The Portland daily press., 1898-06-24

II 1884 1.-THE Democratic party in it's
national platform said: We believe in
honest money, the gold aand silver ooin-
age Of the constitutions and. "a circu lating
lnedlqm convertible into such money
without loss
On that platform Grove Cleveland
stood and was elected as the first Demo-
cfaDic president for a quarter OF a century
In 1888 the party made no mention of the
money question, directly, it being oyer
Swallowed by the tariff question In 1892
the financial plank was as follows:
I'VE hold to the use of both gold and
silver as the standard money of the coun-
try, and to the coinage of both gold and
silver, without discriminating against
either metal or charge for mintage, but
the dollar unit of coinage of both metals
must be of equal intrinsic and exchange
able value, or1be adjusted through interna-
tional agreement, or by such safeguards
OF legislation, as shall ensure the mainte-
nance OF the parity of the two metals and
the equal power Of every dollar, at all
times in the markets and in the payment
of debts, and we demand that all paf1er
currency shall be kept at par with and
redeemable in such ooin.'' This policy
was insisted upon ip the interests of the
farmer and laboring GLASSES.
This plank means the free coinage of
silver, that gold and silver dollars be Of
equal and exchangeable value either by
international agreement or by congress-.
ional action, that the purchasing and
debt paying power" be the same, and that
all paper money be convertible into such
money without loss. -
The Republicans in 1884 said, eve
recommend an international standard of
gold and silver coinage" In 1885 they
came right out fatfooted saying. tWe
favor the use of both eoll and silver as
money, aug condemn the Administration
(CieVeland's % for decentralization of sill
veE.' In 1922, after having condemned
Democratic administration for demone-
tizing silver, and after having admitted
every pocket borough Of the West that
could send two silver Republican senators
and representative, to ! secure party
control of Congress and make possible,
under Republican president and by
Republican congress the passage of law
that came the snearest to free coinage of
silver that any has since 1875, they consis-
tently adopted the following financial
plank.
THE American people from interest and
tradition favor bi-metalism. And the
Republican party demands the use of both
gold and silver as standard money. with
restrictions and under such provisions to
be determined by legislation, as will Sc
cure the maintenance of the parity of
values OF the dollar, whether silver, gold
or paper, shall be at all times equal The
interests OF the producers of the country,
It's farmers and its work men, demand
that every dollar, paper OF coin issued by
the government shall be as good as any
other. -
The plank is nothing more or less than
a plagiarism upon the Democratic one Of
1892. Both the great parties in that year,
stood substantially upon the same imam
clal plank. -Four years later, in 1896, the
money! question: 40 tina nnaGfi0n nf
nrst Importance. The Democrats took a
logical, consistent and unequivocal stand,
IN keeping with their record for years.
Inc hepqbllcans turned right about face,
declared for the first time in the history
Oh any party i'll this country, in favor of
single gold standard, with a sop for the
poor deIuded silver advocates in the party,
chat we favor the free coinage Of silver.
IL Gne rest of the world will agree to it.
with such history of the Republican
parry on tho silver question recent, open
ana notorious, you will readily UNDER
stand me when / say that 1 could find no
excuse or justification for Democrat. + q
desert has party on that issue. and either
Directly or indirectly aid IN electing a
man as President who until within Sly
weeks OF the day of his nomination. dnr'
ing all his public life, spoke and voted for
the free coinage of silver, and if am not
mistaken, was one Of the committea II,
1908, VINO reported a resolution condemn
ing Cleyeland,s administration for de-
monetizing silver"
think no one will deny that the course
OF both the Democratic and RenuhIican
parties, for years, has been such as ~
lead the rank and file to belisva that
bimetalisn or free coinage Of hotb s po%T
and silver was desirable thing FIAT
sentiment has bee n fostersd and . dvocat'
ed by men honestly and sinoerelv ''1 nv
some honestly but mistakenly and nv
Others dishonesty and Internationally.
But these things are past, what of the
Pre- pres emu ana ne dusure ! believe it to be
onG as''y oa every gold Democrat" So
oS'ii7o' W ao' WIN his party, as many of