The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1901-06-12
age of the situation and boldly got upon the

tage of the situation and boldly got upon the
Democratic platform.
tion practically where the Democratic
party stood up to 1896. They are, now ad.
vocatng the reciprocity OF Jackson and
Pierce. They are nov ausocaoms u nmorncod 'He dn
the Democratic Convention OF 1856 In the
matter of building the Pacific Railroad.
They want to apply that principle TO our
ioreipn commerce. Whenever the Republi-
cans are forced to abandon their own policy
they take up Democratic policies, and the
Democrats are asked To oppose those Demo.
cratic policies because they nave been nuopl-
ed by the Republicans.
'rhe Democrats oi this country must stand
together and restore their party to the power
VI w6ich was theirs. They cannot do IL by con
demning that when is gooa because inc :, I've. ne,
publicans endorse It, nor can they do 1t by
going off after strange and nnsound pollcies
In order TO secure some votes which might
OF herwise be Republican. The fight OF
country, and will be until II ls
fought to finish. Either we will have An
aristocracy or we will have repuhnc. Are
the Democrats to discard their fundamental
Idea Of the liberty of the individuai anu iree'
dom of thought and action by refusing TO re-
copniZe as members of their party those men
who have always fought It's oatties ID tne
past, but who in the present oelleVe tnat
true Democracy: The true Democracy Is a
progressive party. II progressed an no other
party ever has done. and Inc nation prosper
ed by reason Of It's wisdom and It's admins.
tration of public affairs. IT cannot prosper II
II is To oppose the extension or our foreign
trade, the creation OF new markets, tne up
building of our commercial ana industrlal In.
terests and the freedom oil the Individual. II
the Republican party, the record OF which
shows IL to have been party foroidding the
free exercise of speech. concentrating the
wealth of the country in the hands of a few,
burden9g the people oy sIs r be
Of private citizens IL that party is TO be al.
lowed to turn It's back upon It's record ana, by
adopting the progressive features oil the De-
mocracy, become the party OF progress. then
ponent to appropriate It's principles, can no
/ believe that the Democratic party does not
exist for the mere purpose OF Opposing % whati
believe that 1t lives, as 1t has lived In times
past, for the purpose Of adopting that which
is right and discarding that which Is wrong,
and conducting the affairs @ OF state 40 as 10
make all men equal under the law.
The record OF the Democratic party upon
the money question has always been In favor
of gold and silver coined at such ratio as
will maintain their parity. ana paper money
There is not line In any Democratic plat
form fixing the ratio OF silver and gold prior
10 1896. There Is not line In any Repu6lican
platform advocating or opposing the ratio OF
is TO or any other particular ratio. There
were strong men in the Democratic party In
favor of the free coinage of silver; there were
strong men IN the Republican parry IN iHvos
party adopted the first free coinage platform.
Although silver was demonteized by Repuh-
lican legislation In 1873, the only objection
Republicans who had passed the Mintage
Act, under which silver was demonetiZed.
After twenty-three years silence the Demo.
cratic party condemne the Act OF 1873, under
which silver was demonetized. The Repub-
licaps answered by abrogating their previous
platform and endorsing for the first time the
monetary system for which they were re-
sponsible. At that point both parties Spit.
Silver men withdrew from the Republican
party, and gold men, as they were called,
withdrew from the Democratic party. There
we're more Democrats who Withdrew on ac-
count Of their belief In the monetary system
than there were Republicans who withdrew on
account Of their opposition to 1t. The result
was that after q magniticently fought cana
paign The Republicans were successful and the
Democratic leaders az agreeSd S snat tnis re
who had left their party and voted either the
Gold Democratic ticket or directly for the
Republican ticket. The Democratic party
taken into consideration that the Democratic
Administration went into power at the time
of one of the greatest panics from which this
country has ever suffered, 1t Is remarkable
that the figures should show, as they do. that
had the party been united II would have
been continued in power.
Acting under their platform the Republican
party passed certain legislation, which set
tied the financial question in accordance
with their wishes. There came about a sea.
son OF prosperity, not caused by this legisla-
tlon, but by numerous other matters Wh1ch
politics had nothing to do with. This period
OF prosperity carried with it great business
transactions. These transactions were con-
Quoted under the financial legislation already
mentioned. Some of the strongest advocates
OF the free coinage OF silver IN both parties
took conservative view Of the situation, and
held that 1t had required over twenty years
and two panics 10 change from the former
system TO the present one, and That change
cause great disturbance TO our business in.
lerests. They believed that, although the
question had been settled wrong, business
had been SO adapted TO the present condition
cause widespread disturbances. Showing
that the fundamental principles which have
always divided the Republican and the
Democratic parties were unchanged, those
limltated coinage OF silver at ratio of IL to
| would prove disastrous nevertheless re-
manned In their party. and In several States
the delegations sent 10 Kansas City were
composed OF Democrats who TO man op-
posed the free silver plank. 1t was under
stood that William j. Bryan should once
more lead the party. 1t was also understood
that those opposed to the l6 TO l plank were
not opposed 10 his leadership. They had no
vention concerning candidates. They went
there determined as far as possible 10 have
their party, (which abandoned lts past
principles and stultltied itself In 1896 by an
unholy alliance with the Populisls and So.
cialists, placed back upon Its own old moor.
ings, and adopt straight and Democratic
platform. They were willing that the popu.
lists should have the candidate If they were
allowed to preserve the principles OF the
What did these men find when they reach
ed Kansas City. They found Western dele.
cations in which not single man had been
Democrat in 1892. These men demanded a
reiteration OF the IL TO plank Of the Chicago
platform. The proposition was made to them
that they could have both candidates. and
they could have any planks they wanted,
which are not Socialistic or Anarchistic, and
all the Democrats asked was that their party
be preserved by maintaining Its reputation as
safe and conservative organization. John
w. Daniel, of Virginia, as thorough believ-
er in the free coinage OF silver as any man In
his party, and one OF the grandest characters
In the United States Senate, worked like q
beaver day and night to try 10 convince these
Western delegates that their policy was suici,
dal. Governor Smith. OF Maryland. told
them that the Democrats could carry Mary.
land without that plank and could not carry
Maryland with II. Gen. ST. Clair, Of West
Virginia, worked until O'Clock In the morn.
ing with that committee and then went back
to his delegation, saying, Boys. we are ruin.
ed" Tom Toggart. Of Indiana, himself q
silver man, worked like beaver to keep that
plank from being inserted and served notice
upon his party that the Democrats OF bis
Slate were not in sympathy with 1t, and
would not vote for the candidate II nominal
ed upon such platform. The vote was tax
en- and only fifteen States voted in favor ol
l6 tol. The Western delegates weakened on
the night of July and 80 apprised MIR
Rryan By telephone message to his leader