Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1898-04-02

From Boise City coErespon-
dent.

80 --@1 - S-fA@sN t<ANtA& Al% %lAA@l&
lican meeting al Sonna,s opera house
in Boise a few weeks ago, and more
recently in an editorial appearing in
the Double Standard, which bears the
impress of his style, expressed his fear
that the Democratic party would strad-
die the silver question in 1900, and
gave as one OF his reason for this belief
.that Croker end other gold bug Demo-
Gratis, backed by unlimited money, are
bending every effort TO accomplish this
result. Wharton Barker also, one of
the ablest bimetalists in the United
States, in recent article in his paper,
The American, also voiced this fear.
Now, as to Mr.. Sweet, he has, of
course, right TO this opinion, but he
can speak only for himself and not for
the Silver Republicans of the state in
making such declaration. In my
opinion such a fear is idle. There is
,unquestionably movement upon part
of the gold men among the Democrats
to bring about this result, but If the
entire gold outfit in the Democratic
camp, backed by the same money to-
gether with the vast power and infiu-
ence of a hostile executive in the per-
son of Grover Cleveland, could not de-
feat the new Democracy pledged to
new policy in behalf of the people,
what reason have we to believe that
element, once beaten and in hopeless
minority, can cause the Democracy TO
turn back the hands upon the dial plate
and invite utter extinction at the hands
of the people?
1t must be remembered that the Chi
cago platform was the outgrowth of a
most bitter fight in the ranks of the
Democracy. For more than year the
battle between the bimetallists, that
always constituted large majority in
the ranks of the people, and the single
gold standard men in the Democratic
party, ragged all through the nation,
and the result of that battle was the
defeat OF the gold men, horse, foot and
dragons. As result of this victory
we had the patriotic utteranees of the
Chicago platform, pledging the party
TO the free aud unlimited coinage of
both gold and silver at the legal ratio
of is to without waiting for the con
sent of any other nation, and one Of
she grandest campaigns in American
history. Around this banner of free
silver carried as the standard of the
new Democracy which gained fresh
gigor by touching once more the mass
of the common people from which ii
sprang, rallied all the reform forces OF
the reform forces of the nation polling
q larger vote than ever before elected
a President of the United States. and
that, save but for the wholesale fraud
on the ballot practiced by the plutoc.
racy, would have elected Bryan to the
Presidency.
To-day the masses Of the people real.
ize that their hopes, their deliverance
from economic bondage, are hanging
largely on the Democratic party. They
look to that party as their strong de.
liverer from the throes of financial
bondage more despotic than Egyptian
slavery. All bimetallists have longed
for years to have their ideas cham.
pioned by one OF the great political
parties of the nation. They realize
that they can win quicker in this way
than through the slow methods of q
new political organization. And the
Democratic party has taken up the
cause of bimetallism as its leading is
sue; it gave its best blood and brain t.
this cause in one of the hardest fought
campaigns in our national history: Il
gave to humanity a new star of hope
It stands to-day as the party of great
idea, and the thought that such a party
led by the men who arranged and car
ried almost to victory the white banner
of silver in 1896, backed as it is by vir.
tue OF its advocacy of SO many right,
of the people, will go back to wallow.
ing in the mire OF defunct issues anG
effete theories as proposed by the
Croker Cleyeland-C Carlisle crowd, Is an
insult to the vigorous manhood and
common sense Of the party that de.
feated this element in the first place
and made Q way out OF the wreck which
IL made OF the party in which the part,
could rise again TO leadership and vic
tory.
AS former ardent Republican,
wish to pay homage to the magnificent
stand taken by the Democratic party
10 its Chicago platform In behalf OF the
people, and 70 express my deliberate
conviction that it win take no steg
backward In 1900, but will reaffirm the
Chicago platform in all its essentia
features and make the money question
and especially the restoration Of silye,
to its place as u primary money metal
fhe paramount issue OF the campaign.
Beyond question the hybrids OF New