The age-herald., 1900-09-18

as to the method of restoring bimetallism the specific declaration in favor of free ana unlimited coinage at the existing ratio or 16 to l, independent of the action of other nations is repeated. In 1896 the Republican party recognized the necessity for bimet- allism by pledging the party to an earnest effort to secure an international agree ment for the free coinage of silver, and the President immediately after his inaugura- tion, by authority on Congress, appointed a 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 published in England, declared that at that time the President and a majority of his Cabinet still believed in the great desirablitiy of international agreement for the restoration of the double
 standard, but that it did not seem oppor-
 tune to reopen the negotiations just then
 The financial law enacted less than year ago contains a concluding section declar- ing that the measure was not intended to stand in the way of the restoration of bimetallism, whenever it could be done by cooperation with other nations The platform submitted to the last Republican
 convention with the indorsement of the administration again suggested the possi- blity Of securing foreign aid in restoring
 silver.
 Now the Republican party, for the first
 time, openly abandons it's advocacy of the
 double standard, and endorses the mone-
 tary system which it has often and so
 emphatically condemned. The Democratic
 party, on the contrary, remains the stead
 last 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 it's
 ancient place as a standard money. The
 ratio of 16 to l is not only the ratio now
 existing between all the gold and silver
 dollars in this country, ratio which even
 10 odt ictr hnc
 temtped to change, but it Is the only ratio
 advocated by those who are seeking to
 reopen the hints. Whether the Senate,
 now hostile to bimetallism, can be changed
 during this campaign or the campaign of
 1902, can only be determined after the votes
 are counted; but neither the present nor
 the future political complexion of Con
 gress 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 Republi-
 can members of the House and Senate, justifies the warning given by the Demo- cratic party in 1896. It was then predicted that the Republican party would attempt
 to retire the greenbacks, although the
 party and its leaders studiously concealed
 their intentions That purpose is now plain,
 and the people must choose between the
 retention of the greenbacks, issued and
 controlled in volume by the government,
 and national bank note currency issued by banks and controlled in their own in- terests If the national bank notes are to be secured by bonds, the currency system now supported by the Republican party involves permanent and increasing debt; and, so long as this system stands, the hnanclal classes will be tempted to throw their powerful influence upon the side of any measure which will contribute to the size and permanency of a national debt It Qpix hot fhn people will deliberately turn from the debt paying policy of the past to the danger ous doctrine of perepeutal bonds.
 Election of senators by the t,eopie
 The demand for a constitutional amend ment providing for the election of Senators by direct vote of the people appears for the first time in a Democratic national platform, but resolution proposing such an amendment 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 present plan, a centu- ry ago, new conditions have made it im- perative that the people be permitted to speak directly in the selection of their rep resentatives in the Senate. A Sena.of IS no less the representative of the state because he receives his commission from the peo- pie themselves, rather than from the mem- bers of the state Legislature. If a voter Is COHlptlSHl u NolS d ulSIuDeT Ol SOu- gress, for state officers and for President, he is competent to choose his representa- tive in the Senate. system which makes the Senator responsible for his election to the people, as a whole, and amenable to them if he misrepresents them, must com mend itself to those who have confidence in the intelligence and patriotism of the masses.
 Direct Legislation
 Inc plo jnd 10 nrinoip1o of 1f- rect legislation. This Is already applied to the more important questions in nation, state and city. It rests upon the sound theory that the people can be trusted, and that the more responsive the government is to the will of the people, the more free it will be from misuse and abuse.
 Labor Question
 Several blanks of the labor platform are devoted to questions in which the laboring classes have an immediate interest, but which more remotely effect our entire pop ulation. While what is generally known as government by injunction is at present di- rected chiefly against the employees of cor porations when there Is disagreement be- tween them and their employer, 1t involves a principle which concerns every one. The purpose of the injunction In such cases Is to substitute trial by judge for trial by jury, and is covert blow at the jury sys- tenn. The abolition of government by 1n- Junction Is IS necessary for the protection of the reputation of the court as 1t Is for the security of the citizen. Blackstone In defending trial by jury says:
 "The impartial administration of justice,
 which secures both our persons and our properties, Is the great end of civil society, but if that be intrusted entirely to the ma- gistracy, a select body of men, and those selected by the prince, such as enjoy the highest offices of the state. their decisions. in spite of their natural integrity, will have frequently an involuntary bias to%Syds those of their own rank and dignity. It Is not to be expected from human nature that
 the few should be always attentive to the interests and good of the many"
 If the criminal laws are not sufficient for the protection of property they can be made more severe, but citizen charged with crime must have his case tried before a jury of his peers.
 The Black List
 The blacklist as now employed in sc1he places enables the employer to place the
 employe under practical duress, for the
 skilled laborer loses his independence when