Washington sentinel., 1900-08-18
oi Boston, in
Sen. PatricR Il. an interview
Collins, WorH W t~' World i%

1 hAA% OAAAGA Aaka 1uAAs Az
cial men who are running the Re-
publican party, are far out OF their
reckoning when they assume that
the people will decide the election
this year on a CONNER ;ial issue or
a commercial basis" Gen. Collins
is one OF the leading Democrats in
New England and was the friend
and adviser oil Tilden and Cleve-
land. On the currency question
he is, as are most New England
| Democrats OF distinction, strong
advocate OF the gold standard.
General Collins is of the opinion
that a majority OF the Gold Demo
Gratis will this year support the
ticket nominated at Kansas CITY.
He is convinced the silver issue is
dead. "The Republican party"
he says, both in the Philadelphia
platform and in the acceptances Of
the candidates and through the
party press. has declared it settled
and that the promises made IN
1896 have been kept. If the ques-
tion is settled for the present and
the near future we may dismiss it.
If it is not settled the Republican
party is boasting of having done
what il promised to do and has not
done. 1t must hang on one or the
other OF the horns OF the dilemma.
Personally consider the currency
question is disposed OF for long
time to come. but if it were not,
and il all predicted calamitles were
sure to visit us as a result of
changing to a new standard oi
value, l should still cheerfullY
choose a temporary injury to mere
business rather than push still
further on the road to empire.
The integrity as we'll as the honor
OF the Republic is in peril, and all
minor questions disappear or wait
until the safety OF the State is
assured"
In these pithy sentences General
Collins expresses the views OF
many voters who opposed the cleo
tion OF Mr.. Bryan in 1896. Four
years ago the paramount issue was
commercial question: ques-
ton Of finance. Men voted then
In accordance with their view.
upon the merits Of gold or silver
as the standard OF value. No issue
involving our form Of government,
the sacredness OF the Constitution,
the consent Of the governed, or
territorial expansion, by conquest,
was presented to the people. In
that great battle OF the standards
it was evident that whichever party
won there was no menace to the
Republic. and that the spirit and
form of our government would re-
main the same, whether our ma
tional finances should be estab-
lished on a gold basis or on a silver
basis. So in 1896 the voters d.
vided on a purely business propo-
sition-and many Democrats. be-
lievInp that gold is the only prac-
tical standard OF value, voted for
the candidates who were pledged
to the maintenance Of that stand
ard. They settled a business ques-
tion, without regard to previous
party afiliation, in a businesslike
way.
The parai- cunt issue OF 1900,
however, is not commercial ques-
ton. 1t is in another way, it is
true, battle Of the standards-but
a conflict this time between the
standard OF government estab-
lished by the founders Of this Re-
public and the standard of govern
ment which President Mckinley
and Mark Hanna propose to sub
stitute in its place. Every man
who believes in a republic must
array himself against the party
which advocates territorial expan-
sion by force and the administra-
tion OF conquered territory as
provinces outside of our Constitu-
tion, This is the new battle oil the
standards-an irreconcilable con-
fiict beside which the battle OF 500
was a mere trifie-a simple disa-
greement over a commercial or
financial principle. And as Gen.
Collins pointedlY says, THE COM
mercial men who are running the
Republican party are far out Of
their reckoning when they assume
that the people will decide the
election this year on a commercial
issue or on a commercial basis"
It cannot have escaped the at
tention OF intelligent voters that
the Republican party is making a
desperate effort to evade the issue
oiJmperialism. The leaders OF that
party know their only hope OF vic