La Junta tribune., 1904-09-24
They Momiaatsd {. Candidates
Wihe veted for Free Silver.
PEOPLE CAN FORGIVE ERROR
Wiki b New Prse ticaliy Admitted
bst WIN Not Trsst he Party With
Pswes Because Of the
Blusief.


crates startling statements which later
ON are proved 60 be absolutely false.
his further utterances on any subject
are liable not to be taken
seriously, and this is putting the case
mildly. Even though the statements
were uttered in honest belief rs to their
accuracy, the fact that they were later
on proven to be wrong. furnished evil
dencs of mental capacity to make fur
ther gross blunders from time to time.
In this respect the record Of the Dem
ocratic party on the silver issue has Tor
that party the same sinister aignihcance
that Qualifications from an individual.
who is found out. would have for that
We may all be willing to charitahly
admit that In its advocacy Of the great
free silver error in 1895 and 1900 The
Democratic party was honestly wrong.
There II no patriotic American who
would like to think. hint. or suggest.
that Bryan was not actuated by hon
est and sincere belief in his cause when
he uttered his famous Gross OF Gold"
and Grown of Thorns" speech IN 1S06.
nor 10 there any American with opki-
mistic faith In the honesty and patriot
ism oe~Shs leading public men Of the
United mites who would want 70 think
for q moment that Alton b. Parker. The
candidate Of . great political party tor
President Of the United States. voted
against his honest convictions as to what
WAS for the good Of his country when
he voted for free silver In 1855, aud
then again voted for free silver In leo0'
oasast He Trusted.
But while the American people viii
never imputs dishonorabls motives -
L.
and 1900, yet nevertheless 1t will hesa-
tate In the future to place implicit trust
In those who sought to lead then Int
4 disastrous error In those years. Had
the majority of the voters Of the coun-
try In 1896 aud 1900 not been Of bet
ter Judgment than Judge Parker was
during those two years the United States
would have had the silver standard: all
the currency Of the country would have
been debased to the bullion value Of III
yer; just debts would have been scaled
of over hfty per cent: the laborers
whom the Bible says Is worthy Of his
hire" would have been paid his wages
in cheap dollars of not half the value OF
the honest dollars based on the gold
standard: the country would have suf-
fered unparalleled hard times; Its credit
would have sunk as low a. that Of Tur-
key, Venezuela. and Of other nations
which repudiats their just obligations.
1t was for such calamity as this that
the Democratic free silver error stood
in 1896 and again in 1900. and Parker
and Davis both times stood with this
error, contributed money to further ie
along, and voted for 1t.
Now the error Is practically admitted.
Both Parker and Davis. while refusing
to say that they now believe in the gold
standard, nevertheless say that 1t II
..irrevocably esta ablished by law"-that
Is when on December 1s. 1899. the gold
sta ndard was esta blished BY Q vote OF
ITO Republican yeas and only IL Dem
ocratic yeas. against 142 Democrats
nays and no Republican nays, In the
House Of Representatives, and BY vote
Of ~ Republican and 2 Gold Democratic
yeas against % Democratic and only one
Republican nay in the Senate, 1T WA6
so WE'LL ESTABLISHED THAT
PARKER AND DAVIS NOW con-
SIDFsR 1T "IRREVOCABLY ESTAB-
LISHED."
"siiencs 10 coafession."
The American people will be willing
to forgive the Democratic record on the
silver question. They will not demand
humiliating verbal confessions from
were terribly wrong in 1896 and 1900.
As Daniel Webster once said-"Silence
/, confession"-and the fact that tbs
Democrats now want silence on the
paramount issue of 1895 and the tan
tamount" issue Of 1900. is suncient con-
fession Of past error.
But while the American people in re-
ceivihg Democracy's silent confession OF
past error. can forgive. yet it cannot fos.
get. II will not be in haste to put int
the White House the representative OF
party whose FREQ silver principles
put In jeopardy the business stability Of
the country. 1T WILL NOT VOTE TO
HONOR WITH THE HIGHEST
OFFICE IN THE LAND A CANDI.
DATE WHO IN 1893 AND AGAIN
IN 1900 VOTED FOR A POLICY
THAT WOULD HAVE FINANCIAL
LY DISHONORED THIS COUNTRY
AND MADE IT LOWER THAN TUR-
KEY AND VENEZUELA IN INTER-
NATIONAL OPINION AS TO IT8
CREDIT.