The Leon reporter., 1900-09-20
|RYAN'S LETTER
Nomination for the
Presidency
the Democratic

their advantage to aid in the enact
ment OF such legislation as will pro-
| tect them from the undeserved odium
which will be brought upon them by
those corporations which enter the DO
litical arena.
Interstate Commerce.
The Republican party has persist
emily refused to comply with the ur-
gent request of the Interstate Com
merce commission, for such an en-
largement Of the scope of the inter-
state commerce law as will enable the
commission to realize the hopes
aroused by its creation. The Demo-
cratic party is pledged to legislation
! which will empower the commission
to protect individuals and communi-
ties from discrimination, and the pub
lie at large from unjust and unfair
transportation rates.
Tho Financial Plank.
The platform reiterates the demand
contained in the Chicago platform for
an American financial system made
by the American people for them
selves. The purpose of such a system
Is to restore and maintain bimetalli. /.
level OF prices, and in order that there
may be no uncertainty as to the meth
cd OF restoring bimetallism, the specif-
ic declaration in favor of free and un-
limited coinage at the existing ratio
of 16 to l, independent of the action
of other nations, is repeated. In 1895
the Republican party recognized the
necessity for bimetallism by pledging
the party to an earnest effort to Sc
cure an international agreement for
the free coinage of silver, and the
president, Immediately after his in
auguration, by authority of congress,
appointed commission composed of
distinguished citizens to visit Europe
and solicit foreign aid. Secretary Hay,
in letter written to Lord Aldenham
in November, 1898. and afterwards pub
lished in England, declared that at
that time the president and majority
of his cabinet still believed in the great
desirability of an international agree
ment for the restoration of the double
standard, but that it did not seem
opportune to reopen the negotiations
just then. The financial law enacated
less than year ago contains con-
Guiding section declaring that the
measure was not intended to stand in
the way of the restoration of bimetal-
lism, whenever it could be done by
with Nfh Tho
platform submitted to the last Repub-
lican convention with the Endorsement
of the administration again suggested
the possibility of securing foreign aid
in restoring silver.
Now the Republican party, for the
first time, openly abandons it's ad-
.xsesGx sGs&:stes es the double stapdArd, and in
Il srhe monetary system which it
hassy6 often and SO emphatica,ly con-
demned. The Democratic party, on the
contrary, remains the steadfast adyo-
cate of the gold and silver coinage OF
the constitution, and is not Willing
that other nations shall determine for
us the time and manner of RESTORING
silver to its ancient place as a stand :
ard money. The ratio of 16 to ] is
not only the ratio now existing be-
tween all the gold and silver dollars in
! circulation in this country, ratio
which even the Republican admins
tration has not attempted to change
but it is the only ratio advocated by
those who are seeking to reopen the
mints. Whether the senate, now hos
Ia f0 o}o11
during this campaign or the campaign
of 1902 can only be determined after.
the votes are counted, but neither tn e
present nor the future political COM
plexion of congress has prevented or
should prevent an announcement of
the party's position upon this subject
in unequivocal terms.
The currency bill, which received the
sanction of the Executive and the Re-
publican members Of the House and
Senate, justifies the warning given by
the Democratic party in 1896. 1t was
Then predicted that the Republican
party would attempt to retire the
greenbacks although the party and it's
leaders studiously concealed their in
tentlons. That purpose is now plain
and the people must choose between
the retention Of the greenbacks, issued
and controlled in volume by the gov
| ernment, and a national bank note cur
rency issued by banks and controlled
In their own interests. If the ma
tlonal bank notes are to be secured by
| bonds, the currency system now sup
ported by the Republican party in
| wolves a permanent and increasing
debt, and, so long as this system
stands. the financial classes will be
tempted to throw their powerful influ-
ence upon the side Of any measure
which will contribute to the size and
permanency of national debt 1t is
hardly conceivable that the American
people will deliberately turn from the
debt-paying policy of the past, to the
dangerous doctrine of perpetual bonds
| Election OF Senators by she People.
The demand for a constitutional
amendment providing for the election
Of Senators by direct vote of the peo-
| pie, appears for the first time in a
Democratic National platform, but a
resolution proposing such an amend
ment, has three times passed the
| House of Representatives, and that
too, practically without opposition
Whatever may have been the reasons
which secured the adoption of the pres
| pnf D1au cpnf11rv ooo pow