Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1898-02-25
Why Should They Not Unitee

III l. llopcd tliat every reader o. the
STANDARD will give the addresses oi
the three united political parties of
the nation, which appear on the first
page Of this issue, careful pcru>al.
II you are not already an advocate Of
hmctalliSm, the arguments advanced
Will cause you to think, and thought
/ leads Ia reason. and reason to cnnvic-
ton. n logical sequence OF argument
when founded upon imprcgnablc pre-
mi>cs.
Each address is a model, in its way
and states so tcrsely, so conciscly, and
with so much candor, the objects of a
union OF forces on a proposition which
ovcrshadows all others, that it would
be difficult to find any sincere bimet-
alli>t who could hesitate to meet
brother compatriots i'll like spirit OF
concession and compromise, to accom-
plish such IL grand and noble Object
the happiness, welfare and safety OF
the masses.
There is, after all, very little which
should separate the controlling forces
at this time. There are, it is true,
several untried plans for bettcrment
of the details OF law-making, as we'll
as law administration, but they cannot
be adopted as aids to the present vital
issue, and it may as well be content
to defer their consideration until there
ie some prospect of presenting them to
the people for a successful considera-
ton. 1t is folly to prccipitatc issues
that are so radical in their nature as
to meet at once with opposition from
q conservative element, that might,
by different policy, be moulded into
factor of support. There are surely
enough principles on which the fusion
parties mutually agree to constitute n
broad platform and afford a safe want
age ground for a national campaign.
These have been Complementary
epitomized by the champion of the
white metal, William j. Bryan, who
declares that the allies are:
First - Unalterably opposed to gold
monometallism.
Second-They demand the immediate
restoration of bimetallism at the present
ratio by the independent action of this
country.
Third-They oppose the retirement Of
greehbacks.
Fourth - They oppose the issue of
paper money by National banks.
Fifth-They oppose the issue of in
Sixth-They favor an income tax as
a means OF raising part of the revenue
necessary to administer the Federal
Government.
Seventl-They favor the abolition of
trusts.
Eighth-They are opposed to Govern
ment by injunction.
Ninth-They are in favor of arbitration
as means of settling disputes between
labor and capital.
Here are nine important living is
sues. They are all before the public.
They were submitted to the people in
the last national contest, and sup
ported by six and II huff million voters,
and only defeated by little over half
q million votes, with the power of
wealth actively engaged in corrupting
the ballot.
These matters were not settled by
that contest, but the assurance was
given by the close result, that with a
fair deal and an untrammeled express
sion of the popular will, silver-the
poor mans money; the proper meas
urer OF his few earthly possessions
the money that for three-four tbs of a
century had, with its brother, gold,
carried the nation through period of
peace, happiness and contentment-
would be reinstated to perform its full
measure of usefulness, and restore
quiet and prosperity to suffering
people. That purpose seems to be as
steadfast as it was at the polls, despite
the efforts of goldbugs to subordinate
the issue while straining every nerve
to enthrone gold.