The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-02-02

able. If doubts remain they must be
If weak places are discov-
cred they must be strengthened. Moth
ing should ever tempt us-nothing ever |
will tempt us--to scale down the sacred |
debt of the nation through a legal |
technicality. Whatever may be the
language of the contract, the United
States will discharge all of its obliga-
tions in the currency recognized as the
best throup bout the civilized world at
the times of payment. Nor will we
ever consent that the wages OF labor or
it's frugal savings shall be scaled down
by permitting payment in dollars of
less value than the dollars accepted as
the best in every enlightened nation of
the earth.
Under existing conditions our citi-
zens cannot be excused il they do not
redouble their efforts to secure such
financial legislation as will place their
honorable intentions beyond dispute.
All those who represent, as you do, the
great conservative but progressive
business interests of the country, owe
it not only to themselves, but to the
people, to insist upon the settlement of
this great question now, or else TO face
the alternative that it must be again
submitted for arbitration at the polls.
This is our plain duty to more than
seven million voters who fifteen months
ago won great political battle on the
issue, among others, that the United
States government would not permit
doubt to exist anywhere concerning
the stability and integrity of it's cur
rency or the inviolability of its obliga-
tons of every kind. That is my inter-
probation of that victory.
Whatever effort, therefore, is re-
quired to make the settlement of this
vital question clear and conclusive for
all time we are bound in good con-
science to undertake and If possible
realize. That is our commission-our
present charter from the people.
1t will not suffice for citizens nova
days to say simply that they are in
favor of sound money. That is not
enough. The peoples purpose must
be given the vitality of public law.
Better an honest effort with failure than
the avoiding of 30 plain and command
ing duty.
The difficulties in the path of q salts
factory reform are, it must be admitted,
neither few in number nor slight in de-
gree; but progress cannot fail to be
made with fair and thorough trial.
An honest attempt will be the best
proof of sincerity of purpose. Discus
sion cannot hurt, it will only help, the
cause. Let US have full and free dis
cussion. We are the last to avoid or
evade it. Intelligent discussion will
tho In Il ;fforapt apI anoour
age the friends of a stable system of
finance.
Half-heartedness never won battle.
Nations and parties without abiding
principles and stern resolution TO en-
force them, even if it costs contnu-
Gus struggle to do so, and temporary
sacrifice, are never in the highest de-
gree successful leaders in the progress
of mankind. For us to attempt moth
ing in the face of the prevalent fallacies
and the constant effort to spread them
is to lose valuable ground already won
and practically to weaken the forces of
sound money for their battles of the
future.
The financial plank of the st. Louis
platform is still as commanding upon
Republicans and those who served with
them in the last campaign as on the
day it was adopted and promulgated.
Happily the tariff part of that plat
form has already been engrafted into
public statute. But that other plank,
not already builded into our legislation,
is OF biuding force upon all of us. What
| is it?
"The Republican party is unreservedly
for sound money. 1t caused the enactment
of the law providing for the resumption OF
specie payments in 1875 since then every
dollar has been as good as gold.
1--WE are unalterably opposed to every
measure calculated to debase our currency
or impair the credit Of our country. We are
therefore opposed to the free coinage OF sill
yer except by international agreement with
the leading commercial nations OF the
world, which we pledge ourselves to pro-
mote, and until such agreement can be OBJ
tanned the existing gold standard must be
preserved. All our silver and paper cur
rency must be maintained at parity with
gold and we favor all measures designed to
maintain inviolably the obligations OF the
United S ates, and all our money, whether
coin or paper, at the present standard, the
standard of the most enlightened nations oil
the earth"
This is in reality a command from
the people who gave the administration
to the party now in power and who are
still anxiously waiting for the eXecu-
ton of their free and ompipotent will
by those of us who hold commission;
from that supreme tribunal.