The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-09-09
COOPERATION, THEN AND NOW.

! was first arranged At that time the
platforms of the three parties were
! radically and materially different TOWARD
| national issues from what they are to
| day.
In their State platform for the year
1894 the Republicans declared as fol
lows:
''Jrnder existing conditions, with
no international agreement, we IA
vor the free coinage of the entire
product of American mines AT THE
RATIO OF 16 TO L."
This unequivocal declaration of the
Republican party came close upon the
heels of the repeal Of the Sherman law
at time when the Cleveland wing of the
Democracy had compromised its attitude
on the silver question. Pritchard, Pear
son and the rest of the Republican cam
paign shouters were loud in the ad
vocacy of silver. They told the people
from every stump that the gold standard
was worse than war, famine, and pes
thence combined. They declared that
only through the restoration of silver rs
IL money metal at the ratio of 16 to /
could prosperity be restored to the
country.
The Populist party had advocated the
restoration of silver from its inception
The Republicans shouting for silver and
pretending that the two parties were at
one upon this question, question that
was even then paramount, the Republi-
cans and Populists in this State agreed
to cooperate, and did cooperate.
In 1896 the Republican party in this
State adopted the following with regard
to silver:
1--WE favor the use of both gold
and silver as standard money and
the RESTORATION OF SILVER
TO ITS FUNCTIONS AND DIG
NIFTY AS A MONEY METAL"
This was very well. But when the
National Republican convention met in
st. Louis it looked the silver dollar in
the face with shifty eye. With char
acteristic cowardice it temporized and
straddled.
The National Democratic convention,
on the other hand, came out boldly for
the free coinage of silver at the existing
ratio of Is to 1. 1t was upon that issue
solely that the campaign was fought.
The Populist party in this State, ac-
cordingly, refused to cooperate with the
Republicans on the national ticket and
co-operated with the Democratic party.
Through the treachery of Populist lead
ers. however, a number of gold-bug Re
publicans were elected to State offices
or chosen as Congressman, and gold
bug Senator was elected.
In this year of grace, 1893, the condi-
tons are radically different from those
that existed either in 1894 or '96. The
Republican party has thrown off all dis.
guise and has come out as the open and
avowed advocate of the single gold
standard. Whatever pledges it may
have made in favor of financial reform
have been repudiated without so much as
a word of explanation.
1t appears. therefore, that when popu,
lists first co-operated with Repub-
leans in this State they co-operated wi b
il party that publicly professed to be
ut one with themselves upon the para
mount national issue. To-day they
are asked by the leaders who betrayed
them in 1896 to cooperate with the Re
publicans when the Republican party an
nounces itself as unalterably opposed to
what Populists demand. 1t is evident,
accordingly, that the Populist who CON
WINGED himself from platform declara-
tons that he could cooperate with Re
publicans in this State, in 1894, without
sacrifice of principle upon the main is
sue, cannot cooperate with Republicans
in 1898 without going directly counter
to the principles he has avowed. And
just as in 1896, the Populist from prin-
ciples refused to betray his party aud
vote the Republican Presidential ticket,
so he will refuse to betray both his party
and the State by voting the Republican
ticket in 1898.