Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1899-09-28
AS TO EXPEDIENCY.
CHICAGO PLATFORM Is THE
ONLY HOPE.
Tho Fellows Who Would Change 1t Do
Not Want tbs Democratic Party to
win-A Massachusetts Paper Fires .
Broadside at Trimmers

1t Is argued that the money question
Is dead; that people will not interest
themselves in it; that something more
exciting must be adopted for the lead
ing issue; that the East will be SOL
idly against the West on that issue;
that If the Democratic party makes BIZ
metallism an issue 1t will be showed
under, etc., ETC.. says the Springfield
Leader-Democrat. ALI kinds of clap
trap arguments are brought up to
switch the Democratic party from the
silver question to some other ISSUE
Some of these arguments are honest,
but nine-tenths of them come from Re-
publicans and Republican papers. A
few are really advanced by Democrats
who have the interest of the party at
heart, and to these we will address our
selves. Those who argue that silver is
dead do not closely read the signs Of
the times; those who believe silver
will not be the leading issue should
study the result Of Gov Hogg's address
at Tammany hall, July A; those who
believe the silver question can be
shelved should consider the cause of
the constant ovations to Bryan wher-
ever he goes. Suppose those Democrats
who forsook the party in 1896 do stand
aloof yet. Suppose they nominate a
ticket Of their own, as they did then.
Suppose that they even go over bodily
to the Republican party. The party will
lose no more votes than it did in 1896,
even If as many, and will gain all that
oliver Republican vote which either
voted the Republican ticket under pro-
test or refrained from voting. AS
matter of party policy, to say nothing
about principle, 1t must be remembered
that those silver Republicans who vot-
ed with the Democrats in 1896 would
desert the party the moment 1t turned
its back on or subordinated the silver
question, and 1t is believed that this
vote is much larger than that of the
gold Democrats. 1t should not be for
gotten that there are many thousands
Of independents and Populists who will
vote for Bryan and silver who would
not vote for German or any other gold
Democrat or any man who had to be
taken up as compromise measure, be-
cause OF his conservatism or lack of
force. All these things must be con-
sidered when the questions of platform
and candidate are under consideration.
The silver Republicans, the independ
ents and the Populists will stand no
lodging and no foolishness, and if the
Democratic party is to hold the vote
it got in 1896 and draw to it the many
additional thousands that are ready to
come, it must take no backward step
from its position outlined in the Chi
cago platform. Some new planks may
be added to the platform, but none
must be taken away. 1t must not be
forgotten that the change OF few
thousand votes in some of the close
states would have elected Bryan in
stead of Mckinley and that this change
cannot be hoped for If the party
swerves from the lines of old-time De-
mocracy. 1t is now known that GER
tain states were carried for Mckinley
by methods that cannot be used again.
God hates gutter" was once said
of prominent politician, and If 1t
Is true as to the individual, 1t is doubly
true as to the party. If bimetallism
was right in 1896 it is right now, and
will be right in 1900 Every argument
used in favor Of the double standard
In the last campaign will apply equally
well in the next, while many new ar
guments will be added to the list be-
cause of later developments. Truck
ling and time-serving may meet with
apparent temporary success,b but neither
ever won a great victory. 1t is T 1t only
right but it is expedient for the party
to stand by its guns in the interest of
the great mass of the people, and
against the allied powers of greed and
monopoly.