Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1899-08-25
NOT THE ONLY ISSUE.
There In Plenty of Material for the
Democrats to use IN the next
CnmpHfgn.

Isn't it about time that Democratic
newspapers andDemocratic politicians
arrive ut some definite understanding
as to the rights and privileges OF the
Democrats who will compose the
next convention? That issues cannot
be made by politicians has been said
by so many Of them in SO many diff
ereDt ways that it would seem idle to
repeat the assertion were il not for
the continued nonsense that one reads
in the Colds standard Journals about
the effort in Democratic circles to
betray Bryan and silver.
Nobody ever charged that the Dem.
ocratic convention Of 1896 was dis
loyal to the tariff reform idea. That
convention declared for the free
coinage OF silver and for tariff for
revenue mt one ana the same time,
ana the very men who were foremost
in insisting TINT astrong free coinage
plank be incorporated in the plank
had been the most conspicuous nd.
yocates of the Wilson law. They
were broad enough to understand
that n party must stand for someth.
ing more than single lea, and the
convention which nominated Mr..
Bryan so declared. The same Alt.
geld who is now a leading faction in
Chicago has put buttons on his fol.
lowers and labeled them @Bryan--
lG to |" had rs much TO do with the
making of the platform Of 1896 rs any
one man i'll the Democratic conven-
ton. No one then charged that Alt
geld was luke Sarm IN hIs advocacy
OF free silver, and yet Aitgeld's sole
tight III that convention was to have
incorporated i'll that platform Il plank
denouncing government by injunction
and the interference of the federal
troops.
As it was in 1896 so il will be IN
1000. The delegates who will speak
for the Democratic party will be 10y
al bimetalists. They will be earnest
tariff reformers and will be ready to
denounce the encroachments Of fed.
eral authorities on the liberties OF the
people. This was Democratic doc
trino i'll 1896 and it will be Demo
cratic doctrine in 1900. But rs the
developments i'll the grcut Illinois
and other strikes caused the national
convention to declare against federal
interference in local affairs and make
that question an issue, so far rs the
Democratic party was concerned, so
will the overcapitulization and the
unprecedented formation OF trusts
cause the Democratic party III 1900 TO
demand their regulation by national
Legislation. And because .he present
administration has plunged III into
nm unholy war Of conquest and threat
ened the stability OF the republic
with r pernicious policy OF imperial.
ism'the Democratic party will speak
in such language that all the people
con understand what tho policy ut
the party will be il iutrusted with the
reins Of government,
There has not been n period ap-
preaching Il national convention
since the war when there was SO lit
tie friction among the Democrats re
garding the main planks in the ma.
tional platform. And, just rs the
Republican convention will DECLARE
for something else besides the gold
standard, SO will the Democratic con-
vention declare for something beside
the free coinage OF silver, the cam
paign will bc fought to finish on
tho issues Of tho most concern to the
pcople.-Kunsns City Times.
ws,s1-s--r-~>s-.~Fs~rss-s