The Portland daily press., 1900-10-01
A. S. HEWITT'S POSITION.
Overthrow Of Organism Held to Be the
Present Duty Of Democrats.

Abram S. Hewitt has written to a
friend in New York the following letter
on the duty of Democrats in the present
campaign:
The political situation at this time is
of very different character from that
which presented itself four years ago.
At that time it seemed possible to
maintain distinct Democratic organ
Ization, based upon the fundamental
principles enunciated by Jefferson, and
which had continued to govern the party
in all previous Presidential elections.
The nomination of Palmer and Buokner
was not made with any idea that they
could be elected, but in order to preserve
an organization about which sound DEM
ocrats could rally in case the heresies OF
the Chicago platform should be Trepudi-
ated by subsequent convention profess
ing to be Democratic The recent Con-
vention held at Kansas City has, how
ever, rendered all such expectations
hopeless. The party which calls itself
Democratic is In reality Populistic, and
based upon doctrines which if carried
into effect, would produce political an
archy. No doubt you are familiar with
Taine's History of the French RevoIu-
tion.'' In the second volume, entitled
Democracy, you will find all the here
sizes of the Chicago platform practically
announced, and the dreadful conse-
quenoes of striving to put these false
doctrines into operation are recorded in
language which should become the text
for all political education.
1T seems Therefore that there is no
longer any room for doubt as to the
course which should be taken by men
who believe in true Democracy and de-
sire to preserve its principles for the
benefit of those who are to come after us.
We are compelled by every consideration
of honor, OF duty, and of interest to re-
pudiate Organism and all that it repre-
sents. The coinage of silver at the ratio
of 16 to l is the least of the false doctrines
In this platform, but 1t necessarily oc-
cupies. the first place. You ask whether
L believe in the coinage of silver | the
ratio OF Is to /. You might as we'll ask
me whether l Beloved that an ounce
should be made to pass for pound in
the ordinary transactions OF commerce.
The ratio is false ratio. The value of
silver measured by gold is, as every one
knows, not 16 to l, but 30 to l. The
proposition of the platform therefore is to
declare that fifty cents shall by law be
made equal to one dollar. This absurd
proposition is based upon the protested
belief that in 1873, when silver was
demOnetized, q crime was committed by
which creditors benefited at the expense
of debtors. The fact is that silver was
then overvalued, ana hence itsSdemonetiza-
tion was relief to debtors and Of benefit
to creditors.
The extraordinary thing is that the
Kansas City platform proposes to COM
nit the very crime which Is falsely de-
nounces as having been perpetrated In
cent dollar In payment of debts which
ought to be discharged with 100 cents to
the dollar. This is robbery and therefore
crime in which no honest man can
have any part. The pretence that the
bullion value of silver could be raised to
It's coinage value by the hat of the Gov
eminent is ridiculous In fact, we have
tried the experiment by purchasing more
than six hundred million dollars worth
of silver in order to preserve the parity
between silver and gold at the ratio of Is
to l. We have seen the price of silver
tseadily fall in the face of these large
purchases. The United States strained
it's ability to the last thread of tension
in this effort. Universal distress is ex-
listed, and we were only relieved from
general bankruptcy by the repeal Of the
Sherman ACT. TO repeat this experiment.
in time when business is good is an
act of folly SO glaring that it is difficult
Tor sane man to understand that the
proposition could have received a single
vote in the Convention. You ask me
whether the present Administration is
likely to establish an Imperialistic form
of government over this country or In
its new possessions.
In the affections of the people to permit
Its possible violation by the Admihistra-