The herald., 1898-10-06

ments to determine his latitude an
longitude. that he may shape his course
toward some safe harbor. 1t would b.
wise for those members of the Repub
lican party who are not politicians ol
office seekers to refer to the action o
their party from its organization dowr
to recent date for light to guide then
they will be grateful to anyone who
spreads before them the principles which
till two years ago the party sustained
with unanimity and enthusiasm. They
have been led astray by the manfpula-
tions of leaders who were Influenced by
power not in sympathy with the
masses.
In 1888 the Republican national con-
vention at Chicago declared as follows
The Republican party is in favor Of
the use of gold and silver as money. and
condemns the policy of the Democratic
administration in its efforts to de-
monetize silver.
In 1892, in national convention assem-
bled the party said:
The American people. from tradition
and interest. favor bimetallism. and
the Republican party demands the use
of both gold and silver as standard
money.
AS subsidiary coins have never been
regarded as standard money, the mean
ing of the above resolution was that the
silver dollar should be coined, as from
the beginning of the government to 1873
1t was the unit of value and the gold dol
lar was not.
In 1890 the Republican state conven-
ton of California declared:
In the interests of the agricultural
and other interests of the country we
indorse the action of the Republican
members of congress in the passage of
the silver bill (he Sherman law) and
we favor a proper increase of the cur
rency of the country to the extent
demanded by its business interests.
In 1892 the Republican state conven-
ton said
We believe silver, equally with gold,
to be the money of the people, and in
behalf of the farmer, the laborer and
the mechanic of the nation, fo- whom
the Republican party has always Ia
bored, we demand the passage of such
laws as will provide for the free and
unlimited coinage Of the silver product
Of the mines of the United States as
soon as the same can he done without
injury to the business interests of the
nation.
In 1894 it took more advanced posi-
tion and resolved:
We favor the free and unlimited coin
hn NJ n
the making of silver, as well as gold.
legal tender in payment OF all debts,
both public and private, and we pledge
our congressional nominees to the sup
port Of the principles contained in these
resolutions.
In 1896 the Republican state conven-
ton did not lower the standard, and 1t
declared:
We favor the free and unlimited coin
age of silver at the ratio % l6 to /. and
the making Of silver rs well AS gold a
legal tender In payment of all debts,
both public and private
Per contra, the Republican party In
national convention at st. Louis IN 1896
declared:
We are therefore opposed to the free
coinage of silver, except by interna-
tional agreement with the leading COM
mercial nations of the world, which we
pledge ourselves to promote, and until
such an agreement can be obtained
the existing gold standard must be
preserved. All our silver and paper
currency must be mainta at parity
with gold.
The condition on which the party
would consent to silver coinage cannot
be created, for there never has been and
never will be international coinage OF
either gold or silver or the creation OF
any kind of international circulating
medium. Four attempts have been made
to carry out the impossible. and failure
in the last was as signal as in the pre-
yious ones. The st. Louis platform de-
clares for the maintenance Of the
British financial theory so long as that
country and others desire to adhere to
it, which is a voluntary abdication of
American independence in regard to a
monetary system. The last Republican
state convention unreservedly affirmed
the st. Louis platform.
The Silver Republican state conven-
ton held in this city last August de-
clared:
Believing the financial question to be
the paramount issue before the Ameri-
can people, We heartily reaffirm the
declaratio of the Republican state
convention of California held In the city
of Sacramento on the 7th day of May,
1896, when it unanimously declared:
1--WE are In favor of the free and un-
limited coinage of silver at the ratio
of 16 to l. and the making of silver, as
we'll as gold, legal tender for all debts,
public and private"
Men calling themselves Republicans
should read and ponder.