The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-12-19
A BETRAYAL OF PLEDGES
Republicans Have Failed to Keen Thei,
Promise.

Promise.
Washington, Dec. 1S.-After the pass
age to-day of the financial bill the sill
Yer republican leaders in the city held
a meeting and adopted an address set
The address is S follows:
ITO the Members Of the Republican
Party Who Still Believe in Bimetallism
THE passage by the house of repre-
sentatives to-day of the gold standard
and bank currency bill exactly as
agreed upon by the republican caucus
and whose votes marks the elimination
of policy long and carefully pursued
by certain influences in control of the
leadership of the republican party, JUS
tilies the action of the men who in
1896 refused to remain in that organiza-
tion after the adoption of the St Louis
platform.
THE republican national platform of
1888 and 1892 had been unequivocally in
favor of bmetallism and the use of
both gold and silver as standard money.
Nevertheless, it was apparent several
months before the assembling of the
national convention of 1896 that the
machinery of the republican party had
passed wholly into the hands of the
banking and creditor interests, and it
was the purpose of the latter to commit
the party to the advocacy and achieve
ment of the gold standard. Against
this danger the undersigned and many
other republican btmetallists at that
time Vainly attempted to arouse the
masses of the party. The politicians
and newspapers privy to the scheme
denounced our fears as unfounded or
simulated and by skilful use of catch
words and generalities, succeeded in
forestalling any widespread comprehen-
sion of their designs
I'VE are therefore opposed to the free
coinage of silver except by interna-
tional agreement with the leading COM
mercial nations of the world which
we pledge ourselves to promote, and
until such agreement can be obtained
the existing gold standard must be pre-
served. All our silver and paper cur
rency must be maintained at a parity
with gold, etc.
1T is strange that so manifest an III
sincerity should have deceived any
body. Clearly, if the gold standard was
desirable the free coinage of silver was
undesirable. If the gold STANDARD was
right, then free coinage must be wrong.
Nobody could intelligently and honest
~ demand the International free coin
press such emphatic satisfaction with
the gold standard as an alternative. AS
a matter of fact, this declaration was
intended as a definite assurance to the
speculative banks and their allies that
the republican party, if successful in
the election, would proceed with all
polite speed to the establishment of
the single gold standard in all its rigor.
The promise to promote the interna-
tional free coinage of silver was never
meant to be observed in good faith,
yet it proved a good enough slogan un-
til after the election Relying upon 1t,
enforced as it was throughout the West
and central portions of the country by
the editors and orators of the repub-
lican party, millions of voters were
held in line for the ticket, for as stated
in the republican campaign text book
for 1892, the republican party was
'bimetallic party No one whose politi-
cal Judgment has the slightest weight
will deny that frank pronouncement
for the gold standard in that platform
or a Straightforward Interpretation of
it by the republican candidate for presi-