The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1908-07-03
BALD PARTISAN
MISREPRESENTATION.
The Republican Platforms Biased
Comparison of Alleged Differences
OF the Two Parties Torn to
Shreds.

~ than In the attempted cnumcra-
ton OF the differences between the
two parties. The platform says that
democracy "stood.for debased cur
rcncy,' the Republican party for
"honest currency" 'the one for sill
YER, the other for sound money"
II Is not true that the Democratic
party stood for debased currency
or that the Republican party stood
for an honest currency, nor Is II
true that the Republican party stood
for currency more sound than that
advocated by the Democratic party.
In lSW both stood for bimetallism
but the Republican party was pledg-
ed to international bimetallism
while the Democratic party was
pledged to independent bimetallism.
The Republican party used the
! pledge OF International bimetallism
to deceive Western Republicans and
abandoned its efforts to secure an
| international agreement soon after
the election. Unexpectedly to Re-
| publicans, as well as to Democrats,
an increase in the production of
| gold has removed the money qucs-
tion from the arena Of politics, but
the beneficial results that have fol
! lowed an increase In the volume Of
money have vindicatcd the Demo
cratic position rather than the Re
publican position. And il was not
the Republican party, but these un-
/ looked for discoveries of the yellow
metal that gave the high prices
which have followed an increase In
the volume Of money.
| Tn" platform says that the Demo-
cratic party stands for free trade
and the other for protection. The
/ Democratic party does not stand for
| free trade, 1t stands for Il material
reduction Of the tariff, and wants it
' Immediately. No party proposes
the abolition of the custom house,
and those who wrote the Republican
platform were compelled to misrep-
resent the Democratic position be-
cause they could not successfully
assail it. To have stated the sub
ject honestly, the platform ought to
have said "the Democratic party
stands for n reduction of the tariff.
the Republican party for revision, "
hut as the platform does not say
whether revision Is to lee up or down
an honest statement of the real diff
ference between the parties would
have been embarrassing to the Re-
publicans. The platform says that
the Democratic party stands "for
con traction of American infiu-
ence, the other for its expansion. ~
That Is palpably untrue. The Dem
OcTatic party believes in the expan-
sion of American influence, but II
does not believe In carrying the flag
to any place where the constitution
can not accompany 1t. Why did not
the platform writer's say that the
Democratic party opposed colonial
ism and that the Republican party
favored colonialism? Why did they
not use language that correctly
states the difference between the
positions of the two parties? But
here Is the choicest contrast 1.-THE
one (the Democratic party has been
forced to abondon every position
taken on the great issues before the
people, the othet 1.-THE Republican
party has held and indicated all -
Three Republican congresses have
declared in favor of the election of
the United States Senators by the
people. Has the Republican party
held and indicated that? For
answer read the vote of seven to one
in the Republican convention by
which this reform was repudiated.
The Democratic party has not aban-
doned its position in favor of tariff
reform, but it has compelled the Re-
publican party to advocate tariff re-
form during this campaign, even II
there Is every indication that the
) Republican leaders have no inten.
ton Of fulfilling the promise. Has
the Democratic party abandoned its
position on the trust question? On
the contrary it has forced the Re,
, publican party to admit that tn,
trust is an evil. Has the Democrat.
lie party abandoned its position on
, imperialism? On the contrary its
: position has been so indicated tina,
the Republican party does not dare
to announce its purpose to maintain
II colonial system. Has the Demo
cratic abandoned the position that il
, has long taken in denouncing fay.
oritism and privilege as the sources
of great injustice? On the contrary
1t has forced Republican President
to recognize the danger of swollen