The Caucasian., 1898-02-17
RALEIGH THURSDAY FEBRUARY II,

the purchasing power OF al ounce
OF gold throughout the world and
lowered the general level Of price S,
while the same legislation has les
sened the demand for silver and low
cred the gold price OF that metal.
They contend that the restoration
Of its free and unlimited coinage
by great nation like the United
States will increase the demand for
silver to point where the mints
will require all the surplus silver OF
the world, and thus, by raising the
gold price Of silver and lowering
the purchase power of an ounce Of
gold, will restore the parity at lG to
l, and thereafter maintain the parity
at that ratio. 1t Is true that some
bimetallists do not believe that this
nation alone can maintain the par
ity at that ratio. but shall the great
majority who do believe surrender
their conviction TO the comparative
ly few who doubt Upon what prin-
ciple can a minority demand of the
majority the right to dictate pla.-
formf Those who are opposed to
the gold standard must act together,
and the plan of action must he de
termined by the majority. The mo-
ment the ratio Of Ii to is surren-
dered our silver plank loses its force.
Those who oppose the ratio of IL to
| are not agreed among themselves.
No considerable body of men ask
for any other specific ratio. One
man says 20 to ], another "A, another
32; but all the objectors together are
small in number when compared
with those who firmly believe
in the ability of this nation to
maintain the parity at 16 to |. If it
is proposed to leave the ratio to Con-
gress, it must be remembered that
those who desire bimetallism demand
affirmative action, and every one op-
posed to the ratio fixed in any pro-
posed bill will be counted against
any kind of bimetallism. If the ra
ito is left to be determined by Con-
gressmen who run upon different
platforms, it gives a chance for va
riety of ratios, which will effectually
prevent any legislation favorable to
bimetallism, aud will also give a
chance for friends of the gold stan
dard to slip in Congress under the
pretence of favoring some underlined
ratio, but who, as matter of fact,
would use their positions to maintain
the gold standard.
The ratio of lG to l has been adop-
ted by the Democratic party in + con-
ventiOn which, more than any re-
cent convention, received its author.
ity direct from the people. The
rank and file of the party, instead OF
leaving the ratio to the leaders. ex
pressed their own opinion upon the
subject, and that opinion has not
changed since the convention. Thi:
ratio has also been Endorsed by the
Populist party. the National Silver
party and the Silver Republicans. Te
abandon the ratio would be wrong
itself, and as impolitic as it would bt
wong. If the Democratic party
were to allow it's policy on this ques
ton to be determined by few doubt
ing Thomases, or by the deserter
who supported the enemy in ths
great struggle between Democracy
and plutocracy, it would lose the re
spect and confidence of those VIII
now look to it as an efficient mean
of restoring the government of tn
people. To turn from its clear an
courageous enunciations to wallo1
again in the mire of ambiguity an
deception would ALLEVIATE those VIII
have been drawn to it by the plat
form of 1896. The Democratic part
could have retained within its fold
the deserters of 1896 if it had con
sented to a meaningless platform
but it preferred to lose some men
; bers of the body rather than hav
the whole body destroyed. Regenel
alton did not come too soon. Th
: gold Democrats were rapidly NAL
ing the party rival of the Republ
can party for the favor of trusts an
monopolies. If the Chicago pla
: form did nothing Else, it drove frol
the party those who had been manil
, ulating the party for private gal
) and using the government for publ
plunder. There are many of the!
. deserters whose return to the part
3 would bring weakness rather tha
add strength, there are millions
t Democrats who would not surrend'
? a single line of the Chicago platfor1
: to recover every deserter who left b
r cause of real antagonism to Il
= principles set forth in that platforl
G I do not refer to those who were mi
led. There were many who left b
o cause they did not fully understal
9 the issues raised, and they are cor
l. ing back of their own accord, b
r cause they find themselves in syl
/, pathy with our platform.
y The party can win more voters
a steadfastly standing by the rig
: than by weakly compromising wi
error, and those won back to t
it platform will be useful when tn
n return, while those who profess
n tachment. to the Democratic nal
g. rather than Democratic princip
a will always require watching.
~ The Democratic party has put
re hands to the plough, and unless
le mistake the spirit which anima
70 the members, it will not look ba'
10 w. J. BRYAN
IS Some Truth From one Democratic
a chino Paper.
IN The Charleston News and Cou1
remarks that what has been s
a. about the close correspondence
ag tween Populism and so-called DE-
y ocracy, is we'll said and supports
10 contention of all true Democr.
CT that whatever it was, the Chic'
us platform of 1896 was not q De
40 cratic platform, measured by De
10 cratic standards.
90 Itwas in fact a Populist plato
'ns constructed along Populist Ii,
81 made out of Populist timber
1e- modelled as nearly after Popu