The Princeton union., 1900-07-26
MAKES AN APPEAL TO ALL GOOD AMERICANS
PROUD OF The NATIONAL NAME AND HONOR

Il - sOSAFr{ POSAlAOH a. great naClOn m0nes
luily doing Its part in the world work that
must pc done by all great nations. True
70 their nature, that have sought to sub
ordinate this one issue on which they take
decisive stand; !; and they declare that
they have subordinated the question Of
Tree silver to other questions Now, as
matter Of fact they cannot decide
which one Of their various heresies the
people shall regard as most important
The decision rests with the people them
selves; and those that are primarily In
lerested In our financial honesty and in s.
dustr1al Wellbeing cannot admit that any 3
possible difference is caused by putting
the Tree silver plank in one rather than
another portion Of the platform. If
man announces that he believes in the
doctrine Of cowardly surrender and also
In the doctrine Of reputation Of debts.
1t makes not the slightest differences as
I to the order in which he puts his two
policies. Neither does it make any differ
ence whether the Populistic Democracy
70 which we are now opposed lays most
stress upon its determination to debase
the currency or upon its determination
to degrade the flag. 4 We are opposed to
both propositions, and no self-respecting
citizen in making UP his decision can af-
ford to neglect either
There is little need to argue against
free silver now. What need we say
against a doctrine which would work a
sWeepingly destructive revolution In our
nnanc1aI system, and yet which is ad- ]
vanced by party only after a violent
contest in which nearly half sof t1a
party has opposed it? ssss
stAt Kansas City it took the. -. =, or.5
Gratis two days to determine rDon
the free silver plank In their plat
form. The rest of the planksI did
not need un hours work And vet
they sOleElnly Gsk>- that the two 4
dnys plank shall be relegated to
Sc cOndary position!
Indeed, if their attitude on this question
We're not full Of such terria,c possibilities
OF tragedy to the natolf 1t woulu' amount
to farce. My fellow townssnan. M.
Richard Croker, the arbiter Of the- des-#
TIMES Of the New York Democracy has
recently evolved a theory which is en-.
tirely worthy of serious consideration by
any men that are willing to take the
Kansas City convention itself seriously. u
Mr. Croker has announced that he thinl,sa
congress should n
Change the Ratio
every four years, so that the only thing
certain about our dollar would be that
no one ever could prophesy more than,
that length Of time in advance what IL I
would amount to. Mr.. Croker's PARTY
associates appear inclined, 1t Is true. to
treat his views on finance rather f1in-X
PANTY. But in reality he is just us much
entitled to serious treatment from them
as they are entitled to serious treatment.
from US. It Is hardly necessary to saw
that not merely free silver, but the yery
threat of free silver would paralyze orr
whole industrial life. 4 The election of
Mr.. Bryan would cause such economic
and financial chaos as to reduce this whole
country to condition Of fearful and
acute distress that cannot be Imagined
even by those that keep fresh in mind
the dark days Of 90, only seven years
ago Any represents atives of the Populistic
Democracy, as at present composed whom
MT. Bryan could appoint as secretary
Of state and of the treasury, would In
evitably bring this country to the brink
Of ruin; they would do even more to
harm It now than they would have been
/ able to- do four years ago. sss3
- Now, as to expansion. It hardly seems
worth while to waste any time upon what
the Kansas City people call Imperialism
and militarism. Ns3
ssThe dominant note OF the Kan.a.
City convention was insincerity.S
The convention which nominated Mr.
Bryan In 1900 was in character infinitely
i below that which nominated him In 1896.
In 1896, for all their wild and dangerous
/ folly, his advocates had at least the merit
I OF sincerity in their bitter fanatic
i However wrong headed, they knew what
/ they believed and they stated 1t without
fear In 1900 their actions were de-
termined purely by policy, and their
] pandering to the lowest and most de-
graded passions In our national life bad
enough IN all conscience sake III itself, was
4 rendered Infinitely worse because robbed
i Of every vestige Of honesty and sincerity.
4 It took them two days to find out what
y they believed about free silver ana this
was the only plank concerning which they
took the trouble to find out their beliefs
at all They reasserted the doctrines Of
/! anarchy which they had preached IN ,oS.5
4 not because they longer believed IN them.
but because they hoped by announcing
them to attract to themselves ali men
4 of unsound and violent mind. When 1t
4 came to dealing with SS 4 rs
4 Our ForeiEn policy
they deliberately strove to foster resist
Il ance to the national flag where such re-
4 sistance already exists, and to cali 1t into
4 being where 1t does not exist. with the
4 hope OF gaining some petty party advar1t-
4 age ct no matter what cost Of ruin to
~ =. Al sSs