, 1890-07-10
FOX SILVER COINAGE.
How an American Product
Was Debased by Law.
HON. S. C. HYDE'S GREAT SPEECH
The People Demand the Restora-
tlon OF Silver on Par
With Gold.

Following are tho observations OF
Hon. $. G.. Hyde, of Spokane Falls,
on the silver question In his Fourth
of July speech ut Colvillc.
mir. President Ladies and Gentle
men; can hardly lot pnss without
challenge the eulogius which your prusi-
dent has passed upon mo as speaker.
| scarce aspire To oratory, and
little hope ever to reach the
rare heights Of cloquoncc. My
speaking Is but of the homespun
order acquired in tue practical Affairs OF
u busy lie, ! will speak to you, my
friends, the honest convictions OF my
mind; they shall spring warm from my
heart would not hope to instruct or
interest YOU, but rather to provoke your
thoughts, to cause you to investigate, to
act.
From nowhere throughout all tho
broad borders of our beautiful state
could have been so glad of an invita-
ton for this glorious day rs from this
beautiful city. We have been pioneers
together. A decade HRo ! walked across
this vale, where now stands the young
and growing city OF COlyille, but sOli-
tary house marked the site. On that
day our own Spokane Falls did not cone
tain one o-lourth the population OF Col
VILE to day not one brick piled upon
another.
10 day your brick business blocks,
your fine residence, are u credit to
your enterprise, nnd this growth has
been principally within the past two or
three years, The beauty OF your lOca-
lion Is not surpassed in tho state. Your
resources are great aud your onward
march to greatness will be steady, pros
Porous and happy"
Tho speaker hero returned to the sub
jcct--thc grand day whcTeOn our ma
tional Independence was proclaimed to
the world. lie paid u glowing tribute
To the immortal Declaration of Indo-
pcndcnCe, which had Just been so well
enunciatod referred to the landing Of
pilgrim fathers, their iurtitude, the
hardships and privatiOns which they
endured the dangers which they en-
countcrcd.
The expressions and oxnctions of the
mother country and the cruel war which
she wagcd were referred to, aud the long
ami doubtful struggle, finally ending in
our complete Independence.
The speaker showed how the rev
olutlonary period had produced
AlsKnnder Hamilton, the tlnancicr;
Thomas Jefferson who formulated our
crccds Of liberty; Benjamin Franklin
the philosopher and successful diplomat,
and Washington, "lirst In war. tirst In
peace and iirst In the hands OF his
countfynen,' whose name has been
handed down 20 us especially to bear ns
u legacy from a father to his children.
The speaker made u rapid survey Of
our great civil war and its causes. Tho
frnmors ofo system Of government,
Notwithstanding their wisdom aud pat.
riotsm. had compromised with, slavery
the principles of the declaration of in
dependence that all men were born
free wero not enforced. The war
followed. II was not the civil war, IL
was not the war OF the rebellion, II was
the slave war-war on the grandest scale
OF modern times. The struggle was ter
rihic, thc result long in doubt. Finally
general was found to lead our armies
Grant Nc Henry, at Donclson and
NiCksburg- Grant earring our victorious
arms above tho clouds at iookoU
mountain and who received the sword
Of Lee Ut AppomuttON. Sherman and
Sheridan. Hancock, Meade and Thomas
among tho greatest soldiers OF modern
times.
But what would tho courage
and IlIO military genius Of all our
brave generals have accomplished
without the sturdy yulor of the poor
private soldier Of whose patriotism duty
was thc iirst law. They suffered, they
fell mote than 3fO.OJO sleep Their last
sleep. They died for liberty; thcy died
that free government might not perish
from the earth. Tho grass grows green
to-day upon their graves, and the nation
Il ut peace. The words of Lincoln, tine
tenderest memory of the ngc," shall
prove an eternal prophecy.
The speaker enlarged upon the grand
progress AMI accomplishments the
PEOPLE of the United States made under
the benign principles ui liberty. "lho
mind glI mood W NWiI Tho
speaker. "llc need no longer fear
tyrnuts. serve kinss or bend the knee to
noble lpris. lie had free speech, iscc
press, and could worship God according
to the dictates 0l his own cnnsCicnCe.
Ana look ut his progress. In 100 years
We hayo putstrippau tho old world. We
have suIducd "a continent We have
i0unde'ithr greatest nulion tue Earth
has contained; We have carried the arts,
liioratu rc aud the sciences TO the highest
plunc.'
but especially have the benefits to
mankiud DVgu shown IN our inventions.
Epbvr. Fulton gave to the world tia
stcaubott. lhc telegraph, thu tcln
phone, the wuniCrs oi electricity tho
Americans, 'Wo have secured and
chained To our service the elemental
forces oi nature. We have made the
fire our servant, the winds our ministers,
the sea oar pathway, thu lightning our
messenger
"My Friends. thc past Is secure; the
future Is Tor ". Gun not stand tcrc
and behold the smoke OF your smelling
hrca ascending hogycnwarl; / can not
look ilp nt Nondcr mountains, toeining
with lie precious metals. silver and
gold; ! chn not stretch my gaze across
The continuous woods, where rolls the
Oregon. ind hears no sound save its own
dashnyS, away to the Okauogan, rich
also wish silver ores, without referring
to one of the great questions of the
future OF tho hour Tho congress OF the
whether both silver aud gold may DO
cJIned In tho peopie's miut5,
npon equal terms, and circulate
among tho people as the peoples
money. This ~ not party question.
IL Is not democracy; II is not republican
ism. It's the rich against the ponr--the
banker, the bondholder, the capitalist,
the creditor OF the East and OF Europe
against the poor--the ianorcr, the pro-
ducer. the debtor; the 'gold-bugS aud
money lenders OF Wall street against the
miner and the farm mortgage of the
West"
From tho first period of historical
time gold and silver have circulated side
by side. upon equal terms, MS money.
IlNllllAUon mas us yet tOunu no subsl-
tute for these mcials-thcso two. them
selves the most useless OF all metals, are
called tho precious metals because OF
their ndaptability for the circulating
medium, True, paper money may be
created, but II is base upon the precious
metals.
Both gold and silver are recognized
by tho constitution of the United States
as the lawful money OF the people. Con-
gress shall fix their vnlne, but II was
never dreamed by tho founders Of our
government that either metal could be
demonstrated, Evgl tho power TO create