Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1875-08-02
speech of senator Thurman

a. A A L.
| SttnrloE-SrATE POLITICS AND DFFEC-
| 1--WE PLA-FCPMS-HE STANDS b MS
RECORD.
senator Thurman addressed a democratic
meeting al Mansfield, Ohio. SATURDAY. In
the course Of his remarks he said You, my
fellow democrats, are what are called hari-
money men, and I am q hari-ru0pey man
| that IL To say. we 10 not believe in an ire
deeinabie paper currency. We believe that
>uch currency must necessarily auctu"te i'm
NdlCe AMI lead 10 speculation aud eNirava-
gaHce, ard benefit no one but money Sb avars
and spectators We believe thai our cur
rency should consist Of gold and silver, ana
Tor convenience. pSIer convertible M mar
INTO gold and silver at the viii of the holder
now, II las been rOundiy asserted that the
lldtIofn OF our late convention means lust
me opposite OF our opinions: that il means
an Ftdetinaole paper currency row and for
ever, and consequently that gold or silver.
or paper convertible into gold and silver
ehall never form part Of our circulating
medium; but certainly no such iUea * ,ayD
presst i IN the platform. uordo believe thar
!. = ehleT talned by a majority OF those who
know that there are men who advocate
me abandonment OF gold AMI silver as money
VINO scout the idea of The reieemability OF
currency, who assert th2t Whatever the GOV
erEinent calls money is money, and who r.
gard lrredSemable greentacfs as the best cur
Iehcy The world ever saw Bat do not think
that these men constitute q majority of the
iate convention or Of its comm ftep on PESO
buttons. Had such been the case their views
would nave been expressed without nbigu-
Ivy. out you look IN vain In the platform for
a direct expression IL favor Of irrete,,nabili-
~, or a direct assertion that god and silver
should be demOnetizet. II advocates the sub
s1ltGllon OF EreeuhaCks fpr national hank
ioteS, nut IL nowhere says tllet greenbacks
should be irreieomable. on the contrary. /:
cohttnplatCS that they shah Ce brought X
par with gold, a although we may not ba
quite able 10 see how that can be done in tba
mode proposed. its dcSirGbIeneSS is most dis
tihctly ana tuily recognized. As to imitation
me flaIorm aces not expressly demand
more currency. It delOunces contraction
but does not say in plain words give Us in IA
lion. What IL does say is THAT the volume
OF currency be made and kept equal To the
wants OF the trade" and this is all. Now I
suppose that there is not and never has been
a man III any civilized country who wOulI
t 70 say mat me volume of currency should
be equal 10 the wants OF trade.
Ee practical question is, have We that
volume now and upon tails question the
platform is silent To him who believes that
tEe present volume is sufficient, Il means no
imitation, for in his mind il is already "eQual
TO the wants of trade" To another man
who thinks that more currency is nee iO1, il
ooes mean eXpa lsiol; AM so whether IL
means one thing Or The other depends up0n
The preconceIved opinions Of every one who
reads IL. SUPPOSE. for instance that an Ohio
member OF Con gresS, having 70 vote uuOn an
imitation bill, should look to this platform
Tor ms guidance, what light would he get?
What is there IN ii 10 tell him whether he
should vote for an increase Of currency OF
Ten millions, hundred millions. five hun
cree millions, Or 10 Increase al all? Now
he gentlemen who framed this platform are
aoie ana bold men, masters of the English
toi que, capable Of sa ying what they mean.
and by 10 means afraid 20 say il. When,
therefore, they plainly denOunce contraction,
Dut taiI 10 expressly advocate Initiation, is
not Tue Presumption lair that they DO no.
mean imitation? Understand me. | am not
defending the platform. FOR in some particu-
lars DO not like IL, and leave to those vino
approve ii the task Of its advocacy. Nor arm
1 crnclSlng IL, Tor have no disposition { ,
be critic, and leave that role to our CON
mon adv erSaFies.
But think il but Justice TO say tia. the
Iiaform has been Construct to mean more
than is expressed ia II, and more than was
meant, as believe, b. those that formeI Il
In saying this, ! 90 not lose sight of The in
depreciation placed upon it by some OF its
friends. i know that some Of its warTnest
advocates regard II as declaration against
gold ana silver, and for an irreieemable
greenback currency now and forever, cou-
pea with great and permanent Initiation,
OUT, Tor reasons that have partly stated.
and others that have 70 time To state be-
lleve That these men are comparatively few
IN number. The truth is that there is a wide
diversity or opinion among the people OF all
parties upon this subject. There are demo-
cratic hard-money men and democratic pa
per money men, republican hard-mo1ey |
men and republican paper money men, dem
ocratic reSumptlonistS and democratic in1a-
uon1sts, and republican resumptionistS and
republican inhationlsts. The question is not /
strictly party question. Honest men Of All |
parties may be found on its oDposita sides
and so 1T has ever been after every great panic
by which the country has been afflicted. |
no man has fTmeT convictions on this sub
Ject than have. They are the result ofTnuch |
experience, and of long, patient and con |
sclentous study. j have expressed them time !
and again in converse ion IN publfc meptinl-S
IN conventions, and in my place in the Sen 4
ate: stand by them, whatever NAV be nv |
political faith, but do not assume 20 be in
laIlble and ruthlessly condemn men as sin
cere as am who entertain different opinions.
much less can sanction disruption OF the
democratic party because In single state IL 4
mas SO happened that a convention, chosen
10 nominate state officers only, officers who
VIII have no jurisdiction over the cdrrSncy
has upon this one question adopted a plat
ior1n that my good judgment does not ap-
prove.
have been democrat ali my life, and
Wien and where to be A democrat WAS Ia sp |
politically oStraci>ed. l have chung 10 the
party in lis darkest hours, rs well "a i'm It's |
brightest with something AKIN to devotion
because my head and heart approved its |
fundamental principles / yet look To 81 as |
destined to restore TO the republic olnsti |
tODal, honest and economical government, |
10 promote faternal feelings between all its |
parts, and TO perpetuate free institutions for |
ages TO come, and cannot, by any words or |
act OF mine, contribute TO its overthrow | |
know that IL Is not lnfallible. for no party is !
lnialllble. 1 Know that 1t has committoi
errors, ard that every party has committed !
them, but also know that its fundam Entail |
principles are sound, and its purposes ara |
honest and patriotic. IL therefore well de-
4
though my influence may be small and SER |
vices worth little, il has suSt claim To |
them both that cannot deny. Hari-money !
democrats of Ohio with whom act have |
been taunted and ridiculed, and self-respect !
and the duty / owe to them demanded that |
should say frankly and clearly what they |
and believe, and that 1 should set forth |
why, without inconsistency, humiliation, or |
loss OF honor, we can support our ticket
have said, and repealed il, that we can |
without dishonor or surrender Of any pfinci- 1
pie support the ticket, and have given you
some reasons for this opinion. No Platform
was ever adopted by any party convention
that in every particular received the APP
prevail of every member of the party. There |
is always something inserted or something
left out that causes Criticism. People have |
to a great extent lost faith In platforms. 1
Again, the currency question, 80 Tar as legis- |
)ation can affect 1t, rests with Congress. i
The officers to be elected In Ohio this year |
will have, as have already said, no juris-
dfction over it. 1t is a national and not a
mere state concern and although every state
has perfect right TO express its opinion
upon II, and may very properly DO So vet its
solution is devolv we'd upon representatives of
all states in Congress assembled, and the
drafting OF q national party platform upon IL
TO be submitted to the people Is the ONCE of
q national cor vention.
Mr.. Thurman also reviewed the action Of