The Topeka state journal., 1898-02-16
Democrats, POpulists and Silver
Republicans
Issue Separate Addresses to the
People
SIGNED BY LEADERS.
All of the Same Tone and Urg.
ing Fusion.
e'United We Stand, Divided We
Fall'' the Motto.

washington, Feb. 16.-The addresses
on behalf of the Democratic, Populist
and silver Republican parties, which
are the result of conferences which
have been in progress among the lead
ers of these parties at the capital for
the past few weeks have been issued.
They seek to unite the members or the
three parties in future elections upon
the financial issues as the question OA
paramount Importance, and are sepa-
rate appeals to each of the parties to
consolidate all along the lines Tor TINS
purpose. The address to Democrats
is signed by Senator James K. Jones,
of Arkansas, Chairman of the Demo-
cratic national committee and is en-
dorsed by the Democratic cOngresslon-
al committee; that of the Populists by
Senator Marion Butler, chairman OF the
POpuliSt national committee and the
twenty-five other POpulist members Of
the senate and house, and that OF the
silver Republicans by Chairman Chas.
Towne and the silver Republicans in
the senate and house and also by ex-
Senator Dubois.
The Democratic address is as follows:
To the People:
The surrender of the Republican par
ty to the advocates of the gold stand
ard and monopoly is at last complete.
The present administration called to
power on the solemn pledge of the Re
publican national convention at st.
Louis to promote bimetalliSm, has
formulated and sent to congress a bill,
the leading purpose of which, the hon
Orable secretary of the treasury avOWS,
is to commit the country more thor
oughly to the gold standard.
The country has already, for twenty
four years, been so thoroughly commit
ted to this standard, partly by law and
partly by the usurpatiOns of the execu-
tive branch of the government, that it's
effects are seen and felt on every hand;
wages are reduced; work is hard to
get; the weight of debt is doubled;
the value of land and other property is
reduced one-ha1f more, until the lives
of the people are made bitter with
hard bondage" 1t is certainly not in
the interest of humanity to have this
condition of things more thoroughly
established.
The retirement of the government
paper money must reduce the volume of
circulation, and while the secretary ad-
mits that the contraction of the cur
rency Would be more ruinOus in two
years than interest on like amount of
bonds for forty years would be, he
calmly infOrmSus that the national banks
will probably issue a sufficient amount
Of money to prevent this enormous
suffering
We are frankly told that lawful mon
ey will be made relatively scarcer than
it is now" and that it is intended that
under the operation of the bill it will be
A-easier to get gold than lawful money"
Practically all the money in the hands
of the people, now as the secretary dis
tinctly admits, is silver, chiefly in the
form of silver certificates. The avowed
purpose of the bill is to make it here
after more difficult to get these than gold.
In view of the great principles in
voIved, and of the danger so close at
hand, we urge the people everywhere
to arouse themselves and at once take
steps to save themselves and their
children from the fetters now being
openly forged to bind them In recent
years there have been a number of in
stances of congressional districts where
the advocates of gold and monopoly
pOnents, and where, nevertheless, by a
failure to unite and act together,
friends of the gold standard have been
successful. Thus, as the result of a
cause of truth and justice has been
oVershadOWed, the interest of humanity
Ignored and the greatest good to the
government subordinated to an ignoble
strife. We appeal to you let this not be the
case again. Our only danger is in Ii
vision. If there should be those who
would like to divide US, let them be
summariIy and emphatically rebuked
and patriotic motives.
After the bold declaration of the ad-
ministratiOn in favor of the gold stand !
ard, no sincere bimetalli3t can ever
again, by his vote or influence give aid !
or encouragement to the Republican |
party.
it if we would. Either the friends of |
bimetallism or the advocates of the !
gold standard trusts and monopolies |
must succeed. Who is not for US is !
against US. We are asking no man to |
abandon his party or change his poll |
tics; we ask no one to yield any prin- !
ciple; but in this great contest we do |
appeal to all good men to stand SOlidly |
together for liberty and humanity and |
strike down forever this conspiracy OF |
gold and monopoly.
Chairman Democratic National Com
mittee.