The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1906-06-29
I'm THE SPIRIT OF 1896. "
"The Chicago Platform Represented IN
1896, as II Does To-day, the Real
Conservatism Of the Country"

From the Commoner MIR Brynn's paperJ
The Lincoln Nebraska) journal
Republican, says: No one denies
that the Chicago platform contained
one or two helpful suggestions. 1t
was also loaded heavily with radl.
cal propositions for which very
respectable element of the party
could not stand at the time and
would not endorse now. 1t is
therefore impolitic and unwse to
the last degree for the Commoner
to endorse the virtues of that plat
form as whole. Now that Mis-
souri,, Indiana, Illinois and other
states have endorsed Mr.. Bryan as
the next nominee of reunited
democracy; now that Henry Wat.
terson has become recOnciled, and
affectionate things are being said
of him in the enemy's country, it
behUoves the Commoner to say
nothing that will arouse ancient
animOsities and start another fac
tlonal controversy. The best thing
the COmmoner can do with the
Chicago platform is TO forget it,.
There are so many other and better
things to think of that it isu t
worth while.
Of course ancient animosties"
should not he aroused and fac.
tional controversy" should not be
encouraged; but the brethren who
went away and have returned to
the fold are mindful of the fact
that faithful adherence to princi-
/ pies, the correctness of which has
been confirmed in recent years,
does not mean the cultivation of
ancient animosities' or faction.
nj controversy. y
Harmony at the sacrifice Of
Democratic principles would not
be worth having, Democrats who
have insisted that their party be
in fact as well as in theory, the
servant of the people, did not enlist
for sham battle.
If the skies are Frightening for
the Democratic party today it is
because the people now recognize
as patriotic sentiment the things
which in 1896 Republican editors
freely denounced as "anarchical
doctrine, y
If there is a disposition on the
part of the people to return to the
Democratic party it is because the
people have faith that the party
will fulfill its pledges.
Democrats have no disposition to
forget the Chicago platform, for
that platform represented in 1896,
as it does to-day, the real cOnser-
vaiism of the country.
Owing to the unprecedented pro-
duction of gold the money question
is not aud will not be discussed in
detail as it was in the Chicago
platform; but the underly ing priu.
ciples of bimetalism-,he quanti-
tative thcOry-has been amply vim.
dicated and is now generally recog,
niZed.
Other features of the platform
have likewise been vindlcated.
While it is true that present day
problems will call for the construc.
ton of new platforms. the Demo.
cratic platform OF 1908 will be
written in the same spirit which
controlled the men who drafted
the much abused, yet largely vim
dicated declaration of political
priuciplse prepared by the Demo
Gratis at Chicago in 1898.
The Democratic party in 1908
will be perfectly safe" and
thoroughly sane. " Perfectly
safe MS a medium through which
the American Notwithstanding
equal privileges for all aud pro.
testing against special faCors to
any one within the law or without
the law-may register thrit decree,
confident that that dec. =. will be
faithful executed
1t will be thoroughly >aue be-
cause, while demanding lhe adop.
ton of policies that will result in
the greatest good to the greatest
number, it stands between The rnd.
icalism of the Republican party on
the one hand, and The radieaiism
of the Socialist party on the other
between the radicalism that ad-
ministers government for the bene.
fit of coterie of men at the eE.
pense of the competitive system,
and the radicalism that c0mtem.
plates an impossible form at the,
expense of individualism.
The 0eegon Election.
Althouuh Soma Rapuhl;oar aaJ,,g