Mexico weekly ledger., 1901-09-05

national Ieu10czcF. That illustrious
: Miss0urian, Marx TEain. S4yS Bless
, Cd IS the man who bloEeth his own
horn, Lest il Be not hloSn-' And We
Z did e. Nissourians manned that
! platform down the throat q the ma
! ti0nzl Dem1cTacy. We gloried in tie
deed then. Why should We be
; ashamed Of ID q recant n0ws Is il
because we haye been defeated on il
tWioes Pray, hoW often were We de-
feated On the tarid issue before we
achieved our magnificent triumph in
lses A half-dQren times at least
bat we won az laSt, because we were
right because free trade Is the doc
trine q nature and q commssn seuse.
III our platform vas night in 1895
and 1900 it is right now. and viii b.
night in 1ss4 Truth does not become
a lie By reason Or Of the lspsing years.
WOULD nor ABASDox SILVER.
III we MfssouFiAns take the back
track We oaeht to publish an open
confession 70 this effect; In 1886 we
assumed Democratic leadership and
twice forced cur views upon the party.
We have since learned that We were
then SET Of eonsummate asses, with
not enough sense to know the right,
land without courage and conscience
enough 70 do the right, consequently
we ask 70 be relieved from service in
the advance guard and to be relegated
70 the rear 70 look after the neal
wagons and the suffers stores
4 am unwilling 10 stRltify myself.
After such a yalorous fight for free
coinage Of gold and silver as we made
in 1896 and 1900, to abandon it now
would be to cut such a pitable figure
as 10 make the angels weep. and TO
cause our enemies 70 laugh US to
scorn. suppose We abandon it In 1904
and get Us up bran-new platform
what them If we do that suicidal
thing, how can We make people be
lieye that we will adhere to it in 1905 |
or 1922 II we have no fixed belief in |
anything. how can we inspire faith in |
Others or have faith in each other, or
even in ourselves? Confidence is a |
plant Of slow growth, and when once
blighted win never sprout again.
What is a platform, anyway? Isl
it an honest declaration Of principles.
in which the makers believe and |
which they stand pledged TO enact |
into law il given chance, or Is it a
dishonest device wherewith 10 entrap
the unwary voter: Is it a candid |
statement Of the faith that is In US, or |
is it bait to catch gudgeons? Is it
the serious utterance OF men with the |
love Of truth In their hearts and the |
courage Of their convictions in their |
souls, or is 1T the machinery Of pollti- |
cal three-card-mOnte sharps 10 win
the Offices? Is 1t the plighted word Of
men Of honor to accomplish certain
things for the general welfare IL pos
sible, or is II only "a good enough Nor
gan till after the election, which |
palters with the people IN a double
sense which keeps the word OF prom
ise TO the ear and breaks 1t TO the
hopeg'
"If the former, then Democrats are
thoroughly committed 70 the Kansas
City platform; If the latter, may God
have mercy on us, for a duped and
outraged people win not.
BIMETALIsA AND THE RATIO QUESTION.
"Oh, yes, but some folks say: We
are In favor Of bimetalism, but care
nothing about the ratio-that's i'm
material They resemble the fellow
who averred that he was in favor Of
certain Law, but against its enforce
ment. Advocacy Of bimetalIsm with
out fixed ratio is like the play Of
Hamlet without the Prince Of Den
mark. In my Judgment, to abandon
the ratio is to abandon the cause of
bimetalism at once and forever Not
that there is anything sacred about
any ratio, but the free and unlimited
coinage Of gold and silver can be re-
sumed more easily at the existing
ratio than at any other ratio. Then
we can make better fight for the
historic ratio than for any other, be-
cause the moment we abandon It, we
will split into divers warning factions
fighting each other as to sundry
ratios, thereby rendering confusion
worse confouuded, and will go with
flying feet TO what Mr.. Mantalini
called the demnition bowwowsl BIZ
metalism without regard TO ratio Is
the broad road to goldbugdom, which
so many have travelled before. / am
utterly opposed to following the trail
Of Republicans and camping by the
ashes Of their old campfires. Democ-
racy should be a living, moving, force
ful, progressive thing, with aims, |
theories, principles and objects Of its
own, and not merely babel Of cater |
wauling voices.
'If we abandon the faith are not |
the people quite likely to abandon usY
Political time-seryers and weather
cocks may forget; but the people, OH
the people have wonderful memory
They want no juggling. They will
tolerate no Doctor Jekyll and Mr..
Hyde performance on the money ques-
tion when such gold-standard organs
as the New York Evening Pos are
clamoring for the burning Of the
greenbacks, and while the Republican
chieftains are connecting a scheme 20
convert all our outstanding silver
from an asset into a debt BY making
1t redeemable in gold.
"We viii be glad 10 have those who
left us in 1896 and 1900 return TO the
fold. The doors Of the church Demo-
cratic stand wide open. All recruits
are acceptable-esen Republicans We
will not inquire too closely into their
antecedent, but while we welcome
the prodigais, we are not willing for
them TO dictate our platform and our
policies"
Mrs. n. Il. Pittman and daughter.
Miss Maysiei Of Fl. Smith. Ark, ar
rived Tuesday. Mrs. PIttman will be
q ~ alnHa !