The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-02-19
CHICAGO PLATFORM POPULAR
And is Gaining Ground Throughout the
Country.
SENATOR JONES AND CROKER
The Former Stands Loyalty by the
Platform, and Declares Its Issues
Will be the Winning Ones
in the Next Election.


washington, u. C., teoruary Ex-senator
James K. Jones, chairman of the democrat
,ono+ion,, committees &c not in accord with
- -, -, ~. -,
~. "a NN y 'i-'
OF Wisconsin, regarding the paramount is
sue in the next presidential campaign. He
said today:
"To saw that the next democratic national
=, - -, -, II.
convention VIII reaiiirn III the p"si'ioii eaNen
by the convention in 1876 Is to assert what
every candid man, even slightly familiar
with exist,np facts knows to he true. IT is
ne oar+oir a., .nything human can he thar
,.. 80 -,
the question Oh piihe'aliisni WIN pe .he ieau,
ing issue III Tue calilpaisn mex. Seai ' ~
II Is reasohaoie 10 eApee. INA, Tue inaJot ~.
OF the people VIII next tlnhe declare 1or me
party "hlch means what II says anu WIN
reoeem its pieoses, anu 'hs.e they WIN ~.
again De trlcked INTO casung their VOTES
In FAVOR OF the enemies OF the principles IN
which they beheve.
ION what grounds DO you oase your hopes
for success next year, ne was ASKED
Some of the reasons why am strongly
hopeful OF the future OF our cause are az
follows: In the campaign OF 1895 poth par
ties declared for bimetalllsm-the democrats
Tor independent acton by tne oniteo
DfNNNS'
agreement, which they pledged themselves
to promote True, this declaration on the
part of~the republicans was only maze 10
catch votes, and because the party leaders
did not dare to go to the polls without 1t.
I think now no one any longer doubts that
the fixed purpose of those who controlled
these leaders was to maintain the gold
standard. and to prevent-not promote-an
Internal ional agreement. the declaration,
however served Its purpose, ana vast num-
bers OF sincere bfmetall'sts were persuaded
to vote the republican ticket In the behef
that they were voting for an honest effort
to secure international bimetallism. The
leaders who were responsible for this trick
have already committed their party TO the
single gold standard so far as they can,
and If they dare speak out honestly In their
next national platform 1t will declare for
the single gold standard"
''Do you believe that the cause of bimet-
allism is improving?"
'"Fhere are as many believers In bimetal-
ism today In the United States as there
ever were, and all these are doubtless now
convinced that the only way to accomplish
bimetallism is through the action OF the
democratic party. The great effort to stop
the fall of prices-the shrinking OF values
and to relieve the distress of business re-
sulting from these great evils, without 10
ing injustice or injury to any class or bust
ness, is being more and more understood,
such as that of 1S96-whether dictated by
ignorance or venality-cannot succeed
against temperate arguments and appeals
for simple justice when the people have
time to fairly weigh the arguments and
form a deliberate Judgment. There was
great unrest and dissatisfaction in 1895
throughout the country. resulting from fall
ing prices and shrinking values. The re-
publican party promised that II they were
entrusted with power all this could be
changed and that prosperity should succeed
existing conditions Mr. Mckinley and the
gold press now assure the country that we
have prosperity. There is quite boom In
stock speculations in Wall street. but Wall
street is not the country, as we believe.
great famine and a short crop of wheat
all over the world except in the United
States naturally raised the price of wheat
while these conditions lasted, and the be-
neficent effects of this temporary advance
In the price of single article, which was
so marked in the short period 1t continued,
Is likely to stimulate a desire for a return
to that condition permanently and an ex-
tension of it to all other products. This is
our purpose, and was our purpose In 1896,
when the republican party denounced any
effort to increase prices as crime"
How do you account for the activity In
business?'
There has been necessarily an increased
demand for labor within the last few
months. as the result ol the WilHuidWdi VI
large numbers of Amrican citizens from
the ordinary walks of life to be employed
In the army, whose places had to be filled.
There has also been an increased activity
In and a demand for all products which
were necessary to the maintenance and
support of large army. But all these
conditions are, in the very nature of things,
temporary. and all of us know that they
must pass away with the end of the condl-
lions which brought them into life. Making
due allowance for the influence OF these
three causes on the present condition .'rua OF