Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1891-04-14
GOV. PENNOYER'S VIEW.
The Democratic Party Must Favor Free
Coinage or Face Defeat.

said:
We have within our party, I re-
gret to say, some advisers who coun-
sci that in the forthcoming presiden-
tial campaign, we should entirely
devote our attention to the oppres
sion of the government through its
tariff policy and that we should
entirely ignore the oppression of
government through its financial
policy. Such advice should be
given on some other day than on
either Jefferson's or Jackson's day.
These gentlemen that would have
but one issue reminds me of the
quack doctor who had but one rem
edy, and who when called upon to
visit sick man, always endeavored
to throw him into fits, affirming
that if he could do so he was all
right, as his remedy was a sure cure
for fits. The story is told Of trave-
Ter who with an Arab companion
was Iraversing a desert, and who
after starting out one morning for
the days journey espied u camel
feeding at a distance. After riding
awhile the Arab called his attention
to the camel and assured shim that
although he had never before seen
the animal he was confident that he
had one>blind eye. Upon reaching
the camel such was found to be the
fact. Upon inquiry of the Arab
how he was aware of the fact, was
informed that they bad, at dis.
tance back, struck its trail, and that
he had noticed that the camel had
cropped herbage on only one side of
it. Now, gentlemen, | want to
impress the fact upon you, that the
great masses of the people of this
country are as sagacious where their
political rights and interests are
concerned as was this wild son of
the desert in matters pertaining to
his nomadic life. And 1 want to
warn you that if the democratic
party goes into the next presidential
canvass with a blind eye in regard
to the wrongs and abuses Of our
present financial policy, it cannot
hope or expect to win the confidence
and support of the people. Should
we not learn a lesson from eXper-
ience? In the last presidential can
vass the democratic platform was
silent In regard to the free coinage
ofsilver which was the policy of the
government for eighty years from
its foundation, and which was the
policy of every democratic admins
tration except the last one and it
was defeated
Nor was that the whole result of
such ignominious silence. At the
last fall state and congressional
elections, new party sprang into
eXistance, almost as suddenly as
that exceeding great army which
rose up before the prophets vision
after the breath of the four winds
had swept over the valley of dry
bones, and panoplied, as Minerva,
sprang from the brain of Jove,
winning victories in two or three
states, and developing the most Re-
markable growth and strength in
several others. The members of
that new organization were divided
upon the tariff question, but in re-
gard to the support of the long
established policy of the democrats
as to the free coinage of both gold
and silver and the issuance of the
money of the country, by the gov
ernment alone, they were to a man
united. If the democratic party
had been true to the interests of the
people on this financial question,
this party would not now have
existed.
And now l want to say to you
here tonight that if in the next
presidential campaign the demo-
cratic party falters and fails to be
outspoken upon this finance ques-
tion, which effects the interests of
the great MASSES of our people to as
great an extent as does the tariff
question; if 1t fails to favor the free
coinage of silver and the separation
of the moneys Of the government
from the banking institutions, it
will be defeated, aud may l not add,
. ifit should thus prove untrue, both
! to its own long-established policy
and to the interests of the great
masses Of the people, that it ought
to be defeated.