The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-10-17
NATIONAL DEMOCRATS.
Its Executive Committee Issues an
Address to the Party

Ad0reSS TO the Party.
Indianapolis, Oct. 16.-The national Dem
ocrauc committee issued the following ad-
dress to-day:
To the national Democrats of the Unit
ed States: Your national committee, speak
ing for the national Democratic party, con-
graduates the country on the emphatic
and meriIed condemnation at the polls by
the people in 1896 of the dishonOrable and
dangerous doctrines promulgated by the
Chicago platform. The moral influence ex-
erted by the indianapolis convention, has
amply compensated for the efforts made
IN behalf of una ioyed Democratic pTinci-
pies, as held and taught by Jefferson, Jack
son, Tilden and Cleveland And to-day, this
platform is the rock and firm foundation
on which alone Democrat can rest his
political faith. We, therefore, take this
opportunity to re-affirm with accumulat-
ed force, the principles of our party as
enunciated at indianapolis, in 1896
= We believe that the theory of so-ca.led
protection, which, in its last analysis, in
wolves the spoilation of the many for the
benefit of the few, is dishonest, and that it
directly and inevitably breeds trusts, mon
opoles, and those special privileges by
which the cunning and interruptions prey
on their unsuspecting and credulous fei-
loW-citizens.
THE protective tax is not only dishonest
and oppressive, but il 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 wagc-earning classes. 1t has
destroyed our merchant navy. 1t has prac
ucaliy driven our flag from the seas, and
has forced us into the humiliating neces-
sity of paying vast and constant tribute
to other nations for ocean-carriage.
I'VE oppose the extension of this insu-
lar system to any colonies that we have
acquired, or hereafter may acquire, and
favor, as we always have favored, the
widest freedom of trade. 1t is folly TO think
of securing foreign markets, unless we are
willing to trade with foreign countries. Es-
pecially do We denounce the Chicago plat
form, for its virtual abandonment of this
great and time honored principle.
The doctrine of free silver is an extern
sion of the protective principle. Free coin
age is the protection of a few silver mine
owners, at the expense of our laborng
classes. This policy, were it adopted,
would rob the workers of half their earn
ings, and, by unsettling values, would
bring about a paralysis of trade and COM
merce and reduce us financially to the
level of barbarous and unciviized nations.
We are unreservedly for the single gold
standard, and oppose international bimet-
allism, so-called, as both impractieable
and undesirable We believe that the the
Dry of one standard and the selection of
in the mint of human experience as he
result of a slowly developed and beneti-
cent evolution in civilization.
More than ever do we believe that the
continued existence of our national organi-
cation is desirable for the we'll being of our
country. There is no other party that
represents the principles for which we are
proud to stand. Our work is not COM
pleted. We are not only against free sill
yer. but we are for sound money.
The same caused that induced the In
dianapolis convention of 1896 still exist
The financial relief expected of the pres
ent administration has not been given. The
recent utterances of no less than sixteen
members of the Democratic national COM
mittee, declaring for free silver, and the
denomination of Mr.. Bryan, show conclu-
sively 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 plat
form remain disregarded by the old par
ties 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 ma
ton, such financial legislation as shall
make us commercially the strongest ma
ton in the world.
eve protest against the pollution of the
Democratic party by alliances with those
whose financial declarations are at war
with its old and true creed"