The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1900-07-21
TIE DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION
whv a Declaration on BimetaIlism
Was Necessary-A Winning
Ticket.


Rsuoett Hill gave an additional impetus to
the lusty enthusiasm of the recent most en-
thusiastic of Democratic conventions by the
announcement from the platform that Bryan
and Stevenson would have the support oil
united party, and would win, he gave expires
sion to palpable truth; but he mad not tne
honor of being the first to give public expires
sion 10 the same view: Montns DeloIe 'ne
convention met the logic of events had been
clearly and firmly forecasting that great tact,
and leading Democrats, who have the ear OF
tbe neople. and who, in 1896, were cassed as
among. or close to the dissenting brethren,
had nredicted what Mr.. Hill announced as
fact. \, nl-:.,,
Hoke smith. Perry Belmont, Richard croker,
Ex-senator German and others had eacn, IN
about the inverse order of that IN which theif
names are mentioned, predicted reunion anu
probable victory, and gwen the reaso"s 'o'
the faith that was III them. a,
Mr.. German, as well as memory serves, was
first TO foreshadow what is now well recog-
nized fact. He was interviewed on the occa
sion of his first visit to the Capitol since ms
refinement, in January last, on the day AFTER
the Republican financial bill became law,
and said that the passage of the gold standard
law removed the last obstacle to the thorough
reunion of the Democratic party, with Bryan
as its candidate. He said that the safe ne
publican majority in the Senate preciuded the
possibility of a change in the gold standard
law during the next ensuing administrat'o ~,
and therefore. regardless of what might be
said in the platform, silver would necessarily
he relocated TO the rear in the coming cam
paipu. and the great battle be fought on the
naturally paramount issues of militarism and
;mneriaiism. upon which the united Demoe-
racv ought to win. The other gentlemen
named have all expressed themselves to the
same effect, Mr.. Dickinson saying that bImet,
alnm was q good Democratic doctrine, aud
Mr.. Wilson confidently predicting victory
The reunion ofthe party and It's harmonious,
aggressive action in the great campaign OF this
year. regardless of the silver plank in the plat
form. having been thus so confidently and
uuhesitatingly predicted months before the
convention by the leading Democrats above
named. and many others whose voices are
eoualIy po,ent>in the matter OF party reunion,
and, being itself such self-eyident PROPOSE
lion, it will be easily perceived how paipaoiy
frivolous and valueless was the petty conten-
ton in the resolution committee as 10 wnether
the free coinage principle and the 10 70 :,
ratio should be reiterated or "reaihrmea.
The difference between "reiterailon ana
''reaffirmation is, in practical effect, only
the difference between dweedle. dee and dwee-
Congress, from the passage by the House OF
the BLAND free coinage law in 1878 down 10
the present day, an overwhelming majority OF
the Democratic party in Congress and IN the
country has been in favor of the remonetlza-
tion of silver and the establishment OF the
old ratio. No one who has been affiliated
with the party during the past two decades
could have been ignorant of the fact that bi-
metallism and the free coinage OF silver Is a
cardinal doctrine of the American Democ-
racy, yet, during the two ADMINISTRATORS
within that period in which the Democratic
party has been in power, it has been powerless
to enact any such legislation, because OF an
adverse Senate, as well as an unfrlendly fres-
ident. Therefore everybody knows that with
BRYAN as President and a Democratic House
the Democratic party would be utterly power
less during the next administration to enact
anv silver legislation and would, most likely,
not make the attempt.
The Democratic party is essentially the BIZ
metallic party i'll this country. II there Is any
blessing in the maintenance of the gold stand
ard the Republican party is unquestonabiy
entitled to claim the paternity OF all the be-
nefcence it has impaired, Tor 1t was the ne
publican party that surreptilIously demone
tized silver in 1878 and has since, through lis
strength in the Senate, forestalled all subsiah-
repeatedly thwarting the Democrats IN their
efforts in that direction.
But there are many eminent statesmen and
public economists, including some who hold
honorable places in the Republican councils,
who believe that the single gold standard as
monetary principle is not blessing, but
curse, and that the days of its continued maln-
teuance are surely numbered. 1t has not been
long since the eminent Senator Hoar, of
Massachusetts, stood up in the Senate and, to
the CONSERVATION of his fellow Republicans,
solemnly predicted the ultimate and probably
early downfall of the gold standard. He an
nounced, as the result of special visit to
Europe to feel public sentiment on the money
question, that the overwhelming sentiment
among the masses of all the European nations
is clamoring for binetallism. He predicted.
with solemn emphasis, that the combinations
of financial magnates and monarchs and aris-
tocrats would not much longer withstand 1t.
Senator William Z. Chandler, of New Hamp-
shire, has recently gone on record in the same
forum to the same effect. 1t is questionable
if any public man of the present day, who
measures up to the standard OF n statesman
and an economist, believes that the gold
standard can be permanently maintained, oil
bimetallism finally defeated, Ii is only d
question of how long it eau be suspended.
1t is as idle, therefore, TO talk OF free silver
as a dead issue" as it was unreasonable tt
expect the Democratic party and its gallant
leader, who made the great battle OF 1896, al
most solely on the silver question, 10 do any
thing in the recent convention which could b'
construed into penitent confession that thel
we're all wrong in 1896. 1t was because Ihos'
that made the fight in the platform commute,
at the recent convention contended that reaf
frmation of the Chicago platform without tn
nC ,ial MIA xpOuld hay
that effect that they were defeated.
But there was still another practical politi
cal reason why the Democratic party coul'
not do anything that could be construed int
an act of retrogression on the silver question
and this ought to have the patient consldera
ton of every man in Maryland who feels dis
appointri ,nt at that feature Of the platform
The Democratic party's only hope of success
in the coming campaign lies IN the tripartit
alliance it has made with the Populists am
Silver Republicans, and the free silver doc
trine is the only ligament that binds the thre
together.
But, as already stated on the authority G
the eminent men whose names have bee
mentioned, the free silver question is, on &C
count of existing conditions, necessarily i
allowance during the coming administration
and there is no valid reason why every ma
who is opposed to the Republican party an
its dangerous policies should not cast his vot
for the Democratic ticket, regardless of hi
opinions or his interests in the silver question
But the Kansas City platform makers di
one eminently wise thing in declaring ths
imperialism is the paramount issue in tn
campaign 1t is indeed of paramount impol
lance, and, as the campaign progresses, il wi
grow, and grow, and grow, and grow, until
will overshadow all others, and in the grea
and consuming enthusiasm of loyalty to tn
Republic, which its discussion will arouse, a
lesser contentious and differences will be fo
gotten. VERITAs.