Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1878-08-24
THURMAN,
The Greatest Living American Sen.
ator, Speaks on the Important
Public Issues Of the Day.
A Statesman's Views,
Democratic Economy vs.. Radica
Extra vaSunCe.


the first gun tor the state campaign
Several of the most prominent Ohio
democrats were present, including Hon.
}. +. Follett and Milton Saylor. OF Gin
clnnatl, who spoke in the evening. Sen
ator Thurman began 1T , o'clock in the
AFTERNOON, and spoke as follows:
Mr.. President and Fellow CtiZens-I
have seen several statements in the pub
lie press to the effect that the obicc, of
my appointment TO address YOU to-day
was that | should "sound the KEYNOTE
OF the campaign" wish, in the very
outset OF my remarks, to disclaim any
such pretensiOn. Under tree institutions
1t Is tor the people to give the keynote ;
and, so Tar as the democracy OF OHIO are
concerned, they have discharged that
duty i'll the platform adopted by our late
state convention. | stand squarelv on
that platform. l have advocated its
principles heretofore, and | shall CON
tnue to advocate them. Perhaps this
is all | should say about myself; but in
asmuch as IN certain quarters | am de-
nounced as man who has surrendered
his convictions to appeasc j popular
clamor, 1t may be pardOnable in me to
occupy few moments in repcl!ing the
charge. The accusation has reference to
my support OF the financial plank in the
platform. Now. what is this financial
plank? 1t condemns contraction OF the
currency; demands the repeal OF the re-
sumption act; advocates the removal
OF all restrictions to the coinage of silver,
and re-establishment OF silver as mon
ey metal. the same as gold-the same as
1t was before its fraudulent demonetiZa.
ton; the gradual substitution of United
States legal tender paper for national
bank notes, and its permanent establish
ment as the sole paper money of the
country. made receivable for all dues to
the government, and of equal tender
with com the amount of such issues to
be so regulated by legislation or organic
law as to give the people assurance OF
stability in the volume of currency, and
the consequent stability of the value nc
| further increase in the bonded debt. and
no further sale OF bonds for the purchase
OF coin for resumption purposes. but the
gradua! extinction OF the public debt
| rigid economy, the reduction OF expcn
dItureS in all branches OF the public ser.
| vice. and 4 tariff tor revenue onlv''
THESE ARE THE FINANCIAL DOCTRINES
OF the platform. and now, | confidently '
defy my critics, one and all. TO name any
vote that | have given, during the nine
| years that | have sat IN the senate, tha,
was inconsistent with these principles
1 have steadily opposed contraction
ever since II was lnauguratcd. | spoke
and voted against the resumption act
when it passed, and ut the last session
OF congress voted for its repeal. | work
ed hard TO restore silver 20 the place it
| held before its dem0netization. Several
| Years ago | drew resolution tor our
state convention iavoring the gradual
substitution OF greenbacks for national
bank notes, and that resolution. inJudici-
, ously amended. as believe every one
now admits, was passed by the conveu-
ton. | was one OF the first to propose
IN the senate that grecnbacks should be
received for customs duties, and at the
last session | voted Tor the bill making
them thus receivable. have been the
advocate OF stable currency. and your
platform demands stability | have
contended that the precious metals
ought not to be demonetized and the
platform asserts the same doctrine.
have spoken and voted against an in
crease ot our bonded debt | have adj
vocated, to the best OF my ability. strict
economy. reduction ot expenditures, and
4 revenue tariff. My course. therefore,
has been perfectly consistent with the
platform Of our convention, as the
journals and the debates OF the senate
will show. And beg leave to add that
| IN IN, tIn
years sat IN the senate. to which eX-
ception was taken by the democracy OF
Ohio, So far As ! know. or have ever
heard.
Fellow-citizens, hope have not Of
tended propricty or good taste by max
ing these few remarks about myself.
You are portion of my constituents, and
have right to know whether | have
represented you correctly or otherwise.
1t have a reputation worth preserving
it Is for your interest as well as mine that
it shall not be uniustly tarnished. But
enough upon this theme. When the
currency part OF the platform Is care
fully scrutinized. it will be found that its
principal feature is the proposed sub
Stitution of
GEEENBACKs FOR NATIONAL BANK NOTES.
| think that | do them no Injustice
when | say that the leaders of the repub-
lican party are in favor of directly the
opposite courSe-that is to say, they
would retire all the greenbacks in order
that their places might be filled with ma
tional bank notes. Let either course be ia
ken, and the metallic money of the coun-
try remains the same. Use either kind
OF paper, and the amount of coin in actual
apart from the small coins
used tor change, will be comparatively
small. so long as one, two and five dollar
notes are freely issued, tor such notes
always drive coin out OF circulation. And
whenever conversion into coin is practi-
cable and desirable,it will be Just as easy
to convert greenbacks rs to convert bank
notes. The question. then, is narrowed
down to this: Shall our paper money be
national bank notes nr greenbacks ?
For several reasons, that | will briefly
state, | think that the latter are pref
erable.
l. In the first place 4 national bank
currency means the indefinite perpetual
ton of the national debt. The national
banks so far as their circulation is con-
cerned, are founded on that debt 1t is
the security for their notes; and when
ever the debt be paid the banks must
retire their circulation and cease to is
sue notes. In order, therefore, to per-
petuate their privilege Of issuing notes,
they must strive
To PERPETUATE THE NATIONAL. DEBT.
And you may rest assured that they will
do so; and the influence of more than
two thousand such institutions, spread |
all over the country. will be very pow
eriul indeed. Now, am not one of those |
who believe that nation dent is n |
national blessing. I believe that the !!
reverse of this is true. and that such a
debt is a national curse. To say nothing
of its corrupting influences its drain OF
the resources of the people to pay inter
est is tearfully oppressive, especially |
when large portion of the debt is held
abroad. In comparatively brief period
the amount OF interest paid exceeds
the principal of the debt. while the
drain continues in undimnished force
Heavy taxation is the necessary result.
and every one who has studied the SUBJ
ject knows that
OPPRESSIVE TAXATION
is one of the worst foes to the industry
and prosperity of a country. 1t is true
that the national debt cannot speedily be
paid, but we ought not to put unnece--
sary obstacles in the way OF its payment.
The national bank notes are snch an |