The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-07-21
MR.. BRYAN ON THE OHIO PLATFORM

! want his name used to the injury of a
good platform.
The gold papers assume that the con-
vention refused to adopt the Kansas City
platform because it contained a silver
plank II so, it would have been more
courageous to have declared openly for
the gold standard. If the gold standard
is good, it ought to have been endorsed
if bad it ought to have been denounced.
To ignore the subject entirely was mex
cusable.
The money question is not yet out of
politics. Every session of Congress will
have to deal with it. Republicans declare
that it is dead but they keep working at
it. At the last session of Congress they
tried to make the silver dollar redeem
able in gold and when that is accomplish
ed they will try to limit the legal tender
qualities of the dollar. The gold stand
ard will not be complete until gold is the
only legal tender money and bank notes
the only NAPIER money. Then our supply
of primary money will be controlled by
foreign financiers, and our supply Of cred
il money by domestic financiers.
This plan has been developed gradually
and every step has been taken secretly
and stealthily. The Republican leaders
have been in this movement for yeas; as
soon as the Democratic party found that
some of it's leaders had joined the con-
sriracy those leaders were deposed. 1t
looks now as if the reactionary influences
were once more trying to secure control.
If they succeed in Ohio or elsewhere it
simply means another gigantic struggle
such as was witnessed in 1896 The DEM
ocratic party cannot be made pluto
cratic party even if there was room in
this country for two such parties There
was time, under the Cleveland regime,
when the party leaders used general and
ambiguous phrases TO deceive the voters
but that cheme cannot be worked again
We can not expect the voters to have con-
fdenCe in the party unless the party has
confidence IN the voters and if the party
has confidence in the voters it will state
it's position on all the important ques-
tions before the country and invite judg
ment.
The present campaign involves a SEN
ator, as we'll as State ticket, and as
the convention dealt with other national
questions, it should have dealt candidly
and honestly with the money question.
Mr.. Mclean is supposed to be a candi
date for the United States Senate and
is also supposed to have dictated that
portion of the platform which has to do
with national issues The Senator elect
ed by the next Ohio legislature will have
to vote on the money question. The DEM
ocratic party of the nation is opposed to
making the silver dollar a promise to pay
gold, and is also opposed to substitute
ing national bank notes for government
paper, but the Democratic party in Ohio
was silent upon these important subjects.
Why? Did the leaders ignore the money
question in order to please those who
bolted? Or does Mr.. Mclean want to be
left free to affiliate with the Republicans
on financial questions in case of his cleo
ton?
Mr.. Kibourne, the nominee for Gov
ernor, is an excellent man, lifelong
Democrat and an active supporter of the
national ticket in both 1896 and 1900 He
is better than his platform. He deserves
and should receive the vote of every Dem
| ocrat in Ohio.
| If any of the Ohio Democrats feel ag
| grieved because the recognizing element
| of the party triumphed at the conven-
| ton let them not visit their disappont-
ment upon the Stae ticket but rather
see to the nomination of senators and rep
resentatives who will select trust
worthy Senator Let them see to it also
that the State platform is made at the
! primaries next time rather than at the
| convention. If the voters at the prima-
ries had instructed their delegates to in
sist upon the reaffirmation of the Kansas
City platform the result would have been
] different.