The Topeka state journal., 1899-08-23
NO MORE DOUBT.
Silver to Be the Rallying Cry
of the Democracy.
Three Nebraska State COnVen-
tiOns Speak as One.
BRYAN IN CONTROL.
Declares That Free Coinage Is
More Necessary Than Ever.

publicans met in this city yesterday
and fused on nominations for judge OF
the supreme court and two members OF
the board of regents of the State uni
versity. Former Governor Silas a. 9o1-
comb was nominated for supreme JUS
tice by the Populists and indorsed by
the other two conventions, though not
without a fight in the Democratic gath
ering, where there was strong opposl-
tion TO him, emanating from Douglas
county. This opposition ceptered on
former United States Senator William
v. Allen, who could have had a major
ity of ballots in the convention, but he
pushed the proffered honor aside and
supported his friend Holcornb. Allen
was chairman of the resolutions COM
mittee in the Populist convention and
William J. Bryan was a delegate to the
Democratic gathering.
Mr.. Bryan dictated the platform of
the Democratic convention. This doc
trine declared duncompromisingl for free
coinage of silver at the ratio of Is to
1, and indorsed bodily the Chicago plat
form of 1896. The platform of the
Populist convention indorsed the plat
form of the POpulist national conYen-
tion of 1896, and in addition contained
planks denouncing the policy of the
administration in the Philippines. The
platform of the silver Republicans was
much the same and contained in addi-
ttOn a strong plant declaring against
the use of railroad passes by public Of
fcials.
This pass resolution was adopted by
the fOpulSL convention without as
sent, but stirred up a great commotion
among the Democrats, many of whom
fought it tooth and nail, and for time
the gathering was resolved into a scene
of great disorder. Finally, the matter
was put to a vote and the resolution
declared passed, although not over a
dozen delegates voted on either side
Mr. Bryan addressed all three con-
Ventions and was emphatic in his de-
nunciation of the administration pol
icy in the Philippines. He also spoke
vigorously in support of the free coin
age of silver, declaring it to be the main
issue now before the public He de-
nOunced trusts in strong terms and
criticised the administration for doing
nothing to regulate them. He was re-
ceiYed with great enthusiasm.
For regents of the State university.
the convention nominated Edison Rich,
of Omaha, and J. L. Teeters,, of Lin
coin, the names going through without
any opposition.
The platform adopted by the Demo-
cratic convention indorses and empha-
sizes each and every plank of the ma
tionaI platform adopted at Chicago in
1896. The money plank is as follows:
Our confidence in the principles set
forth in the Chicago platform has been
increased as those principles have been
Yindicated by events. The gold stand
ard is less defensible now than it was
in 1896, since the president has con
fessed its failure by sending a commits
sion to Europe to secure International
bimetalliSn, while the inability of the
commission to secure foreign aid is ad-
ded proof that the people of the United
States must act alone if they expect
relief. The present legal ratio of 16 to
1. is the natural and necessary ratio
and the opponents of that ratio have
nothing to offer in it's place by the
evasive and ambiguous phraseology
which for years furnished to the gold
standard advocates a mask behind
which to hide while they secretly Ia
bored to make gold mOnometallism per-
manent. Any Improvement in business
conditions due to the increased pro-
ductiOn of gold or to a favorable bal
ance of trade, instead of supporting the
gold standard doctrine, shows that
more money makes better times and
points the way to bimetallism as the
means of securing q permanent in
crease in the volume of standard mon
ey throughout the world. The Republi-
can scheme to lessen the value of
standard money by making gold the
only legal tender money has at last
become apparent to all and must be re
sisted by the debt paying and wealth
producing classes of the country The
plan to retire the greenbaclzs' in the in
terest of national bank notes denounc-
ed by the Democrats in 1896. but then
defended by the Republicans, has bold
ly Stalked forth from its hiding place
and threatens the formation of a gi-
gantfc paper money trust"
On the question of trusts the platform
declares:
The Industrial trusts, springing up
on every hand, testify to the admins
tration's Indifference to monopoly, or
its inability to cope with it.
1--WE denounee the failure of the ad-
ministration to enforce the present law
against trusts, or to recommend new
laws, if the present law is deemed in
sufficient.
I'VE are opposed to the principle of
monopoly wherever it manifests itself.
We demand the enforcement of present
federal laws, the enactment of such
new legislation as may be necessary
and a constitutional amendment, if the
present constitution is construed to
protect trusts, to the end that the mon
opolization of industry by private cor
poratious may be absolutely prevented.
Every trust rests upon a corporation.
and every corporation is a creature Of
laws, and the law. state and national,
must place upon the corporations such
limitations and restrictions as will pro-
tect the public from injury"
The platform praises Nebraska SOL
diers for their part in the war in the
Philippines and goes on to say:
'sBut while we commend the soldiers
for obedience to all orders ennanating
from the chief executive, we condemn
the administrative policy which has
converted a war for humanity into d
war for conquest. We believe the Fill
pinos should have received the same
treatment as the Cubans and, that as
the Cubans were assured of ultimate
Independence and protection, 50 the
Filipinos should have been assured III
the beginning of our nations intention
to give them independence as soon as
a stable government should be estab-
iished and protection from outside in
reference. Such assurance should be
given now. If the Cubans, as is stated
in the resolutions of Intervention are
and of right ought to be free, the same
can be said of the Filipinos and this
nation would suffer no humiliation in
acknowledging adherence to the doc
trine that governments derive their just
powers from the consent of the gov
erned.''
The resolutions declare in favor of
arbitration. favor popular election of