The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-11-03
STANDS FOR NATIONAL HONOR.
The Democratic Party Has no Rec
ord of LIBERALIZATION.

ord of Reputation.
In answer to the oft-repeated charge
made by Republicans that thu Demo-
cratic party stands for reputation and
national hishonor, Willis ]. Abbot has
written the following:
Did it ever ocur to Republicans that
Republican regard for the sanetity of
contracts and the binding character of
peeuniary obligations is a somewhat
one-sided affair: that, like the Golden
Rule in the minds of some, it is gocd
coming, but by no means so good going?
Did they ever observe that Republican
honor and dread of reputation applies
to certain class of cases to the exciu-
sion of all other classes? When, for ex-
ample, was the sanctity of national
promises and obligations ever invoked
in behalf Of the workinEman, when, afr
capturing his vote with a solemn pledge
to protect him against the competition
of the pauper labor OF Europe Ameri
can capitalists began importing the same
pauper laborers. the lowness OF whose
standard of living and the ferocity OF
whose competition Republican spell
binders had SO eloquenty depicted on
the stump? Was it ever suggested to
Republicans that to seek a workingman's
vote on the promise of protecting him
against foreign labor and then to forth
with import that same foreign labor to
capture his job involved some strain upon
the national faith and might even be
styled by the hypercritical the repud.a-
ton of a campaign pledge?
Has the attention Of Republicans ever
been called to the fact the the present
national Administration. after promising
the laborer in exchange for his vote d.
liyerance from his woes has fulfilled
that promise by QuadTupiing the size of
the standing army after the close of the
war with SPAN, thus getting ready to
maintain order among the turbulent Ia
boring class in America, as they are
now attempting tC enforce in the Phil
ippines the order that reigned at War
saw? Such a course, however, cannot be
assumed TO invovIe Reputation. for it is
the Republicans who are pursuing il.
and a Republican Administration, Ike
the king, can do no wrong.
Have Republicans noted the special
occasions on which, according TO Rzpl1-
licans, the nation has been on the point
Of committing the objectionable sin CT
reputation? If not let me call their
attention to a few and indicate how
was saved that disgrace.
During the civil war the bankers SO
manipulated Jhe nations finances as to
compel Uncle Sam to borrow millions Of
their fat irredeemabI bic, rag6aby bank
notes, giving ii return for il his bonds
After the war the bankers planned little
speculation whereby the bonds were to be
bulIed hundreds per cent and the bankers
were to receive IS The reward of their pa
triotism the difference between the low
price at which they bought the bonds and
the high price at which they would be en-
abIed 20 sell them They introduced
credit Strengthening bill, providing that
these cheap paper debts should be dis
charged in dear coin and Uncle Sam was
10 stand the difference. Seine were so old
fashioned as to object to his metned of
maintaining our financial stability, i'm
proving cur credit, protecting cur nation
al honor, etc. Some even suggested that
Uncle sam could strengthen his credit as
effectually by announcing that hereafter
whenever he bon r0wed a dollar he would
rav back two. ard. double the interest on
his debt besides; and Senator John Sher-
man declared in a letter still on record:
= I think the bondhoider violates his
promise when he refuses TO take the same
kind of money he paid fer the bonds
If the bondhOlder can legally demand
only the kind OF money he paid. then he is
a repudiator aud eXtortioneT to demand
money more valuable than he gave lfo
the Hon. 4. Marn: see Congressional
Globe December II, 1877, page 204)
But the bill passed all the same and
our national credit was strengthened
That was q long time ago, but money
lenders are proverbial for their long mem
cries The old credit strengthening act
pleased them so well that they thought
they would Ike another. So, with William
Mckinley in the White House and the two
houses of the last Congress safely Repub-
Iican, they saw their opportunity had ar
rived. In the Treasury Department sat the
trusted Washington agent Of the Bank
| Trust. Secretary Gage, who could be relied
! upon TO keep several laps ahead OF Con-
! gress on all financial measures that came
up. In the Senate was Mark Hanna. saved
| by one dollar-maFked vote, while all about
! him sat Republican Senators trembling at
/ his nod. In the House was a big Repub-
I lican majority whose modern noblesse OBJ
/ Ifge is. The will of the President not
/ What do our constituents desire?' but
/ What does the President want? And the
! President OF course, is but the speaking
/ tube through which Hanna communicates
/ the messages whispered into his ear by
/ Wall Street. The word went forth from
! the public creditors, Repeat the act of 1859,
! siren CITIZEN the public credit over again, and
! present US with a few millions in return
/ for our contributions to the Republican
I campaign fund of 1895, and upon which we
! may again draw checks in favor o. the
| Republican campaign fund of 1900 In 1869
! you made paper debts payable in coin; now
make coin debts payable in gold
| did any Republican suggest that that
| would be stretching things and remind
members that Congress under Cleveland
| emphatiealIy refused to sacrifice the Gov
eTnment's option of paying on a S62 coo, coo
/ bond sale. in either gold or silver, in &C
cordance with the convenience of the
! Treasury Department, though offered a
| bonus of $16,000,000 in return for that OPP
| ton? And did anyone suggest. like Senator
/ Sherman in 1868, that it was possible for
! the bondholders to repudiate their obliga-
| ton to the Government as clearly as for
| the Government to repudiate its obligations
| 20 the boadhoIders? EardIyI''
CTRPENT uuMno