The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-07-08

nat can uouDle the value OF silver, and make
| and keep the silver dollar the full equal of
OF the gold: Some men honestly believe In
thls mlraculuos power but what they really
want 1s not free coinage of silver, but free
| an easy way OF paying debts Others, made
desperate by present conditions. are willing to
fisk any change, hoping for better times.
| Ignorant Of the fact that the present hard
times are mainly due to this agitation and
| the Republican silver legislation which
brought ON the panic, they are willing to try
| bigger dose OF the stuff which has poisoned
them. Others whose main object in life is. to
| break into office, regard it a Of
| getting public job. Behind all these is the
| greedy, crafty coterie of millionaire silver
mine owners, furnishing the funds and pulling
| the wires.
The recent nondescript convention held in
this city, at which two ex-Republicans, one
Populist and two ex-Democrats nomi-
mated, swallowed the entire Chicago platform,
and made the dominant issues of this cam
paign, not state issues on which all Demo-
Gratis might have united, but the heresies of
the Chicago platform 1t could not commend
personal liberty, condemn protection and
prohibition 1t had no word of protest against
the hypocritical mulct law, which still dis
graces our statute books.
DENOUNCED THE CONSTITUTION.
When the Chicago convention denounced the
use of federal troops at Chicago to enforce
the federal laws, it also denounced the con-
st1tut1on of the United States The constitution
gives congress power over interstate COM
merce and the mails; it makes the authorized
acts of congress the supreme law of the land;
1t imposes on the president the duty of en-
forcing these laws, and provides troops for
that purpose. Without consent of the state
authorities Washington sent the militia of
other states into Pennsylvania to suppress
the rebellion against the excise laws; jack
son used federal forces to prevent nullfca-
tion by South Carolina; Lincoln sent the boys
in blue across Mason and DiXon's line to save
the Union and when a mop seized the rail-
roads in Chicago and trampled the federal
laws under foot, Cleveland proved a worthy
successor of Washington, jackson and Lin
coln and used the nations troops to enforce
the nations law.
Anarchy gave way to order and the in
dividual again enjoyed his right to go where
ne pleased to trade with his neighb9r in other
states, to have his letters carried to their
destination. This loyal act of this great
American is denounced by the recent monde
script convention in its approval of the Chi
cago platform. This approval also includes
the attack upon the supreme court of the
United States and the covert threat to re-
verse its decisions by packing the court
The Chicago platform is instructive only
in teaching how free government should not
be carried on. We cannot look for relief to
men capable of such an unparalleled mass of
to any convention which indorses such
platform. We can, however, thank the recent
nondescript convention for putting at the head
of it's ticket a who knows what he
wants. and has the courage to say what he
means. He wants cheap money. Free coin
age of silver means so cent dollars or worse;
and therefore ne 1aVOrS Tree coinage. quite
likely he would prefer liberal coinage of
paper, but it is to be hoped he would draw
the line at counterfeits and confederate money,
no matter how cheap. Do the workinngmen Of
Iowa wish their scanty wages paid in so
cent dollars? Do the wounded veterans and
the widows of those who fell wish their
pensions paid in deprecated currency? Do
the depositors in savings banks want
bad money returned for good money? Does
the who lent gold wish repayment in
half weight silver? Do the people wish an
nfho fiDonS oil
these things are wished, if reputation is
wished to honesty, and bad money to good,
then indeed may this advocate of cheap
money expect to be elected.
FREE SILVER AGITATION.
The real stock in trade of the free silver
self largely caused. The hope that some
change in the statute book may better times
causes many men to vote for any quack
remedy proposed. Take away from the ag1-
tator the calamity cry and his occupation is
gone. The country's misfortune is his OPP
portunity and its prosperity will be his de-
stantial, though slow Improvement, since
Bryan's defeat While thousands of men
made idle by the Chicago convention have
found employment, yet the hard times have
forced reduction of wages, and there are
still many thousands unable to find work.
What is the remedy? What party can be
trusted to apply it?
The silver men say our money is too good
and to scarce. They would make it poor and
plentiful. The trouble, however is not due
to scarcity of money, but to scarcity of con-
fidence. Our money has increased faster than
population but the silver agitation has
awakened distrust. The remedy is to re-
store confidence. Capital will seek employ
ment freely only when sure that it will not
be Confiscated, when sure than the returns
of the venture viii be in the same good
money invested. Wealth is the product of
intelligent labor. The better the tools used
and the more brains mixed with the labor
the greater the result-but, first of all, as
surance is needed that half the tools will
not be stolen. The good money of the gold
standard is the best tool of commerce and
used by the leading nations. The best is
none too good for the American people, and
out of place here. Silver has its proper use
in the minor transactions of commerce, and
when maintained at a parity with gold,
through limitation of coinage and other safe
guards, serves as a useful tool, which no
one would discard The use of silver with
gold in this way furnishes the only practi-
cal bimetalic currency.
OLD DEMOCRATIC POLICY.
While statutes cannot raise corn and gov
ernments cannot create wealth with printers
ink and paper, yet legislation may impede the
people in working out their own salvation.
Bad currency laws, by introducing doubt
and fear into our commercial relations, can
greatly impair the productivity of the peo-
pie. The Indianapolis platform well says
that the present costly patchwork system
of paper currency is constant source of
injury and peril and we need 'such intel
ligent currency reforms as will contine the
government to its legitimate functions, COM
pletely separated from the banking business,
and afford to all sections of our country
uniform, safe and elastic bank currency,
under governmental supervision, measured in
volume by the needs of business" We will
then no longer see the anomaly of a rate of
interest nearly twice as high in Iowa as
| New York, or money plentiful in one sec
ton and scarce in another having equally
good security to offer. With our financial
standard made secure, and a safe and fex-
! ible system of banking established, the people
will do the rest. With restored confidence
| they will again show their unequalled powers
| of production. The present business will
grow in volume new enterprises will be I'M
dertaken and general prosperity restored.
One party, both. by its traditions and prin
| ciples is peculiarly adapted to the work of
| reforming our currency. 1t is the old DEM
i ocratic party Last year it saved the peo-
| pie from disaster and the nation from dis
honor. The same battle is on again; and like
| true soldiers you have answered the call.
Standing on the platform built by fearless
patriots at indianapolis upon the everlasting
| rocks OF truth and justice, you do we'll to
unfurl the old flag. You will choose your
| leaders and follow them to the fray with
courage which defeats will but renew, a
of men warning for no selfish gain, but for
! the highest of all Observation-Disclosures and free
dom for ALL
LETTER FROM CLEVELAND.
The convention was also addressed
| by eX-CongreSsman Frost, of st. Louis
! Letters were read addressed to Paul
| Kersch Davenport, from Grover Cleve-
land and Henry Watterson. kilograms
| in reply were ordered sent to Messrs.
| Cleveland and Watterson. and to the
| Kentucky convention. The letter from
ex-President Cleveland was as follows:
/ CRAY CARRIES Ruzzard Raw Mass Julv