Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1900-05-24
DUTY OF GOLD DEMOCRATS.

Gratis" or, more properly, the sup
porteis of the indianapolis convention
OF 1896, propose to do at the coming
election, If the regular candidates, as
seems probable, are again Mckinley
and Bryan? One of your contempt
raries has made formal inquiry on this
point OF some of these persons, Having |
had its INQUIRIES addressed to me, hav-
ing taken some part in the indianapolis
convention, having spoken for Palmer |
and Buclsner in many large cities. and
having been honored by the Gold DEM
ocrats OF Massachusetts, with their
nomination for governor in 1897, | may
properly give my views at length.
They are the views of one man.. In
dependents and Mugwumps, Gold Dem
ocrats and Palmer men, are by those
names men who think and vote for
themselves. The significance Of their
movement in 1896, the curiosity as to
their intentions now, couie from their
individual and untrammelled stand.
The bond Of their convention was the
individuality of Its delegates. They
had the courage to act together, DO
cause they had not been afraid to act
separately.
1t is sometimes alleged that these
men voted against Bryan solely because
the Chicago convention declared for
16 to land that issue being settled"
there is nothing to prevent their re-
turning to the fold of the Democracy,
and supporting Mr.. Bryan Or any other
regular candidate. To begin with, Mr..
Bryan has never agreed that the silver
Issue was settled, or that if he was
elected President, he would not fight
as vigorously against the act Of 1900
as ever be did against the "crime" of
1873. But, secondly, the silver plank
was very for from being the only ore IN
the Chicago platform which disguised
the boiling Democrats. To name a
single other point, the utterauce about
the judiciary was alone thoroughly re-
bellent to. those who nominated Palmer
and Buckner. They felt that there ran
through all the proceedings and
speeches OF the convention \ strain of
deiragogy, miscalled Democracy, an
appeal to the galleries, to local preiu-
dices, to one-sided and ignorant vision
aries, to every one who was discou-
tented and every one who was in debit"
the Adullamites, who were ready TO up
set everything, if only their own pet
grievance might be promised its pet re-
dress.
We objected to the platform and it's
candidates, not merely because this or
that plank was contrary to our idea of
what was real Democracy, but because
the entire proceedings were held at the
time and supported afterwards in a
spirit subversive of law, order, and
peace at home and abroad.
When Mr.. Bryan exhibited himself
on the stump throughout the country,
the tone of all his speeches seemed most
dangerous. The Gold Democrats did
not think him merely unsouud on the
question of money, but unsound on the
fundamentals of national and interna.
tional policy. They dreaded return,
on larger scale, of what had hap
pened when a very similar agitator was
elected governor of Massachusetts, ID
virtue Of his promises to those whom
no called the oppressed. In five month.
he had thoroughly broken the peace O
the commonwealth; every man felt al
If a fight was imminent with his mex
neighbor.
And the Palmer men In 1896 felt tina
the Chicago candidates. election por
tended a like breach of the peace. Fl
not only avowed a pernicious theory O
money, but be supported it with aIgu
ments and advocated methods whicl
showed, in our opinion, a temper neve
to be trusted with the Presidency o.
any platform. He was the Populis
candidate then he is the Populist can
didate now. Gan Populist candidat
be safe leader for those who resEec
trious Democrats or illustrious states
men Of any party, but of the reace
honor and safety Of tine United States
1t was from this deep conviction tha
the Chicago candidate was dangeror
that may Gold Democrats voted for Nj
Kinley as the less Of two evils. To til
like vote they are now courted by IL
Republicans, and ordered by the Brya
Democrats. They we're told in 1S9
and they should be told now, that M
Kinley was in his way, and is still, I
more to be depended on than Bryai
that this oompliances are as much
storm signal as the other g threats
spite Of all such warnings their fea
prevailed, and the Republican cand
date received the votes Of many m,
who said they liked Palmer better, b
could not throw their votes away,
as if an honest and righteous vote W
ever thrown away
Never was speedier or bitteIer di
appointment. The President has frc
tine outset cast away the Constitution
authority Of his office, whether for a
vice or action. and has bowed n
merely to the opinions of Congress, b
to its whims and passions. He obey
their tumultuous mandate for WI
when diplomacy was far from
hausted; solemnly repudiated
thought of acquiring territory, a
then consented to its acquisition
every mode, whether of possession
protectorate. He has Allowed the v
Office to be dragged through the m
OF nepotisln and iobbery, and given
merit system the heaviest blows,
the encouragement of the spoilsm,
hat have been since Garfield's murd
J. tile has raised the dag Of imperial
and rivalry with the war Powers
Europe, IN defiance of all natio
tradition, and eaten his own wo
about the Porto Rico tariff, in Il
fealty to the act which has made
name immortal as a legislator II
true the gold standard mas been
established; but the work has b,
done, as / once heard one of Mr.. \
Kinley's cabinet say all the best W,
of the Republican party had been do
under the lash, and with no hint
remorso at the way President Gle
lands efforts to the same end W
thwarted five years ago. There is
thing in the conduct of the Preside
or of the majority which dictates
him, to make ore man who refused
vote for Bryan in 1896 think MoKin
favorable alternative now.
z N ka LII