Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1898-04-14

mdJorlty tne rlBnI ID dictate plat-
form2 Those who are opposed to the
gold standard must act together, and
the plan of action must be determined
by the majority. The moment the ratio
OF 8 to l is surrendered our silver
plank loses its force. Those who oppose
the ratio of 10 to / are not agreed
among themselves. No consi 'erable
body of men ask for any other .,eoifio
ratio. One man says 20 to l., another
"a, another 32, but all the ohjectors to-
rether are small in number when COM
pared with those who firmly believe in
the ability Of this nation to maintain
the parity at IS to /. II it is proposed
to leave the ratio to congress, it must
be remembered that those who desire
bimetallism demand affirmative action,
and every one opposed to the ratio fixed
in any proposed bill will be counted
against any kind of bimetallism. II the
ratio is left to be determined by con-
gressmen who run upon different plat
forms, it gives chance for variety Of
ratios which will effectually prevent
any legislation favorable to bimetallism
of the gold standard to slip into con-
gress under the pretense of favoring
some underlined ratio, but who, as a
matter Of fact, would use their positions
to maintain the gold standard.
The Popular Ratio.
The ratio of 10 to has been adopted
by the Democratic party in a convention
which, more than any recent conven-
tion, received its authority direct from
the people The rank and file of the
party, instead Of leaving the ratio to
the leaders, expressed their own opinion
upon the subject, and that opinion has
not changed since the convention. This
ratio has also been indorsed by the Pop
ulist party the National Silver party
and the Silver Pepublicans. To aban-
don the ratio would be wrong in itself
and as impolitic as it would be wrong.
IL the Democratic party were to allow
its policy on this question to be deter
mined by a few doubling Thomases, or
by the deserters who supported the enc
my in the great struggle between de-
mocracy and plutocracy, it would lose
now look to it as an efficient means Of
restoring government of the people. To
turn from its clear and courageous enun-
citation to wallow again in the mire Of
ambiguity and deception ould ALLEVIATE
those who have been drawn to it by the
platform of 1896.
The Democratic rarty could have re-
q N wi in nj kNa
1896 if it had consented to meaning
less platform, but it preferred to lose
some members Of the body rather than
have the whole body destroyed. Regen-
Grafton did not come too soon. The gold
Democrats were rapidly making the
party rival Of the Republican party
for the favor OF trusts and nonopolies.
Ii the Chicago platform did nothing
else, 1t drove from the party those who
had been manipulating the party for
private gain and using the government
for public plunder. there are many of
these deserters whose return to the party
would bring weakness rather than add
strength, and there are millions Of Dem
ocrats who would not surrender single
line of the Chicago platform to recover
every deserter who left because of real
antagonism to the principles set forth
in that platform. do not refer to those
who were misled There were many
who left because they did not fully un-
derstand the issues raised, and they are
coming back of their own accord be-
cause they find themselves in sympathy
with our platform.
The party can win more voters by
steadfastly standing by the right than
by weakly compromising with error,
and those wen back to the platform
will be useful when they return, while
those who profess attachment to the
Democratic name rather than to Demo-
cratic principles will always require
watching
4.