Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1898-02-05

| tTial. AN honest attempt VIII DC tne
best proof OF sincerity and purpose
Discussion cannot hurt. it will only
help the cause. Let as have full and
free discussions. We are the last to
avoid or evade it, Intelligent discuss
sion will strengthen the Indifferent
and encourage the friend of a stable
system Of finance.
| Halfheartedness never won bat
tie. Nations and parties without
abiding principles and stern resolu
tons to enforce them, even If it costs
a century's struggle to do so and
temporary sacrifice, are never in the
highest degree successful leaders in
the progress of mankind. For us to
attempt nothing in the face of the
prevalent fallacies and the constant
effort to spread them is to lose valu.
able ground already won aud practi
cally to weaken the forces of sound
money for their battles of the future.
THE ST. LOUIS PLATFORM.
The financial plank of the St.
Louis platform is still as commanding
upon Republicans, and those who
served with them in the last cam.
paign. as on the day it was adopted
and promulgated. Happily the tariff
part OF the platform has already been
engrafted into public statute. But
that other plank, not already builded
into our Constitution, is of binding
force upon all OF us. What is it1
The Republican party is unreserv-
eddy for sound money. 1t caused the
enactment of the law providing for
the resumption of specie payments in
1879; since then every dollar has been
as good as gold.
We are unalterably opposed to every
measure calculated to debase our cur
rency or impair the credit Of our coun-
try. We are, therefore, opposed TO
the tree coinage of silver. except BY
international agreement with the lead
ing commercial nations of the world,
which we pledge ourselves to promote.
and until such agreement can be OBJ
tanned the existing gold standard
must be preserved. All our silver
and paper currency much be main
tanned at parity with gold, and we
favor all measures designed to main
tain inviolably the obligations of the
United States, and all our money,
whether coin or paper, at the present
standard, the standard of the most
enlightened nations of the earth. /"
This is in reality command from
the people who gave the administra-
ton to the party now in power, and
who are still anxiously waiting for
the execution Of their free and omnip-
otent will by those of us who hold
commissions from that supreme tribu
nal.
HE SPOKE IN SERIOUS STRAIN.
have tonight spoken in some
what serious strain because | believe
it is due both to the members OF this
Association and to the conditions un-
der which this assemblage has met.
The conferences and systematic eff
iorts of such a body of men as this are
capable OF infinite good to the fespec-
tive communities in which the mem
bers live aud to the nation at large.
The country is now emerging from
trying conditions. 1t is only just be-
ginning to recover from the depres-
sion in certain lines of business long
continued and altogether unparalleled.
Progress, therefore, will naturally be
slow, but let us not be impatient.
Rather, let us exercise just patience,
which in time will surely bring its
own high reward.
have no fear for the future OF our
beloved country. While discern in
its present condition the necessity
that always exists for the faithful de-
votion Of its citizens, the history Of its
past is assurance to me that this will
be, as it always has been, through
every struggle and emergency, still
onward and upward. 1t has never
suffered from any trial or been I'M
equal to any test
Founded upon right principles, we
have nothing to fear from the vicissi-
tudes which may lay across our path
way. The nation founded by the faith
ers upon principles Of virtue, educa-