The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-07-02
POWDER THAT HAS BEEN BURNED.

States.
POWDER THAT HAS BEEN BURNED.
The Democratic convention of Ohio not
only went with a rush for free silver Din
age at 16 to l. but took every possible
means of emphasizing its folly. The key
note speech of the chairman of the conven-
ton went to an extreme on the question,
and no other sentence in his spec r was
more loudly applauded than when he y;
"All other questions sink into insignifica
compared with that of the restoration
the dollar of the daddies.' Let the.
war cry, and make that the end AGO ann of
our warfare The platform, adopted with
out a dissenting voice. demands the free
and unlimited coinage of both .ilver and
gold at the present ratio of 16 y i without
waiting for the aid or consent of any other
nation" Every mention of the name of
Bryan was cheered, and, finally, to COM
plete the act of qualification, n large gold
cross was placed on the platform bearing
a crown Of thorns and a clock whose hands
indicated sixteen minutes to l o'clock And
this semi-idiotic, neutrality-suspicious. symbol
was actually cheered by the convention.
Thus, far as a State convention can
pledge a party to anything, the Democracy
OF Ohio is pledged to repeat the folly of
1896 in 1900
There are indications of the same spirit
in other quarters. The recent Democratic
convention in Kentucky was as frantic for
free silver at 16 to l as that of Ohio, and in
dorsed the obsolete Chicago platform from
beginning to end as if it were the original
charter of Democratic principles. The
small-fry local Democratic politicians in
this city doing their best to make free
silver the dominant issue and test of mem
bership in the party. The local organ of
Organism declares that the attempt to
drive the Democratic party from the advo-
cacy of free silver will not succeed. LAS
patriots and as honest men," it says, sit is
their duty to stand firmly for what they
believe will bring relief to the country. AS
men who believe that free coinage will
bring blessings to themselves and their fell
low-citizens, there can be no other course
open to them
The history of politics scarcely affords a
parallel to this stubborn and stupid adher-
ence of the Democratic party to the free
silver heresy as advocated by them and re-
pudiated by the people in 1896. The firm ad-
herence of a political party to fundamental
and traditional doctrines which find at
least some semblance of support in reason
and experience is to be admired. But the
dogma Of free silver coinage at 16 to / does
fol ~
trines. 1t was never heard of as a Demo-
cratic principle until 1896, and then it was
injected into the platform and saddlad on to
the party by the combined efforts of silver
mine owners, PopUlists and unprincipled
Democrats. The doctrine is entirely at war
with the declared principles of Jefferson
and other founders and leaders of the Dem
ocratic party, and with former declarations
of the party in favor of sound money. 1t
is condemned by every principle of sound
finance, by the teachings of experience and
by common sense and common honesty. 1t
has been repudiated by every civilized gov
eminent in the world, and recently by
Japan. Besides having been rejected by
all the wise leaders of the Democratic rar-
- before the election. it is now being dis
carded by many who formerly advocated
it, as Ex-Governor Boies and others. Even
Mr.. Bryan practically admits that if the
times improve and prosperity returns there
will be small chance of success on the free
silver issue And yet, two Democratic
State conventions have actually shouted
themselves hoarse in favor of free silver
coinage at 16 to l, as If it We're Demo-
cratic principle of enduring vitality instead
of a fake issue concocted for selfish and
demagogic purposes. If the party succeeds
in keeping the issue alive until 1909, which
is hardly possible, it will be worse beaten
than it was in 1896 No party can keep it
self afloat by flashing itself to a corpse.
The money question in some form, even
the silver question in some form, may fig
ure in the election of 1900, but the issue of
free silver at Is to 1 is as dead as any issue
of the middle ages. The 16 to l powder has
been burned once, and will never serve in
another campaign