The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1900-06-12
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THE QUESTION OF PARTY.

LIE VUESllUN UF PARI1.
In a large measure the money
question has settled itself within
the past few years by the increase
in the production of gold. A
money metal should not be so com.
mon as to become a drug on the
market, thus losing its intrinsic
value and depending upon its fiat
value for circulation, neither should
it be so scarce that its intrinsic
value should rise above its stand
ard value. We. do not believe
that in 1896 gold had so risen, but
since that time the opening of new
gold fields, the cheapening of
methods of production so as to
make possible the working of low
grade ores and the great develop
ment. of placer mining have so
operated as to remove all danger
of a gold famine.
There is plenty Of gold in the
world to serve as a basis of ex-
change and there is every prospect
that there is enough in sight to
keep pace with the growth of
commerce. Even admitting that
the democratic contentious of four
years ago we're true, the supposed
necessity for a double standard has
been removed and we can see no
good reason why our. democratic
friends should continue to make it
a part of their political creed as
they have done by their repeated
afirmations of the Chicago platform
and as they propose to do by re
nominating Mr.. Bryan, the &C
knowledged champion of free sill
yer. The democrats seem de-
termlned to force the money ques-
ton into the coming campaign and
we must admit that the republicans
are perfectly willing that they
should.
There is no good reason why a
man who could not vote for Bryan
in 1896 should do so now. Demo.
cracy has repeated its faith in the
free silver dogma at every oppor-
tunity. The leaders are the same,
and the promises and denuncia-
lions are almost Identical. The
fact that Bryan now winks the
other eye and implies that he is
not SO much for free silver after
all, is a political trick which should
deceive no one and which should
tend to lessen rather than to in
crease the respect in which Bryan
and his populist friends are held.
1t is a fact, astonishing but true,
that one-half of the democratic
leaders of this county do not be.
lieve in the teachings of their party.
This is a statement which will be
challenged and denied but which
is nevertheless true. We do no,
wish to injure the standing of these
men with the party to which they
still believe themselves held,
but we state it as a fact that fully
one-half of the leading democrats
of Denison do not believe in demo
crazy. They would regret to see
it succeed nationally, and especial.
ly so if they thought its platform
would be made effective by legis-
lation. Some day these men will
see the path of duty, they will see
that principle should be the ruling
factor in politics, and that they
cannot afford to foster personal
ambition at the expense of the well
fare of the people. If you really
want to know to which party you
belong, first endeavor to strike
from your mind the factors OF
friendships formed, of honors re-
ceived or expected, of what others
will say about you, should you
change. Throw out the prejudices
and enmities and then take a clean
white sheet Of paper and begin a
balance sheet of your principles.
In making this balance sheet plat
forms r a great help but they are