The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1901-08-13
SENATOR VEST PRESENTS
PARAMOUNT ISSUES
Missouri Statesman Says There Are Three Questions
More Important Than Free Siyer==UrgeS
Democratic Harmony

penso of the middle and poorer class
es. do not think the question of the
free coinage Of silver is dead, but the
abnormal and unexpected production |
of gold, and especially improvements |
in the processes Of extracting gold |
from the earth have given us more
money in this country than any one |
, could have anticipated We have |
larger per capita circulation than any
other country In the world except |
France, and there is no immediate
prospect Of any decrease"
do you think that bimetallism will
ever be the paramount issue AGAIN."
he senator replied:
Il believe that the time will again
rome when bimetalIlsm will become
the paramount issue, but it is not now
a question upon which the Democrat
ic party can go into the contest in
1904" was the reply. There are
thousands Of good Democrats who re-
fused to support Mr.. Bryan in 1896
and 1900 because hey did not be-
lieve this country could maintain free
coinage OF silver at the ratio of 16 to
against the opposition of the great
ma ions of the world It seems to me
suicidal for MS to thrust this issue
again upon them, when they are anx.
ious 10 come back to the party on all
other questions. / have no fear hat
the gold advocates will take posses
sion of the Democratic party, but | do
fear that II we continue quarrel
over silver when there is no necessity
for it we viii agains go through a
slaughter house into an open grave.
Democrats Must Get Together
THE Democratic party must come
together on some honorable adjust
ment Of the money question, for i, will
require the vote of every man who has
ever been a Democrat to defeat the
Republicans in the next con est. We
must stop hunting around in corners
and up canyons for Populist, Socialist
and single tax votes, and go back to
the doc rine of Mr. Jefferson. upon
which alone we can achieve victory. If
those people who denounce The Demo
cratic party and only vote the ticket
because they hink it good policy to
supper the minorly as against the Re.
publicans, want TO vote with us we
shall be glad to have them, But hey
mus. come of their own accord and
their support must not be purchased
by a surrender Of the fundamental
principles en- which our party is found
ed"
; When asked his opinion concerning
r the presidential possibilities now in
the Democratic party who have been
mentioned up to the present time Sen
or vest replied;
amy discussion now as to who win
be the Democratic candidate for presi,
dent in 1904 is premature and can
T. amount only to conjecture. The IS
sues which will then come before the
coun ry may be entirely different from
4 those we anticipate and the candi,
date of the party will of course be
Y selected with some regard to the is
s sues which may confront us hereaf
4. ter see It reported in the papera
( that Senator Jones of Arkansas. chair
a man Of the Democratic national com
r mittee, has recently said in public
e speech that he personally fayors
I. David B Hill, of New York, but hat
q it would probably be best for the
l. Democrats in 1904 TO nominate some
), discreet jurist or obscure business
d man.. DO not believe that Senator
n Jones said any such thing and / would
# regret Is very much If he had done
SO. Such a statement from the chair
l. man of our national committee seems
4, o imply that we should abandon IA,
e idea Of nominating a prominent Dem
S ocrat and want TO steal a march on IN,
e enemy by nominating a man about
O whom very little Is known. It seems
e to me hat this course would indicate
l. weakness and would deceive nobody.
It "As have said, It Is premature now
d 10 say anything about the issues ol
IS candidates of 1904 but If conditions
Il remain as they are today the Repub
leans viii cleo anybody they choose
If their foreign policy does what thel
Z" claim it viii do and gives us the enor
nous balance Of trade which we ha,
/ last year and opens a market for az
l. ricu'tural and manufactured products
a. IN China and Japan there win be lit
3. tie chance to change the admlnistra
a ticn.
a r,,t,,r. 80 coto,i.t polie..