The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1899-10-19
To the Editor of the HrRA1D:

Finding it impossible to reach the Demo
cratic voters of the county who are Demo
Gratis from principle aud not for spois,
through the regular channels of Democratic
thought and expression-the Democratic
newspapers am driven to the necessity Of
asking your permission to speak to them
through the HERALD. In doing this, | am
not unconscious or unmindful OF the likeli-
hood Of those Democrats who want to be
regular always and are ever ready to sacrifice
principle for success, insisting that my efforts
are the abors of a Republican devotiug him
self to the cause of disrupting the Democracy
But even that shall not deter me from doing
what l believe to be a duty to the Democratic
party. To those who find fault with what
have to say being found in a Republican
paper, l have no better excuse to offer than
that the columns of every Democratic news
paper in the county have been closed to the
expression of true Democratic sentiment, lest
the interests of the candidates on the Demo
cratic ticket may be injured.
In what may say on this subject want
to address not the Democratic politician or
offce-seeker, but the Democratic working
man, the man who has an abiding faith in
the efficacy of Democratic principles when
enacted into law and who believes that the
principles laid down in the Chicago platform
express not alone the hope of the Democracy,
but the hope of every man who earns his
bread by the sweat of his face.
Democracy as expressed in that instrument,
sometimes called the second Declaration OF
Independence, has had a stormy career at the
hands of the Democratic office-seekers in
Schuylkill county during the last three
years. At the county convention in 1897
which was dominated by anti-Bryanites, an
| almost successful attempt was made to stiAe
the sentiment of the Democratic voters aoi
the county by packing the committee on
resolutions and attempting to palm off the
most wretched lot of literary rubbish ever
strung together as platform. But, thanks
to William Anderson, OF New Boston, who
was a member of the committee on resolu.
| tions the attempt failed and the convention
rebuked them and endorsed the Chicago
platform.
1t may also be worth while to call the atten-
! tion of the Chicago Platform Democrats OF
the county to the fact that the Chicago plat
form has not been since endorsed by con
vention in the county. In 1896 nearly 10, ,OOC
voters in the county endorsed it, and 1000
former Democrats enrolled themselves under
the banner of Palmer aud Buckner, the gold
wOrshipping traitors. while nearly as many
went over bodily to the enemy. Most of the
leaders" of the Democracy in the county
deserted when the party, with Bryan at it:
head, took up the cause of the common
people and declared its hostility to the grant
ing of special privileges. In the eyes of these
gentlemen, many of whom had been holding
office for many years under the party
they were too respectable to be associated
with it. They, therefore, either allied them
selves with the Palmer and Buckner Repub
lican Aid Society or gave their support tC
! Mckinley direct
! In spite of the treachery and IN spite O
what must have been clear 10 every half-in
telligent Democrat at all times since 1896, tha