate
as money by National banks, as In
derogation of the cons titution, and
we demand that all paper which il
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"
Is these utterances Of the Demo-
cratic party, not bimetalic? Do they
not sound the key note of bimetall-
ism? The platform of the National
Silver party, is, in effect, the same as
that of the Democratic party.
With these facts before us, why
does the Populist party claim the
of being the only National
Bimetalic party?
The Populist party has done great |
work. They have forced the money |
question to the front in the United |
States. But after having accomp-
lished this much, they have at last
departed widely from their former |
doctrine, and today instead of the |
money question, it is the initiative
and referendum, government owner
ship of railroads, telegraph and tele-
phone lines, opposition to trusts COM
bines etc, that their press, as whole,
tell US is of more import
ance than the financial question.
These things are all very good, in
dorse them all, and 1 believe that |
they will eventually be accomplished |
in the United States. But 1 wish to
call the attention Of our Populist |
friends to the fact, that never in the
history of the world, was a dozen
great reformer accomplished at one
time. Bimetallism, national or in
is the great oyershadow-
ing issue that today confronts the
American people, and it. will not
down until it is settled, and it must