Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-02-19

ton should be to reaffirm the plat
forms of Kansas City and Chicago,
which contained the declarations in
favor of the free coinage of silver. 1t
| is true that since making that declara-
tiCn in his speech at Lincoln. Neb., in
an interview in the nitv "f New York,
Mr.. Bryan has said that he was mis-
understood. and that he does not mean
to say that the free coinage of silver
should be the paramount issue of the
coming campaign, but that the plat
form of those conventions, as Il
whole. should be reaffirmed.
MIR. Bryan Mistaken.
Mr.. Bryan has studied the temper
of the American people to little pur-
pose if he believes the silver issue
could be kept in the background, if
his advice as 10 the reaffirmation of
the Kansas City platform should be
taken. While l differ with Mr. Bryan
] want to say now. that | have the
highest admiration for his ability. and
the greatest confidence in his SINGER
ity If purpose. but that | question at
times the infallibility Of his Judgment
| believe that Mr.. Bryan is mistaken
in the belief which he seems to enter
tain, that the only democrats who
left us in the two campaigns by rea-
SOD of the financial doctrines an
nOunced by the democratic party in
their national platform. were the
weather. members of the party. those
whom he delights in calling pluto
Gratis. for ! believe the fact to be that
all over this country thousands of
democrats were led to desert us in
those campaigns, who were men of
the middle classes, or men of the la
boring cIasses-cconomical industri-
Gus and thrifty citizens who had been
laboring to accumulate property. and
who were Influenced by the arguments
of our opponents to believe that the
free coinage Of silver would lessen
the value of the property which they
had accumulated.
| would cite as an illustration of this
fact what occurred in the city of
Davenport. located across the MisSis-
sippi river from the city in which
live. The city If Davenport and the
county and congressional district. in
which il i located. had. for years prior
To the holding of the national demo-
cratic cCnvention in 1896. been con
trolieJ 10y the GemocEa;ic party. The
population largely consists Of thrifty
Germans, the character of the people
as tn thrift and economy being illus
tratcd by the fact that the savings
banks of Davenport contain more de-
posits per capita, than do those of
other cities in the western states. II
Is not city Of plutocrats. of trust
magnates or 1nonopolies, but typi-
cal western city. in which the mass
of the people are prosperous.
The national convention of 1896 had
no sooner adjourned than spirit of
dissatisfaction with the national dem
ocratic platform became at once mani
fest among the rank and file of the
democratic party in that city and
county. which resulted in such wide
spread desertion from the party that
the democrats for the first time i'm
years, at the election which followed.
lost control of the city and county
and district. and never afterwards re-
gained control until the year 1902
when the state convention Of the state
of Iowa refused to reaffirm the Kan
sas City platform. and under the able
leadership of Judge Wade. of Iowa
City. the county ana, the congressional
district i'm which il is situated was re-
claimed.
Policy Is Suicidal.
Now, | say / am not here tonight
to discuss the merits or dement's of
the free coinage of silver. but | am
here to say that in my opinion no
more suicidal policy could he adopted
by the democratic party in the ma
tional convention than to reatfirm any
national platform which contained a
plank pledging the democratic party
to bring about the free and unlimit ed
coinage Of silver at the rate of IS TO l. |
| think / may be pardcned by ardent
silver democrats fer saving this in
view of the fact that Mr.. Bryan in the |
two campaigns in which he was Il
candidate for president had no more |
loyal supporter than | was. | was |
for presidential elector in !
the national campaign of 1896. and had !
the honor of presiding over the state |
held in the city of Spring,
field in 1900. which selected delegates |
Ia the national democratic convention |
at Kansas City. and while l then /
doubted the wisdom of the reatfirma- |
ticn Of the Chicago platform contain
ing declaration in favor of free sill
yer. there was no one who gave more
loyal support To the ticket than did I
m the campaign which followed. There
was no one who regretted more than
that Il pCrtiCn Of our brethren in
those campaigns were opposed 10 us
by reason of the declaration in favor
If free silver in our platform. be
cause | believe that they were rem
dering IL possible for the republican
party 10 so intrench themselves in
power. that il would he difficult in
deed to GislcGge them. aui that they /
were allowing the government to be
according to principles
50 widely opposed TO all of the cardin-
nj and fundamental principles Of the
democratic party. but l take it that