The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1898-04-01
Jhe 9eallafrat.
Mr.. Wright's Reply,


The article from Crawfordsville. is
hardly worth answering, It is evident
that it is the product OF boy or Of an
old man, but whichever it may be there
is no argument in the abuse which pre-
faces the article. Personal abuse has
no proper place in newspaper, and il
is the weapon not OF the logician but OF
the vulgar and marrow minded. He
slludes to my change OF position.
Whole parties have changed on this
great question. From 1884 to 1883,
nearly every democrat supported Grover
Cleveland in his gold standard policy.
while the republican party in their
Nationa! platform OF 1888, declared for
free silver aud denounced Cleveland |
and the democratic administration for |
attempting to demonetize silver. A few
years ago scarcely man in either par
~ except gold democrats would aeknow-
ledge to be gold standard men. When
you hear q man abusing one for what he
terms changing hts PRINCIPLES" nine
times out Of ten the party complaining
is populist who has himself changed" ;"
or Bryan democrat who has gone ack
on time honored real democratic princi-
plies, Or else it ie some irresponsible
person who never paid dollars tax, has
not enough principle to pay his debts,
and wants the government to give him
something for nothing. He saws "the
democratic party stands for the soundest
money the world ever knew" such
statement is error number one, The
present democratic party stands for
dollar that when standing on its own
/ legs unsupported by gold will be i'm
trinsically worth when compared with
q gold dollar only about fifty cents.
The jefferson and Jackson method was
to fix the ratio 90 that the silver dollar
would, when standing a:oae independ.
ent OF gold be worth about dollar in
gold. The democratic party prior 10
1895, see platform Of 1892, was for gold
and silver "but that the unit OF va.ue Of
each metal must be OF the same intrinsic
and exchangeable value" Thus the
little "but, with the language follosiug.
limited it's free coinage Of silver TO ell
yer dollar which must have enough sit-
yer 10 it to be iutrinsically IS valuable
as gold dollar
He says, democratic principles on
the same subject never change. This lie
error number two. Principles never
change. but when the democracy gets
| hold Of good principles it seems 1t has
not enough courage 20 stay With it, but
sbondons il at the wrorg time. / will
prove this by history. lst.every admin
issration from washinston's to Iaekson's
was in favor of q tariff to foster Ameri-
can industries. The first national piat-
frm ever adopted in the United States
was adopted in 1882. bT the democratic
patty and ii declared for q tariff for
f)e'erips american industries.
Under Van Baren the free trade Wing
oil the democracy obiatLed control and
took q stand for free trade. In lS4O, the
Wings aud Protective Tariff democrats
elected VIM. II. Harrison on protec-
tive tariff issue. the frat Wing president
eleetected during .orty years, excepting
John @ Adams. Again Andrew Jack
son, and ali old tins Jackson and Jefier
son democrats were staunch. loysi.
Union men, and Jackson threatened to
hang John @. Calhoun for indulging in
rebelions sentiments, or actions. But
just when loyalty was most needed in
1861 to 1865. the democratic party as
party was not hardly as loyal ss Jackson
had been. Again tie democratic party
advocated dollars OF equal intrinsic value
from 1900 70 1896, bu, just at 9 time
when q party was needed 10 advocate
Tue old time democratic principle OF dol.
lars of equal intrinsic value, it all ~
once under Mr.. Bryan reversed itself
and declared for tie bysone ratio Of l6
to !, which means q dollar not Of equal
and sxcnangeabls value with gold. In
1896, the republican party which had
formerly declared for free silver. tackled
about and took up . principle formerly
democratic but nov distinctly republic
can. viz: that gold is the bsst money
aud q gold standard the only way to
maintain one dollar al good as every other
dollar.
He says, "the Democratic party never
was Gold Standard party. This 10 err
ror number three. for fair reading Of (!
the Platforms Of 1884 and 1892, a. shown
in my former article proves them TO
have been intsnded as gold standard |
planss and Grover Cleveland 90 under.
stood and followed them. All that por.
tion OF the "boy's" article about the ra-
ito proves that under so-called bime,aI-
ism, the cheaper metal or dollars always |
drove the dearer metal or dollars out Of |
90 that but one kind Of met.
tai or dollars were actually in circulation
at any one period. His own argument |
proves that there would be no increase
in Il g volume of ofcirculation in this coun.
try, and that the two metals or dollars |
would not. as they not, circulate aide |
by eide. Hence It is better to have the
the single gold standard as our volume
of money will be just a. large, and con.
stantly increasing by mining and bal
ances of trade in our favor. and besides
under gold standard We will make use
of millions Of silver and paper money
but It 10 and will all be Kept as good a.
z bid. II the nations of the earth demon
etized gold and mad silver the stand
ard then would be in favor of silver In.
stead Of gold as the sole standard, but Il
is wasting time to talk Of deuonetizips
gold. Neither can this country alone
create demand sufficient to make l6
grains OF silver eqdal to grain of gold.
Congress can legislate that piece ri pa.
per is ten dollars in money but such pa.
per will not be exchangeable at par with
3 ten dallar gold piece unless Congress
further pledge the Tevenu. 20 OF the Ma
on to redeem it in gold or TO maintain
q Gold Standard. Democracy always
that fat paper was practically
ard unconstitutional unless
redeemed in coin, as Cleveland construed
10 q, ,xo,d oo;n The ho,,t "a LII -