Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1901-01-09

On the future of Democracy. Words
from such q source should and will
be received with attention and respect
/, When he says that this is the time for
moderation of speech, and mutual toll
Grafton he speaks words of wisdom,
and when he says that the Demo
cratic party. should give the rank and.
file chance to be heard / heartily
agree with him, but assure him that
the Democratic masses now, as they
have always been in the past, and par
ticularly during the last eight years.
have insisted that the rank and file
should be heard both in the selection
of its candidates and the building of
its platform. 1t was the rank and
fiIe,' surging forward from the mines,
the factories and the cornfields, that
built the Chicago platform and nomi-
mated a poor man for the presidency.
in 1896 and renominated him in Kan
, sas City in 1900, and it is the rank
and file which will in 1904 name the
platform and the candidate.
but it may be that the distin-
guished ex-president, when he spoke
of first principles referred to that
declaration Of the Kansas City plat
form which speaks of bimetallism and
contains the nightmare figures of 16
20 a.. Is declaration in favor of
bimetallism a departure from first
prineiples%
Show >me when and where Jeffer-
sonian Democracy declared 10 the con-
trary. l am not stickler for. the
ratio. i am not a. numismatfst, a
financier, a banker or political econo-
mist. The ratio of coinage adopted
and utilized in business by the world
for centuries may be right or wrong.
wise or unwise. The human race
staggered along under 1t for centuries
and did fairly we'll until the bankers
| and money loaners became dissatis-
fed
Seven of the issues presented by
the Democratic. platform of 1900 are
among, the first principles of Democ-
racy. They concern the rights of man
and the preservation of human lib
erty. OF the remainder, two arose
out of the Spanish war and concern
the. preservation of the national faith
toward the Cubans and the national
honor in dealing with the Philippines.
stThe only remaining issue is that
which concerns not the rights of man,
but the interests of mammon: not hui
man liberty. but the almighty dollar.
Nevertheless, number of voters call
in themselves gold Democrats placed
that one issue, which they believed
affected their pockets. above the nine
issues which affected their country's
honor and the liberties of 100000
of their fellow men.
mo, gentlemen, Democracy has no
need to return to first principles 1t
has never left them. 1t was true to
them in 1900. 1t will be true to
them in 1904. The rank and file will
select the candidate and frame the
platform in 1904. as 1t did in 1900.
Who that candidate will be needs not
concern us now. Whether our adj
mired and bonored guest will have the
unique and well-deserved honor of be-
ing thrice nominated and finally elect
ed president of the United States or
is to encounter the political expert
ences of Clay. Calhoun and Blaine,
lies within the womb of the fture
Whatever the future has in store for
him-and l hope 1T is the presidency
the name of Bryan will go down in
history with the names of Jefferson.
Monroe andl1ackson. as one Of the
bravest, trJest and most honest
friends of the common people. He
has found a place deep down in the
heart of Democracy, from which all
the power of plutocracy cannot dis
lodge him."