Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1900-09-20

mittee of the Democratic National
Convention:
ton rendered by you on behalf of the
democrat tic party 1 beg to assure you of
fe T u1on me by the defegates in con
vention assembled. and by the voters who
gave instruction to the delegates.
sensible of the responsibilities
which rest upon the chief magistrate of
so great a nation, and realize the far
reaching effect of the questions involved
in the present contest.
In my letter of acceptance OF 1886, L
made the following pledge:
constitution in the chief executive of the
nation and with the enormous influence
which he can WELD for the benefit or in
jury OF the people that L wish to enter
the office, if elected, free from any per-
sonal desire. except the desire to prove
worthy of the confidence of my country
men, Human judgment is falltble enough
when unbiased by selfish considerations.
and. in order that may not be tempted
to use the patronage of the office to ad-
vance any personal ambition | hereby
announce. with all the emphasis which
words can express, my fixed determine a.
ton not. under any circumstances, to be
"a candidate for reelection. in case this
campaign results in my election"
Further reflection and observation con-
strain me to renew this pledge.
The platform adopted at Kansas City
commands my cordial and unqualified ap-
prevail. 1t courageously meets the issues
now before the country, and states clear
1y and without ambiguity the party's po-
sition on every question considered
Adopted by convention which assembled
on the anniversary of the signing of the
declarat ton of indeDendence, it breathes
the spirit of candor, independence and
patriotism which characterizes those who
at Philadelphia in 1776, promulgated the
creed of the republic.
Having in my notification speech dis
issue, Imperialism, and added some OBJ
servations on militarism and the Boer
war it is sufficient at this time to review
the remaining planks of the platform.
Trusts.
The platform very properly gives prom
dnence to the trust question. The appal-
of trade during the present administra-
ton proves conclusively that the repub-
ability to deal with the question effective
1y. If, as may be fairly assumed from
1ican leaders, that party does not intend
to take the peoples side against these
organizations, then the weak and quail
in the republican platform is designed to
distract attention while industrial des-
potlsm is completing its work private
monopoly has always been an outlaw
No defense can be made of an industrial
system in which one, or a few men, can
control Tor their own profit the output
or price of any article of merchandise.
fers extortion the producer of raw mate
rial has but one purchaser and must sell
has but one employer. and is powerless
to protest against injustice, either in
wages or in conditions of labor; the small
stakeholder is at the mercy of the spec
ulator while the travelling salesman con-
tributes his salary to the overgrown
proportion of the people can share in the
advantages secured by private monopoly,
pie are not only excluded from the bene-
fits. but the helpless victims of every
-overestimate the immediate injustice that
may be done, or to calculate the ultimate
and political welfare of the people. Our
platform after suggesting certain spe-
cific remedies, pledges the party to an I'M
ceasing warfare against private monop-
oily in nation, state and city. I hartily
approve of this promise; if elected, it
shall be my earnest and constant en-
-deavor to fulfill the promise in letter and
spirit. | shall select an attorney general
existing laws: shall recommend such
additional legislation as may be neces-
sary to dissolve every private monopoly
which does business outside of the state
OF its origin; and If. contrary to my be-
is found to be necessary. L shall recon-
mend such an amendment as will. without
1mpairing any of the existing rights of
the states, empower congress to protect
the people of all the states from injury
at the hands of individuals corpora
lions engaged in Interstate commerce.
The platform accurately describes the
Dingley tariff law, when it condemns it
devised to give to the few favors which
they do not deserve. and to place upon
bear" Under it's operation trusts can
plunder the people of the United States,
eign markets with manufacturers of
other countries. Even those who justify
it difhcuit to defend a tariff which en- en-
ableS a trust to exact an exOrbitant toll
from the citizen.
The Financial Plank.
The platform reiterates the demand
contained in the Chicago platform for an
American financial system made by the
purpose of such system is to restore
and maintain a bimetallic level of prices,
certainty as to the method of restoring
bimetalliSm, the specific declaration in
favor of free and unlimited coinage at
the existing ratio of 16 to 1. independent
of the action of other nations, is repeat
|, ed. In 1896 the republican party recog-
nlzeu the necessity Tor b1metalIiSm by
pledging the party to an earnest effort
to secure an international agreement for
the Tree coinage of silver, and the pres
ident. Immediately after his inauguration
by authority of congress-, appointed a
commission composed. of distinguished
citizens to visit Europe and solicit for
-eign aid. Secretary Hay. in a letter writ
ten to Lord Aldenham in November, 1885,
and afterwards published in England de-
ciared that at that time the president and
in the Great desirability of an interna-
tional agreement for the restoration of
the double standard. but that it did not
seem opportune to reopen the negotiations
just then. The financial law enacted
less than year ago contains a conclud-
ms section declaring that the measure
was not intended to stand in the way
OF the restoration of bimetallism when
ever II could be done by cooperation with
other nations. The platform submitted
to the last republican convention with
the Endorsement of the administration
again su@gested the possibility OF secur-
ing foreign aid IN restoring silver.
Now the republican party. for the first
+ time, openly abandons its advocacy of
the double standard. and Endorses the
monetary system which it has so often
and so emohatically condemned. The
democratic party. on the contrary, re-
mains the steadfast advocate 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
a standard money. The ratio of 16
to 1 is not only the ratio now existing
between all the gold and silver dollars in