The times., 1898-02-07

believe that this nation alone can main
tain the parity at that ratio, but shall
the great majority who do believe sur
render their conviction to the eonpara-
lively few who doubt? Upon what
principle can minority demand Of the
majority the right To dictate a plat
form? Those who are opposed to the
gold standard must act together, and
the plan OF action must be determined
by the ma joritS. The moment the ratio
of 10 to ] is surrendered. our silver
plank loses its force. Those who oppose
the ratio CT Is to 1 are not agreed
among themselves. No considerable
body of men ask for any other specific
ratio. One man says 20 to l, another "a,
another 90, but all the objectors to-
gether are small in number when com
pared with those who firmly believe in
the ability of this nation to maintain
the parity at 16 to /. If il is proposed
to leave the ratio to Congress, it must
be remembered that these who desire
bimetallism demand affirmative action,
ard everyone opposed to the ratio fixed
in any proposed bill viii be counted
against any kind of bimetallism. If the
| ratio is left to be determined by Con-
greSsmen who run upon different plat
forms. it gives a chance for a variety
of ratios which Will effectually pre-
vent any legislation favorable to bi-
metallism. and viii also give a chance
for friends of the gold standard to slip
into Congress under the pretense of fa-
yoring some underlined ratio. but who,
as matter of fact. would use their
positions to maintain the gold stand
ard.
A word A bout DeSerters
The ratio of Is To has been adopted
he. rir.
tion which, more than any recent con-
ventiun. received it's authority direct
from the people. The rank and file of
the party. instead Of leaving the ratio
to the leaders, expressed their own
opinion upon the subject. and that
opinion has rot changed since the con-
Vention. This ratio has also been in
dorSed 10y the POpulist party. the Ma
ti"nal Silver party and the Silver Re
publicauS To abandon the ratio wou,1
. be wrong in Itself, and as inIpoiitic as
il would be wrong. n the Democratic
party were to allow its policy on this
question 10 be determined by a few
/ doubling Thpmasss. OF by TIE deseTters
who supported the enemy I'm the great
struggle between Democracy and plu-
, toCrScN. it would lose the respect and
confidence Of those who now look 10 IL
! as an efficient means of restoring gov
Z
/ its clear and courageous euunriationS
20 y.aliow again iu the mire Of ansbigu-
ity and deception would ALLEVIATE those
who have been drawn To IL by the plat
form Of 1895 The Democratic party
could have retained within its folds the
deserters uf I>$s if IL had consented to
q meaningless platform. but il prefer
red To los. some members Of the body
rather Than have the whole body de-
stroyed. Regeneration did not come too
soon. The gold Democrats We're rap
idly making the party rival of the
Republican party for the favor Of
trusts and moHOPolies. If the Chicago
platform did nothing else. il drove
from tfc party those who had been ma
nipulating the party for private gain
and using the Government for public
plunder. There are many of these de-
serters whose return to the party
would bring weakness rather than add
strength. and there are millions of
Democrats who would not surrender a
single line of the Chicago platform to
recover every deserter who left be-
cause of real antagonism to the princi-
pies set forth in that platform. / do
not refer to those who We're misled.
There were many who left because
they did not fully understand the is
sues raised. and they are coming back
of their own accord because they find
themselves in sympathy with our plat
form.
The party can win more voters by
steadfastly standing by the right than
by weakly compromising with error,
and those won back to the platform
viii be useful when they return. while
those who profess attachment to the
Democratic name rather than to DEM
ocratic principles will always require
watching.
1.-THE Democratic party has put it's
hand to the plow, and unless I mis-
take the spirit which animates the
members it will not look back"