The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1900-07-20

| Will be easily perceived now palpaOly
frivolous and valuelcss was the petty
contention in the resolution committee
as to whether The free coinage princi-
pie and the lG to | ratio should be ':re-
iterated" or "reatlirmed"
The difference between ''rcittration
and "rcaflirmation is, in practical
effect, only the difference betwr, /,
twcdle-dce and twcdIe-dum. Every
body knows that in every Congress,
from the passage by the House of the
Bland free coinage law in 1873 down
to the present day, the overwhelming
majority of the Democratic party in
Congress and in the country has been
in favor of the reconciliation of silver
and the re-establishment of the old
ratio. No one who has been affiliated
with the party during the past two de-
cades could have been ignorant of the
fact that bimetallism and the free coin
age of silver is 4 cardinal doctrine of
the American Democracy, yet, during
the two administrations within that
period in which the Democratic party
has been in power, it has been power
less to enact any such legislation, be.
cause of an adverse Senate as we'll as
an unfriendly President. Therefore,
everybody knows that with Bryan as
President and Democratic House the
Democratic party would be utterly
powerless during the next administra-
tion to enact any silver legislation, and
would most likely not make the at
tempt.
The Democratic party is essentially
the bimetallic party in this country.
If there is any blessing in the main
tenance Of the gold standard the Re
publican party is unquestionably en-
titled to claim the paternity of all the
benfence it has impaired, for it was
the Republican party that surrcpti-
tiously demOnctiZed silver in 1873. and
has since, through its strength in the
Senate, forcstalled all substantial leg
islation in the line of reconciliation
repeatedly thwarting the Democrats in
their efforts in that direction.
But there are many eminent states
men and public economists, including
some who hold honorable places in the
Republican councils, who believe that
the single gold standard as monetary
principle is not blessing, but curse;
and that the days of is continued
maintenance are surely numbered. 1t
has not been long since the eminent
Senator Hoar, of Massachusetts, stood
up in the Senate and, to the constcr-
nation of his fellow Republicans, sol
emnly predicted the ultimate and Prob
ably early downfall of the gold stand
ard. He announced, as the result ,i a
special visit to Europe to feel public
sentiment on the money question, that
the overwhelming sentiment among
the masses Of the European nations is
clamoring for bimetallism. He pre-
dicted with solemn emphasis that the
combinations of financial ma agnates and
-nrnarchs and aristocrats would not
much longer withstand it. Senator
William E. Chandler, of New Hamp
shire, has recently gone on record in
the same forum to the same effect. 1t
is questionable if any public man OF
the present day, who measures up to
the standard of statesmen and an
economist, believes that the gold stand
ard can be permanently maintained OF
bimetallism finally defeated. 1t is only
a question of how long it can be sus-
pended.
1t is as idle, therefore, to talk of free
silver rs dead issue" as it was I'M
reasonable to expect the Democratic
party and its gallant leader, who made
the great battle of 1896 almost solely
on the silver question, to do anything
in the recent convention which could
be construed into penitent confession
that they were all wrong in 1896. 1t
was because those that made the fight
in the platform committee at the re-
cent convention contendel that realli-
nation of the Chicago platform with
out the reiteration Of the financial
plank which have that etltct,' that they
were defeated.
But there was still another practical
political reason why the Democratic
party could not do anything that
could be construed into an act OF re.
progression or the silver question, and
this ought to have the patient consd-
Grafton of every man in Maryland who
feels disappointment at that feature OF
; the platform. The Democratic party s
: only hope of success in the coming
campaign lies the tripartitc alliance it
has made with the Populists and Sill
yer Republicans, and the free silver
doctrine is the only ligament that binds
the three toget her.
But, as already stated Oh the author
ity of the eminent men whose names
have been mentioned, the free silver
question is, on account ofeXisting con
ditions, necessarily in allegiance during
the coming admnistrat,o and tEer>
is no valid reason why every man the Is
| opposed to the Republican party ano
its dangerous policies should not cast
his vote for the Democratic ticket re
gardless of his opinions or his interest
5 in the silver question.