Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1899-02-07
Col. Bryan Discusses the Plat
form on jackson Day in
Chicago.
Mr.. Bryan said in part:

Mr.. Bryan said in part:
"The Democracy of the nation is
still defending Jeffersonian principles
with ~Jaoksonian courage, and has no
thought of departing from the prin-
ciples enunciated at Chicago in 1896.
Tina platform will live in history and
the hour of its adoption will be re-
membered as the hour when the mon
ey changers were driven from the
Democratic temple. There will be no
turning back. The platform will be
added to as 9 conditions force new
issues into the arena of politics, but
nothing will be subtracted from it.
Events have vindicated every posit-
ion taken by the platform. Arbitra.
tton was advocated in that platform
and arbitration is stronger to-day
than 1t was in 1896.
That platform denounced govern
ment by injunction, and the senti-
ment against government by injunc-
lion is increasing. That platform de-
nounced the trusts and declared them
TO be a menace; that menace is great
or to-day than ever before. That
platform warned the people that a
conspiracy was on foot to give the
national banks a monopoly of the is
sue andlsupply of paper money; that
conspiracy is now known to every
one.
That platform denounced inter-
national bimetallism as a delusion and
q snare, and its condemnation has
been justified. That platform pointed
70 independent free coinage as the
only means of restoring the double
standard; who doubts it now? That
platform named 10 to 1 as the proper
ratio and that ratio stands to-day as
the only ratio at which bimetallism is
possible.
Other platsorms have been forgot
ten, but that platform is fresh in the
memory of friend and foe, because it
was clear and positive upon every
public question. To those who be-
lieve in equality before the law, the
chicago platform is still an inspira-
ton; it is a terror only to those who
seek to use the government for per-
sonal and private ends.
1T has been attacked at two points.
but the attack will not harm it. Some
who opposed the platform in 1895
nave promised to return to the party
on condition that the party will drop
the money question and confne the
light to the trusts. The offer will not
be accepted. What confidence would
the people have in our sincerity if we
should declare agains trusts in gen.
eral, but enter into a treaty of
with the greatest of all trusts-the
money trust2 If we should attempt
to center the fight upon the trusts
d Republicans would adopt as
strong antitrust plank as we because
no party would dare to defend the
trusts. In such a fight the trust mag
mates would be found supporting both
parties and contributing literally to
Doth campaign funds, provided the
trusts were guaranteed the privilege
OF naming the Attorney General and
the judges. The trusts opposed the
Democratic party in 1896 because the
Chicago convention took the party
out of the hands of the Wall street
crowd and adopted a platform which
precipitated the plutocracy which
b party had held in solution or
several years.
saTne Gold Democrats had a chanca
to crush out the trusts during Mr..
Cieveland's administration, but rhey
did not do it. The Gold Republicans
are having their opportunity now.
but they are not improving it. The
trusts will fall when hegold standard
Is overthrown and not until then.
The gold standard means falling pric-
es and falling prices will create trusts
more rapidly than any gold standard
party can destroy them.
The second point Of attack is the
ratio. Why insist upon 16 to i? thew
ask. / reply, first, because it is the
best ratio; second, because it's oppon-
ents have no other ratio to offer. No
free coinage law can be enacted until
q ratio is agreed upon, because the
ratio is a part OF the law. Suppose
we had a majority in Congress favor
able to b~imetallism, but differing as
to the ratio. Some would favor 16 to
l, some "a to ], some SO to 1, and some
even higher ratios; how could we
make progress under such conditions?
Affirmative relief is necessary and
those who favor remedial legislation
must secure a majority in both House
and Senate for some definite PROPOSE
ton. The goldbugs1 understand this;
they know that an ambiguous plat
form is equivalent to a gold standard
platform. Mr.. Cleveland was elected
in 1892 upon a platform which de-
Clsred for the use of gold and silver
as the standard money of the country,
and for the coinage of both gold and