The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1901-07-26
THE OHIO PLATFORM


stant disappointment to his enemies.
The gold bug press, the self styled
representatives" and the self constituted
''reorqanizers" thought they had Mr..
Bryan on the run since the Ohio Con-
vention, but he comes back at them in
his paper, The Commoner, this week in
such a dignified, candid and patriotic
style, that he sends them all to cover,
beaten and discomfi ed Ia his discus
sion Of the Ohio platform he say:
at began with municipal and state
issues and the handiwork Of Mayor Tom
L. johnson was evident in the terse and
emphatic declaration Of Democratic
principles, 30 far as they apply to local
questions. The necessity for municipal
reform is an urgent one and there is
sound democracy in the plank demand
ing that the people be given an opportu
nifty to vote on questions involving the
granting or extending of franchise. .
"The antitrust plank would have
been stronger If it had reiterated the
Kansas City platform on the subject.
The free list and the prevention of rail
road Determinations are good so far as
they go but they do not go far enough.
Whenever trust can export its goods
TO other countries it can live here with
out any tariff. Something more than
free trade is necessary to such case.
Absolute fairness in railroad rates is de-
sirable, but even this will not make pri-
vate monopoies impossible. The Kansas
City platform suggested complete rem
edy-the only one yet proposed-and it
is to be regretted that the Ohio conyen-
ton was SO preiudiced against the last
national platform of the party that 1T ig-
nored a remedy endorsed by more than
six million voters.
''The plank condemning Imperialism
cri'icises the republican policy without
pointing out remedy. Here again the
failure to reaffirm the Kansas City plat.
form has weakened the Ohio democ-
racy.
THE convention not only failed,
but refused to endorse or reaffirm the
Kansas City platform, and, from the
manner in which the gold element has
reioiced over this feature of the con-
yention, one would suppose that the
main object of the convention was not
to write new platform, but to re-
pudiate the one upon which the last
national campaign was fought.
''Gen. Finley was right in insisting
upon vote on his resolution endorsing
the Kansas City platform, but he made
mistake in including in his resolu-
ton complimentary reference to Mr..
Bryan. Mr. Bryan is not candidate
for any office, and a mention Of him
might have been construed by some
as an endorsement of him for Office.
The vote should have been upon
the naked proposition to endorse
the platform of last year, and
then no one could have excused
his abandonment of democratic prin-
ciples by pleading his dislike for Mr.
Bryan. The cause ought not to bt
made to bear the sins of an individual
Mr.. Bryan will endure without com
plant any punishment with the democ
racy of Ohio may see fit to administe
to him. but he does not want his nam,
used to the injury of good platform
1.-THE gold papers assume that tn
convention refused to adopt the Kansa
City platform because it contained
silver plank. If so, it would hav
been more courageous to have declares
openly for the gold standard. If tn
gold standard is good, it ought t.
have been endorsed-if bad, it Ough
to have been denounced. To ignor
the subject entirely was inexcusable.
THE money question is not yet on
of politics. Every session of con
gress will have to deal with it. Re
publicans declare that it is dead bu
they keep working at it. At the las
session of congress they tried to max
the silver dollar redeemable in gold
and when that Is accomplished the
will try TO limit the legal tendt
qualities of the dollar The col
standard will not be complete unit
gold is the only legal tender none
and bank notes the only paper none!
Then our supply of primary none
will be controlled by foreign financier
and our supply of credit money
domestic inanciers.
This plan has been developed gra,
ually and every step has been tax,
secretly and stealthily. The Republ
can leaders have been in this NOV
ment for years as soon as the Dem
cratic party found that some of
leaders had joined the conspira'
those leaders We're deposed.
IL looks now as il the reactionary
huences we're once more trying TO secu
control. II they succeed in Ohio
elsewhere il simply means another
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