Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1891-01-22
encouragement to those who understand and
are ready to CO operate with it.
PEACEFUL REVOLUTIONS.

announcement to those who understand and
are ready to CO operate with it.
PEACEFUL REVOLUTIONS.
IL was peaceful revolution, an attempt to
resume rights that seemed to have been in
1rinSed 1t Is many years, Sir. President,
since predicted this inevitable result. In q
speech delivered in this chamber on the 18th
OF February, 1873, from the seat that is now
adorned by my honorable friend from Texas,
who sits before me Mr.. Reaganl said:
1--WE can not disguise the truth that we are
on the verge of impending revolution
The old issues are dead. The people are ar
ray ing themselves upon Cne side or the other
of portentious contest. On one side is cap
ltal, formidably intrenched in privilege. ar
roSant from continued triumph, conserva-
tive, tenacious of old theories, demanding
new concessions, enriched by domestic levy
and foreign commerce, and struggling to
adjust all values to its own standard.
On the other is labor, asking for en-
ployment. striving to develop domes-
tic industries, battling with the forces
of nature and subduing the wilderness;
LABOR, starving and SulleD, reSoluteiy deter
mined to overthrow system under which
the rich are growing richer and the poor are
growing poorer; a system which gives to
Vanderbilt the possession of wealth beyond
the dreams of ayar:ce, and condemns the
poor to poverty which has no refuge from
starvation but the prison or the grave Our
demands for relief, for justice, have been
met with indifference or disdain. The Ia
borers of the country asking for employ
ment are treated like impudent mendicants
begging for bread'
Mr. President, it may be cause, ie may be
councillor, e, it may be effect, it may be post
hoe OF it may be PROPER hoe, but it is his
torically true that this great blight that has
fallen upon our industries. this paralysis
that has Overtaken our financial system,
conceded in point of time with the diminu-
zion of the circulating medium OF the coun-
try. The public Gebt was declared payable
in coin and the power of silver was de-
strOyed. The value OF property diminished
in proportion. wages fell and the value OF
every thing deprecia; ed except debts
and gold. The mortgage. tle bond, the
coupon and the tax have retained immortal
youth and vigor. They have not depre-
ciated. The debt remains, but the capa-
CITY to pay has been destroyed The accu-
mutation of years disappears under the
hammer of the sheriff and the debtor is
homeless, while the creditor obtains thu
security for his debt for fraction of what it
was actually WORTH when the debt was con-
tracted.
There is, Mr.. President, q deep seated con-
<ictiOn among the people, which / fully
share, that the characterization of silver in
1873 was one element of great cons piracy TO
deliver the fiscal system of this country over
60 those by whom it has, in my opinion,
finally been captured. I see no proof of the
assertion that the decentralization act of 1878
was fraudulently or cOrrupfly procured, but
it is impossible to avoid the cOHvic that
it was part of deliberate plan and conspr
acy formed by those who have been called
spectators to still further increase the value
OF the standard by which their accumula-
lions were to be measured.
An ANOMALY.
The attention of che people was not called
TO the subject 1t is one of the anomalies and
phenomena of leg Station That bill was
pending in its various stages for four years
in both houses of Congress. 1t passed both
bodies by decided majori.ies 1e was read
and reread and reprinted thirteen times, as
appears by the records 1t was commented
upon in newspapers; it was the subject of
discussion i'll financial bodies and over the
country, and yet we have The concurrent teS-
timOny of every senator and etery member
OF the House OF RepreS entativeS who was
present during he time that the legislation
was pending and proceeding that he knew
nothing WhItever about the demoEetiZati
of silver and the destruction of the coinage
of the silver dollar. The Senator from Neva-
da (Mr. Stewart) who knows many
things, felt called upon TO make speech
of an hours duration TO show that he
knew nothing whatever about it.
have heard other members declaim, and
with consent make excuse that they
knew nothing about it AS say, it is one OF
the phenomena and anomalies of legislation,
and have no other explanation TO make
| than this. believe that both houses of Con-
| gress and the President of the United states
must have been hypnotiZed So great was
| the power of capital, SO profound was abe
| impulse, persistent was the determine
ton that the promoters of the scheme sue
| Cepded by the operation of mind power and
will force in capturing and bewildering the
| Intelligence of men of all parties, OF MEM
| bers of both houses OF Congress, and the
members of the Cabinet, and the President
! of the United states
FREE COINAGE.
Mr.. President, there is not State west OF
the Allegheny Mountains and south of the
Potomac and Ohio rivers that is not in favor
| OF the free coinage of silver. There is not Il
State in which il that proposition We're TO be
| submitted TO q popular vote it would not be
| adopted by an overwhelming majority.
| do not mean by that inclusion to say that in
| those States east of the Alleghenies and
| north of the Ohio and Potomac rivers there
is any hostility or ind spOstiOn TO receive
| benefits that would result from the remon-
| citation OF silver. On the contrary. in the
great commemorative that lie to the north
east, upon the Atlantic SeabOard-NeW
| York. Pennsy wanna and the manufacturing
| and commercial states-I am inclined tu
| believe, from the tone of the press. from
! the declarations of many assemblies, chat
| ii the proposition were 10 be submitted
| there it would also receive a majority of the
| votes. II the proposition were to be sub
| mtted TO the votes of the people of this
| country at large whether the silver dollar
should be fecOined and silver remonetized
| notwithstanding the prophecies, the pre-
| dictiOns, the animadversons of those who
| are opposed TO it, have not the slightest
| irrespective of party, would be in favor of it
| and would SO record themselves. They have
| declared in favor OF it for the past fifteeI
| years. and they have been juggled with, they
| have been thwarted, they have been paItereC
| wien and dealt with in double sense Tht
word of promise that was made to their cal
| in the platforms of political parties has been
| broken TO their hope. There was majority
| in this body at the last session of Congress
| in favor of the tree coinage of silver. Tn
| compromise that was made was not what the
| people expected nor what they had a RICH
| TIC demand They felt that they had beer
trifled with, and that is one cause of the ex
asperation that was expressed in the verd C
of SOVemberA
| WARNING.
| feel impelled to make one further ObSer
vatOn. Warnings and admOnitionS hav,
been plenty n this debate. We have beer
admon ished of the danger that would follow
we have been notified of what would Occu
if the free coinage of silver were supporte,
part of financial system. am not
prophet nor the son of prophet, but sa.
TO those who now arraying themseive
against the deliberately expressed judgmen
of the American people. Judgment tina
they know has beed declared and recorded
| l say TO the members OF this body. say, =
far az ! may do so with prOpI iety, to tn
members of the ordinate branch of Con
gress and say. if without appropriately
may do so, to the Executive of fhe Nation