The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-08-31

| elective by the people for certain fixed
terms. instead of appcintlve for life or dur
ing good behavior. \ plank to that effect
would not only be right. but would be q
tower CT strength.
Recent scandals touching the election of
. United States Senators by Legislatures have
. convinced the rank AMI file that Senator.
, ought to lie elected by popular vote. and q
pllrk to that eff, CT should he inserted in the
pla;fo,m The great body of the people cau
b. implicitly trusted to do right. and the
closer all elections ere brought TO them the
better fer the cause of free government.
oy ysRSHtDOWING QUESTION
OF DEMOCRACY.
"The time has come TO settle once for all
the ove:shGiowing question whether a Dem
ocrat is a Democrat in fact. or only a gal
,anzed Republican.
No good can come of postponing. dodg-
Ing or hedging on this far-reaching and
fundamental question. Sooner or later II
must ccme to head. The sooner the better,
to the end that We may not only know where
We are. but also whittier we are tending
'Cf al. men. Missourians can abandon the
Chicago and Kansas City platforms with
the poorest grace. for We. under the lead of
Richard p. Bland. forced the Chicago plat
form upon the national Democracy. That H.
lustrious Missourian, Mark Twain. says:
Blessed is the man who bloweth his own
horn lest II be not blown And We did IT.
Missourians rammed that platform down the
throat of the national Democracy. We
gloried in the 6eed then. Why should we be
ashamed of it or recant now? Is II because
We have been defeated on IL twice? Pray.
how often were We defeated on the tariff Is
sue before We achieved our magnificent trf-
uInph. in 1892? A half-dozen times at least
but We won at last. because we were right
because free trade IL the doctrine OF ma
ture and of common sense.
If our platform was right in 1886 and 1900
Il Is right now. and will be be right in lsot
defeat or Of the lapsng yearA
WOULD NOT
ABANDON SILVER.
If We Missourians take the back track we
ought to publish an open confession to this
effect: In 1895 We assumed Democratic
leadership and twice forced our views upon
the party. We have since learned that We
were then set of consummate asses, with
not enough sense to know the right and
without courage and conscience enough to
do the right. consequently We ask to be re-
lieved from service in the advance guard
and to be relegated to the rear to look after
the meal wagons and the suffers storea'
II am unwilling to stultify myself.
After such a valorous fight for free COIN
age of gold and silver as We made in 1886
and 1900. to abandon 1t now would be to cut
such a pitiable figure to make the angels
weep; & and n TO cause our enemies ed 70 Laugh aug u;
get US up a brand-new platform-rhat
then? II we do that suicidal thing, how
adhere to it in 1895 Of 1912? If We have no
fixed belief in anything how can We inspire
faith in others or have faith in each other,
of slow growth. and when once blighted
will never sprout again.
what is a platform anyway? Is It an
the makers believe and which they stand
pledged to enact into law IL given chance.
or Is 1t dishonest device wherewith to en-
statemsnt Of the faith that is in US. or is it
q bait to catch gudgeons? Is II the serious
utterance Of men with the love Of truth In
victions in their souls. or is 1t the machin-
cry of political three-card-monte sharps to
win the offices? Il 1t the plighted word of
for the general welfare If possible. or Is it
only a good enough Morgan till after the
election, which palters with the people In
promise to the ear and breaks Il to the
IF the former. then Democrats are thor
form: IL the latter. may God have mercy on
us. for a duped and outraged people Will
not
BIMETALLlSM AND
THE RATIO QUESTION.
"Oh. yes, but some folks say: We are in
favor Of bimetallism. but care nothing about
the ratio-thats immateriaL' They resem-
BILE the fellow who averred that he was in
favor of a certain law. but against its en-
forcement. Advocacy of bimetallism with
out a fixed ratio is like the play Of Hamlet
without the Prince Of Denmark. In my
Judgment. to abandon the ratio Is to aban-
don the cause of bimetallism at once and
forever. Not that there Is anything sacred
about any ratio but the free and unlimited
coinage OF gold and silver can be resumed
more easily at the existing ratio than at
any other ratio. Then We can make a bet
ter fight for the historic ratio than for any
other. because the moment We abandon
1t. We will split into divers warning