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

! in this country which are opposed TO
the principles of the republican party
as shown by their administration of
the government.
TO take the position that the agita-
ton of the silver question now and
the advocacy Of free coinage Of silver
| at the ratio of Is to l would be mis-
take is not necessarily to concede that
the party was wrong in its position
| upon this question in 1896. Those who
then believed an increase in the
amount of the money of redemption
would add TO the value of property.
and hence to the prosperity of the
people. have been in Il measure jus
| tilted in their position. by the effect
which the enormously increased out
put Of gold during the years since
| 1896 has had upon the values of prop
crty and the business Of the world.
In 1896 the annual output of gold was
but little over S1OO.OOO.OOO. while last
year it nearly equaled S350.0OO000.
During the eight years since Bryan
was first nominated greater none
tary changes than had previously oc-
CURED in centuries have been made
throughout the world. Russia and
Japan have gone upon gold basis.
a. have also the more progressive
South American republics. India has
carried her experiment to success in
reaching the gold standard and gold
currency. Mexico is preparing to do
the same. and. under the commercial
treaties. even China is pledged to uni
fv her coinage. which will be first
step towards the gold standard.
Should Eliminate Question.
Take all this INFO consideration, and
i'm view of the fact that the silver ques-
tiCn was the question which caused
such great Gissension and discord in
our ranks. so that today our party is
ia the minority in every northern
state of the union. is it not time that
this question should be eliminated?
And. my, friends. are there not i'm
portart issues upon which we can
all agree? II seems 10 me that there
are. and ! was deeply impressed by
that admiral bic epitome of democratic
principles outlined by an eminent
member Of our party in recent ad
dress in which he said: that in mat
ters of foreign policy the democratic
party should stand for international
morality. and decent internal conduct;
fer obs ervance of treaties and Obedi-
nee To international law; for respect
for the rights Of every nation, how
ever small: for refusal to take by
stealth or robbery what we have no
right to get except by consent of the
owners; for continuing our traditional
role a the defender IF the weaker
states of this hemisphere. instead of
becoming their spectator. for minding
our OVID business generally, without
meddling with the internal affairs of
foreign countries; in matters domes-
tic. the democratic party should re-
pudiate the stand pat policy. and
should advocate both economy in eN-
pcnditures and. such tariff reform and
revision as industrial conditions and
the interests Of the country at large
demand. In that view il should stand
for a reasonable relation between
governmental revenues and govern
mental requirements; fer clean ad-
and official conduct. free
from every suspicion of graft; for
the amendments of existing tariff
schedule. in the interest of the coun-
try at large. and net in the interest of
special synGicates or favored indus
tries. and for such access To foreign
markets by tariff adjustment or reel
prucity treaties as viii enable Amcri
can producers to dispose of their sur
plus products; for taking from the So
called trusts that kind and-degree Of
protection which enables them both
to mOnopoliZe home market and to sell
10 the foreign consumers at prices
greatly below those made to the do
nestle consumers; in other matters