The age-herald., 1899-01-08
Jefersonian Principles With Jack
 sonian Courage.
WILL BE NO TURNING BACKWARD
As Long as Humanity Itself Lives, So Long Will the People Keep Up Their Fight Against Off,
 cial Corruption.

Chicago, January 1.-The third annual banquet of the Andrew Jackson league was held at the Fremont house here tonight and on this occasion, as on the two former, William J. Bryan was the guest of honor The banquet hall of the hotel was turned into a sea of bunting caught up with fes- toons of smilax. Life-szed portraits of Jackson and of the guest of the evening were hung at opposite ends of the hall, these being the only portraits used in the decorations Mayor Carter H. Harrison of Chicago acted as presiding officer and at the table with him and MT. Bryan were Mayor Maybury of Detroit, Mayor Rose of Milwaukee and Mayor Taggart of Indianap oils.
 The exercises of the evening were opened with short address by Mayor Harrison, who, before resuming his seat introduced the three visiting mayors, all making brief speeches The address of MT. Bryan closed the evening. It was as follows:
 Spec ch of MT. Bryan @
 "The democracy of the nation is still de- fending Jeffersonian principles with Jack sonian courage and has no thought of de- parting from the principles enunciated at Chicago in 1S96 That platform will live in history and the hour of its adoption will be remembered as the hour when the money changers were driven from the democratic temple. There will be no turn ing back. The platform will be added to as new conditions force new issues into the arena of politics, but nothing will be subtracted from it. Events have vindicated every position taken by the platform. Ar
 bitration was advocated in that platform and arbitration is stronger today than it was in 1896.
 "That platform denounced government by injunction and the sentiment against gov erment by injunction is increasing. That platform denounced the trusts and declared
 them to be menace; that menace is greater today than ever before. That plat form warned the people that a conspiracy was on foot to give to the national banks a monopoly of the issue and supply of paper money; that conspiracy is now known to every one.
 Delusion and Snare
 That platform denounced international bimetalism as a delusion and a snare and it's condemnation has been justified. That platform pointed to independent free coinage as the only means of restoring
 the double standard. Who doubts it now? That platform named 16 to 1 as the proper ratio and that ratio today is the only ratio at which bimetallism is possible. Other platforms have been forgotten, but thot piaiAOiih iS IItSu III lHe memory or friend and foe because it was clear and positive upon every public question. To those who believe in equality before the law, the Chicago platform is still an in- spiration; 1t is terror only to those who seek to use the government for personal and private ends.
 Attacks Do Not Harm
 Tt has been attacked at two points hut the attacks will not harm it. Some who opposed the Dlal form in hat to return to the party on condition that the party will drop the money question and con- fine the fight to the trusts. The offer will not be accepted What confidence would the people have in our sincerity if we shou d declare against trusts in general but enter into treaty of peace with the greatest of all trusts-the money trust? If we should attempt to center the fight upon the trusts the republicans would adopt as strong an antitrust plank as we, because no party would dare to defend the trusts. In such a fight the trust magnates would be found supporting both parties and contributing liberally to both 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 conven- ton took the party out of the hands of the
 Wall street crowd and adopted a platform which precipitated the plutocracy which the party had held in solution for several years Gold Democrats Opportunity The gold democrats had an opportunity to crush out the trusts during Mir. C!eve- lands administration, but they did not do it. The gold republicans are having their opportunity now, but they are not improv- ing 1t. The trusts will fall when the gold standard is overthrown, and not until then. The gold standard means falling prices, and falling prices will create trusts more rap idly than any gold standard party can de- stroy them.
 The second point of attack is the ratio. Why insist upon 16 to +? they ask. I re- ply, first, because it is the best ratio and second because its opponents have no other ratio to offer. No free coinage law can be enacted until a ratio is agreed upon, be- cause the ratio is a part of the law. Sup pose we had majority in congress favor able to bimetallism but differing as to tine ratio. Some would favor 16 to 1, some 2i to 1, some S2 to 1, and some even higher ratios. How could we make progress un- der such conditions? Affirmative relief is necessary, and those who favor remedial legislation must secure a majority in both houses and senate for some definite proposi- tion. The goldbugs understand this; ttey know that an ambiguous platform is equiv- alent to gold standard platform. Air Cleveland was elected in 1892 upon a plat form which declared for the use of gold
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