Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 19, Number 91, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 July 1898 — ILLINOIS DEMOCRATS. [ARTICLE]

ILLINOIS DEMOCRATS.

Still Under the Delusion That Bryan, lam la the Only True Doctrine. Messrs. Altgeld, Harrison, and a number of other free silver democrats of less prominence, held a state convention at Springfield the bther day and adopted a platform, so that the rank and file of the party may know what they are to believe for the next two years. According to the platform (loyalty to the party during that period will consist iiji adherence to the doctrine that congress ought to change the money standard, so that the dollar may have a purchasing power of only about 44 cents instead of 100. cents, and that by retroactive legislation congress should' compel those to whom 100cent dollars are owing to take 44-cent dollars as equivalent. This is the doctrine preached by Bryan two years ago, and the Illinois democrats are notified that they must be faithful to it or be denounced as traitors. But while those democrats will be expected to obey the orders of the convention and hurrah for free coinage, the platform fails to set forth any reason why they should indorse a policy which, if put into effect, would injure every’ one of them. If they are wage-workers the purchasing power of their wages would be reduced. If they are savings bank depositors those deposits would be scaled down nearly 60 per cent. If they are old soldiers their pensions would be cut down that much. Honest platform writers would tell the plain, simple-minded, ignorant democrats that and then proceed to explain to them why they’ and their fellow citizens who do not belong to the democratic party, ought to be subjected to such grievous loss. But as frankness and honesty are not the distinguishing traits of the men who drafted the platform adopted at this convention, no effort was made to enlighten the democratic masses as to the disastrous consequences of free coinage, and to argue with them and show why in spite of those consequences they should vote for democratic candidates. Nor will one of those candidates or one of the party stumpers or papers reveal to the voters the “true inwardness” of free coinage, and give some reason why, notwithstanding its immorality’ and destructiveness, it is entitled to popular support. It is not Remarkable that the free-silver democrats should have recognized Bryson as. the leading exponent of this heresy’ and proclaimed hirfi as their leader in the campaign of 1900. The platform denounces “government by injunction.” Illinois ' democratic conventions will keep on denouncing the righteous decision of the supreme court in the Debs case as long as Altgeld runs conventions in this state. The action of the supreme court, participated in by better democrats than Altgeld ever was or will be, has been indorsed by the people of Illinois. Debs, the “martyr” of 1894, has become an innocuous creature, to tlie great relief of the public, and yet Altgeld, through his convention, keeps on groaning about “government by’ injunction” and thrusting a dead issue upon the voters. The platform further denounces the state civil servicelaw and recommends that the question of its repeal be submitted to a vote of the people al the next general election. This was to have been expected from a convention made up of spoilsmen. As in the matter of free coinage, it would have been dealing more honestly’ with the democratic voters if the platform-makers had told them*why the law should be repealed and explained that it was necessary’ in order to enable the spoils politicians to divide np the offices among their retainers and that this was the only reason. But if ever the question of its repeal should be made an issue the majority for retaining the law would be the biggest ever polled in Illinois. —Chicago Tribune.