Owingsville outlook. [volume] (Owingsville, Ky.) 1879-192?, 1898-10-20
To National Democrats.

/
following address today:
To the National Democrats Of tn,
United States: Your National Com
mittee, speaking for the Nationa
Democratic party, congratulates ths
country on the emphatic and meriteI
condemnation at the polls by tk<
people in 1896 of the dishonorab.
and dangerous doctrines prom u i
gated by the Chicago platform. The
moral influence exerted by the In
dianapOlis convention has amply
compensated for the efforts made In
behalf of unalloyed Democratic prin-
ciples, as held and taught by Jeffer-
son, Jackson, Tilden and Cleveland.
And today this platform is the rock
and firm foundation on which alone
a Democrat can rest his political
faith. We, therefore, take this op-
portunity to reaffirm, with accumu-
lated force, the principles Of our par
ty, as enunciated at indianapolis in
1896.
We believe that the theory of So
called protection, which, in it's last
analysis, involves the spOilation of
the many for the benefit of the few,
is dishonest, and that it directly and
inevitably breeds trusts, monopolies
and those special privileges by which
the cunning and INSCRIPTIONS prey
on their unsuspecting and credulous
fellow-citizens. The protective tax
is not only dishonest and oppressive,
but it Obstructs that free and natural
interchange of commodities, which
would increasingly tend to lessen the
cost of the necessities and comforts
Of life to our wage-earning classes.
1t has destroyed our merchant navy.
1t has practically driven our flag
from the seas, and has forced us into
the humiliating necessity of paying
vast and constant tribute to other
nations for ocean-carriage. We op-
pose the extension of this insular
system to any colonies that we have
acquired or hereafter may acquire,
and favor, as We always have favor
ed, the widest freedom of trade. 1t
is folly to think of securing markets
unless We are willing to trade with
foreign countries. Especially do We
denounce the Chicago platform for
its virtual abandonment of this great
and time-honored principle.
The doctrine of free silver is an ex-
tension of the protective system.
Free coinage is the protection of
few silver mine owners at the ex-
pense of our laboring 1classes. This
policy, were it adopted, would rob
the workers Of half their earnings.
and, by unsettling values, would
bring about paralysis Of trade and
commerce and reduce us financially
to the level Of barbarous ard unciv-
ilized nations. We are unreservedly
for the single gold standard, and op-
pose international bimetallism, so
called, as both impracticable and un-
desirable. We believe that the theory
of one standard and the selection of
gold as that standard has been struck
of in the mint of human experience,
as the result of q slowly developed
and beneficent evolution in civiliza-
ton.
More than ever uN we believe that
the continued exist. zee of our ma
tional organization is desirable for
ihe well-being of our country There
is no other party that re. -sss Is shs
principles for which we are prpud -
stand. Our work is not complete. We
are not only against free sil.er, but
we are for sound money.
The same causes that induced the
Indianapolis convention of 1895 still
exist. The financial relief expected
of the present Administration has
not been given. The recent utteran-
ces of no less than sixteen members
of the Democratic National Commit
tee declaring for free silver and the
denomination of Mr.. Bryan, shows
conclusively that efforts will be made
to fight the campaign of 1900 on the
free-silver issue and under the old
leader. AS long as the principles of
the indianapolis platform remain
disregarded by the old parties, our
duty to our country, to our party and
to ourselves, demands that We should
continue our fight against free silver
and keep up our efforts to secure for
this nation such financial legislation
as shall make us commercially the
strongest nation I'm the world.
We protest against the pollution of
the Democratic party by alliances
with those whose financial declara.
tions are at war with it's old and true
creed,
With the situation as 1t exists in
some Of the various States, we have
no province to interfere. The Ma
tional Democrats Of each State must
solve their local problems in such a
way as may seem to them most like
ly to insure the triumphs of the prin-
ciples for which the national organ
ization stands, and to the mainten-
ance of which it is solemnly pledged.
We seek no offices, and wish for no
rewards except those that flow from
the consciousness of duty done. Our
principles, the gold standard, the
monetary reform, tariff for revenue
only, civil service reform. rigid econ
omy in the administration of the
Government, the maintenance of law
and order, freedom Of contract, and
the protection of all contract rights,
must triumph If our representative
Federal Republic is to be perpetual
ed. In behalf of these principles, we
appeal to the sober, settled judg-
ment of the American people. We
should be prepared now, and at all