Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1899-04-01
BLAcKFoOr. IDAHO. APRIL 1. 1899.
DEMOCRATIC PARTY'S POLICY.
Oliver Belmont's Opinion Of What 1t
Should Be.

L DCtbIOut, III u IttD
the New York Herald, discusses the
line of conduct which should influence
the Democratic party in its policy be-
tween now and the next national cam
paign. He says:
"The first call should be for har-
mony. 1t is perfectly apparent that no
progress toward success can be made
il the party pauses enroute TO engage
in free fight with itself. 1t would
hardly be necessary, If civil war were
10 eternally rage within the limits of
Democracy, for the Republicans to
make an effort at ALL The Democracy
would defeat itself. No party has ever
had the many opportunities of success
offered to it by the errors and wilful |
mismanagement OF the Republicans
that are at this time offered to the
Democrats.
1T is, however. of first Importance
that all questions of sectional SUI
premacy should at once be dismissed |
to secure the necessary harmony. The |
line Of political trouble seems to run |
between the gold and silver factions of
the party. | cannot myself see the |
propriety or need of this strife. In
that connection it is only fair to say that
one side seems as eager for trouble |
as the other.
s'My idea is that every man in the
Democratic party, whether he be a
gold man, silver man or bimetallist,
or whether he be for ratio of Is to /
or some other ratio, should stand ever
ready to yield to the wishes of the ma
iority of his party as expressed in the
platform of its national convention.
s'If he be gold man and the con-
vention adopts free coinage platform,
that gold man should yield II he be
a silver man and the convention de-
clares for single gold standard, that
silver man shodld yield. No man has
right, calling himself a Democrat, TO
be greater or wiser or stronger than
his party.
SIN brief, say again, l believe that
the majority should rule. Nor do | see
anything terrific in this proposition.
1t is entirely American, aud presents
exactly the spirit of American institu-
tious. The minority yields to the ma
jority, both at the polls and in the Con-
gress and legislatures OF the country.
A free trader does not resign his citi-
zenship because of Dingley tariff bill.
We have harmony in national affairs,
although there is much difference OF
opinion among citizens concerning the
tenets OF government. Why cannot
we have harmony in the Democratic
party by enlisting the same spirit of
liberation and on the same constitu-
tional terms?
Speaking for myself, | am gold
man, yet will unhesitatingly support
free silver, 10 to |, should it be made
the platform sentiment Of the party in
1900. | will give my full support to
any candidate whom the convention
selects.
"All this said FIVE months ago in
the Verdict, and only repeat here.
II cannot conceive of any party sue
cess in the next election unless all
good Democrats stand ready to say the
same.
However, do not regard the ques-
ton OF hnance as Of prime Importance
at this time. 1t will grow steadily less
between now and the next election.
Some suggestion OF the truth OF this
can be found by comparing last falls
election figures, state by state, with
those Of 1896. 1t is not to be denied
that general interest in finance as
question, or, to put it plainly, in silver
at IL to as II question, is falling away.
There is no such general strong silver
demand as there was three years ago
That, uo doubt, is due to condition OF
better general business and easier
times.
For myself, however, | say again
that do not fear silver We have had
silver coinage before and succeeded,
just as we have q single gold standard
now and succeed. We will not meet
wreck If we have silver any more than
ruin is to overtake US under the single
gold standard.
1T is my opinion, though, as stated,
that finance is not the first question Of
politics today. The trusts form the
giant evil, imminent and threatening
in our affairs. There is not time nor
room for details here. But the mon
ster combinations OF money called the
trusts whose methods contemplate the
bribery of congresses and legislatures
and even the control of courts, must be
destroyed.
"ro do this we should have an In
como tax aud al Inheritance tax. We