Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-03-28
BELMONT PLEADS FOR
DEMOCRATIC HARMONY.
He Will Be for Silver Next Year if the National Convention So De-
cares but Says the Campaign Should Be Fought
on Platform OF War on Trusts.

tenets of government. Why cannot we
have harmony in the Democratic party
by enlisting the same spirit of liberation
and on the same constitutional terms?
Speaking for myself, I am a gold man.,
yet I will unhesitatingly support free
silver, 16 to /, should it be made the plat
form sentiment of the party in 1860. l will
give my support to any candidate whom
the convention selects. All this 1 said five
months ago in the Verdict, and l only re-
peat it here. l cannot conceive of any
possible party success in the next election
unless all good Democrats stand ready to
say the same.
MONEY NOT THE PRIME ISSUE.
However, I do not regard the question
OF finance as of prime Importance at this
time. 1t will grow steady less important
between now and the next election. Some
suggestion of the truth of this can be
found by comparing last falls election
figures, State by State, with those of 1896
1t is not to be denied that general interest
in finance as a question, or, to put it
plainly, in silver at 16 to 1 as a question
is falling away. There is no such general
strong silver demand as there was three
years ago. That, no doubt, is due to a
condition Of better general business and
easier times.
For myself, however, I say again l do
not fear silver. We have had silver coin
age before and succeeded, just as we have
a single gold standard now and succeed
We will not meet wreck il we have silver
any more than ruin is to overtake us I'M
der the single gold standard.
1T is my opinion. though, as I stated
that finance is not the first question of
politics to-day The trusts form the giant
evil, imminent and threatening in our
affairs. There is no time or room for de-
tails here. But the monster combinations
of money called the trusts, whose methods
contemplate the bribery of Congresses
and Legislatures, and even the control of
courts, must be destroyed.
FAVCRIS TAXES FOR THE RICH.
ITO do this we should have an income
tax and an inheritance tax. We should
have public ownership of all thoss fran
chises which are now in the hands of
great railroad, bridge and electrical COM
panies and other combinations Of kindred
sort Above ALL we should have the
initiative and referendum, and so put
within the actual power OF the people at
the polls to propose or pass a law, or if
needs, press to repeal a law in spite of
any action by venal or corrupt Con-
crosses or Legislatures.
1--WE should attack government by in
junction and the national bank system.
We should be for the election Of Senators
and United States Judges by the people.
We should be to increase the navy and
against an increase in the army. We
should be for economy and for the cutting
down of expenses. We should be against
expansion and the selling of the Philip
pines beyond such harbors or islands as
are necessary for naval stations.
IF we were to go in for all these mat
ters and add to them an attack on the
opposition for It's rotten war record, for
its rosuery Of embalmed beef, for its
steals Of contracts, there should be no
doubt of Democratic success
OLIVER H. P. BELMONT"