The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1912-08-02

=. ne pldUh llIlllluS pIeSIuGlltS
to one term and pledging the candi-
date thereto is confusing and mislead-
ing. A great deal is to be said in
favor of constitutional amendment
extending the presidential term and
making the incumbent ineligible
thereafter, but until such action has
been taken no good reason can be
given for a Remuneration in advance
of one reelection at the end of a
four-year term.
3 The plank favoring the exemp-
ton from tolls OF American ships en-
gagged in coastwise trade passing
through the Panama canal is a de-
claratiOn in favor OF ship subsidy
and nothing else. 1t contradicts an
expression of hostility to snip subsi-
dies Immediately preceding it. and
it could hardly have been introduced
nOrance or cOnnivance.
1t was at the suggestion of Mr.. Bry-
an, urged with great earnestness,
that the platform be not adopted I'M
til after TIE nominations were made,
so there would be no conflict. no con-
slant warfare going on between the
candidates and the platform, yet up
on this subject the World says:
The moderation OF Gov. Wilson's
views on the tariff furnishes a suffi-
cient reason for the hope that he will
emphatically repudiate the falsehood
with which the party platform on this
subject opens.
Hon. Thomas Z. Watson, who was
on one of the presidential tickets with
Mr. Bryan in 1896, makes the claim
that Mr. Bryan's views, as expressed
in the platform, are inconsistent with
his we'll known views of 1896
Mr. Watson says that he has not
only modified his views, but that they
have undergone complete change
since that memorable epoch in our
political disturbances.
Here are Mr. Watson's criticisms:
In his platform of 1896 Mr.. Bryan
said
Congress alone has the power to
coin and issue money. and President
Jackson declared that this power
could not be delegated TO corpora
tions and individuals. We, therefore,
denounce the issuance of notes in
tended to circulate as money by the
national banks as in derogation of
the constitution" etc.
In 1912 Mr.. Bryan again makes the
democratic platform In 1912 the
pressure of the national is more
heavily felt by an oppressed and pill
LACED people than in 1896.
President Jacksons declaration
still stand. The constitution remains
unaltered.
Who is it that has changed? 1t is
Mr.. Bryan. In his platform of 1912
there is not a word against the issu-
ance of notes by the national banks.
During the convention speech
which won Mr.. Bryan the nomination
in 1896, occurs this passage:
They say that we are opposing
national bank currency 1t is true.
If you will read what Thomas Ben
ton said you will find that he said
that in searching history. he could
find but one parallel to Andrew Jack
son-that was Cicero, who destroyed
the conspiracy of Catalina and saved
Rome
Benton said that Cicero only did
for Rome what Jackson did for us,
when he destroyed the bank conspir-
acy and saved America.
I'VE say in our platform that we
believe that the right to coin and is
sue money is a function of the gov
eminent. We believe it.
I'VE believe that it is a part of the
sovereignty, and can no more with
safety be delegated to private individ-
uals than we could afford to delegate
to private individuals the power to
make penal statutes, or levy taxes"
Such were the sentiments of the
Bryan of 1896.
Today there are twice as many ma
tional banks as there were then.
Today there are twice as many
bank notes in circulation as there
were in 1896.
Today the bank conspiracy is
hundred times more formidable to
America than when Andrew Jackson
saved us from Nicholas Biddle's one
national bank
Today the bank conspiracy is meal
culably more formidable than it was
when Mr.. Bryan cfamored for the
true remedy in 1896.
Why did he not clamor for the true
remedy in Baltimore, 1912?
Had he forgotten Thomas H. Ben
ton?
Had he forgotten Cicero and Gaia
line?
Had he forgotten Andrew Jackson?
Will Mr. Bryan explain why he sin
gled out for sham attack such men as
Ryan, Belmont and Morgan, yet fail
ed to attack the corner stone upon
which their interests" are built?
The Atlanta GeOrgian's political ed
itorials are not very animating, and
the Journals are not as unanimous
&C thev might have baen if Senator