Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-10-31
"GOLD DEMOCRATS" SORRY.

"GOLD DEMOCRATS" SORRY.
Mr.. E. Beverly Slater, a prominent
Gold Democrat" of Maryland, writing
to the Baltimore Sun, frankly acknoWl-
edges that in his opinion the Gold
Democracy made a sad mistake in the
last campaign in supporting Palmer
and Buckner or the straight Republi-
can ticket, and thus permitting the
election of the present Republican adj
ministration. While ne opposes the
free coinage of silver at 16 to l, he
states that in opposing that he, with
others, overlooked far greater dangers
to the republic" in the election of a
Republican administration backed by a
Republican Congress. He mentioned
several well known cases of the unseat-
ing of Democrats duly elected to the
Senate and to the House of Represen-
tatives, by lawless Republican ma
jority and proceeds:
Look, also, at the attempt of the Repub
lican party to fasten upon US the law
commonly known as the Force Bill which,
had it succeeded, would have led to blood
shed in many sections of our fair and
peaceful country What guarantee have
shown itself capable Of such ner sse5sS
OF our institutions TO become 100 sIol-ets
intrenched in power, it viii not seat lt9
own members. in Congress al VII, anu
then take up its iniquitous Inc OF ieglsIa-
tion in the form OF Force bl5i tic Pen7
they were compelled by Denoc fatlc KEEP
resentatives in Congress to drop II?
Look at the strides which the Republic
can party is to-day making in the dlrec-
If inn n
ment to consider the extent to Whlch
such a doctrine strikes at the foundation
OF our government SO wisely lnauS uld'Gu
by our forefathers. Consider the way IN
which our recent war has been conducted,
and what our soldiers in the field have
been subjected TO because of the appoint
ment of incompetent officers through Re-
publican faVoritism. Contemplate for a
moment what we are likely TO be plunged
into, if the Republican party is allowed
to remain in power, in the annexation OF
Porto Rico, Cuba and the Philippine Isl
ands. A mere word is sufficient to call
attention 10 the burden Wnicn the annex
alton Of this vast territory, with its half
civilized population, would cast upon the
United States, to say nothing Of the ruin
Gus conse quenceS which would also be
wrought to our laboring glasses;
l have always gloritied in the virgin
purity of the principles OF JetIersonian
Individual liberty and the untrammeled
exercise of suffrage are best preserved.
| shall not, therefore desert them now
ing in our party If we have differences
in our own camp, let us fight them out
among ourselves without deserving and
going over to the enemy.
When election day comes let US stand
together as a unit whether we be gold or
silver advocates, and go to the. polls de
ard-bearers of Democracy, and thus deal
a fitting blow to the Republican party.
which has forgotten and neglected the
interests and welfare of the country in
the wild scramble for the spois of vic
tory.
Likewise, Edwin NJ Shepard, of New
York, another leading Gold Demo-
crat," in a recent speech, urged every
Democrat, regardless OF his currency
views, to staunchly support the Demo-
cratic ticket at the coming election. He
declared that, although the Gold
Democrats" had elected President Nc
kinley, they had been betrayed by him.
The following utterance from Mr.
Shepard shows that while the silver
men execrate President Mckinley, who
has SO brazenly stultiiied himself on
| the silver question, the God Demo-
| Gratis" are equally incensed at the Pres
ident and shows why they are done
with him and his party:
But if silver be a present and controll-
| ing issue | venture to ask why the Re-
publican President and the Republican
| Congress. who have officially and directly
| to 90 with that question, themselves
chose to treat 1t as dead or suspended
issue? Is it not indecent to ask US TO ded-
| icate to silver a State election. when
President Mckinley and the Republican
thing thing to i, do with It, et it severely alone?
| At Washington they have fled from I'll the
President has written one or two per-
| functory and half-hearled messages, and
| he did, indeed, come 10 public dinner
| in New York where no bill could be in
| troduced or voted upon. and in the unof-
| fetal and golden geniality in which his
hosts found themselves after much eat
| with some emphasis on the question. But
on his return TO Washington where alone
he could act he became again dumb
challenge proof that the President
great office to promote the interest of
sound currency. Here We had the In
dianapohs monetary conference, com
posed of distinguished. competent and
| patriotic men. many, if not most of
| them Republicans. Its labors resulted
| in a currency bill. After infinite pains
ington and induced the currency COM
mittee of the House 10 formulate a bill.
Then the conference. backed by business
.nen all oyer the. country, urged the
money majority to act: But no. the agl
itatiop was now untimely. so Republicans
| from the President down. declared, and
even injurious to the cause.
Thus have the Republican managers
worked both ends and the middle
and then promptly deceived all hands.
! Neither 1nld men nor silver man viii,