Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1892-09-15
A CLEAR SILVER BELL
ELOQUENT ADDRESS BY A PEO-
PIES PARTY CANDIDATE.

Hon. John G. Bell, Peoples party can
didate for congress from the Second
congressional district of Colorado. ad-
dressed large and enthusiastic audi
ence ct Montrose, Colo, on the aims and
demarSs of the party. His treatment of
the silver question was mastery and
clear. and the portion given in the fol-
| lowing extract is commended to the
careful consideration of those looking
for light upon this important subject:
To get out OF parallel with an old political
party which has given consolation and pleas
! ant associations in the past produces sadness
! and regret that such a step should be necessa-
! ry. Ii the interests of country, home, family
and duty require it the step should be taken,
! however painful the duty may be- Every politi-
cal party has its name and platform. Everyplat-
| form has its central figure and its trimmings.
While the name of an old party becomes very
/ dear to the devotee, the principles Of the party
should be uppermost in his appreciation. If
the party name and the most sacred and bene-
fetal principles separate, the devotee must
take his choice and follow the name or the
principles. He can't follow both. The name
can but fiatter his pride, the principles may
feed and clothe his family In my humble
opinion the people of Colorado must make this
important choice.
One of the cardinal principles of the Repuh-
licanism of Lincoln and Grant and of the
Democracy of jackson and jefferson was the
free and unlimited coinage of silver. Such gal
liant spirits and strong Municipalities make
the great principles of great parties. This
fixed principle of these great parties were emil
nently satisfactory to the masses of the people,
and while silver was above par, without warn
ing or notice to the people or the knowledge
of the reputable members of congress, by in
trigue it was clandestinely expunged from the
statute books through the purchase of and in
the interest of the bondholder and owners of
ready money. Turpitude and fraud are adj
mtted by ALL and be it said with shame and
to the discredit of the American congress- that
it refuses to reinstate it.
Every party has its leader and he is entitled
to sound the keynote of the campaign and fix
the order of business. The Democrats tell us
that reduction Of the tariff will bring the
panacea for all of our evils, and to secure this
is its first and supreme duty. The Republican
leaders inform us that we are already prosper
Gus and that fair and honest trial of the
present tariff with reciprocity will maintain
us all in peace and plenty.
General Weaver, the leader, chief architect
and builder of the Peoples platform, very
graphically tells US that the first enemies the
Peoples party proposes to rout are the enemies
OF inc Tree anu Unlimited coinage OF silver.
The Peoples party have q platform unqual-
fedly demanding this. General Weaver. it's
mead, is now and ever has been consistent
and earnest advocate of the free use of silver.
| know this assertion will surprise many of our
friends whose party paper has ever depicted
him u bundle of Inconsistencies and fiat
and soft money fanatic. The platform upon
which he ran in 1880 is the legitimate father of
the one upon which he now stands, and never
did father and son look more alike. The finan-
cial plank in what is called the Greenback and
Labor platform of 1880 reads:
"All money, whether metallic or paper,
should be issued and the volume controlled by
the government and not by or through bank
ing corporations, and when so issued should be
a full legal tender for all debts, public and pri-
vate; that the bonds of the United States
should not be refunded, but paid as rapidly as
practicable according to contract. To enable
the government to meet these obligations le-
gal tender currency should be substituted for
the notes of the national banks, the nationa!
banking system abolished and the unlimited
coinage of silver rs well as gold established by
law" Do these look like or sound like the uS-
terances of a soft or fiat money crank? Are
these not the same cardinal principles that all
of the mining, wheat growing, cotton growing,
producing and industrial classes advocate at
all seasons Of the year, except when the in
trigues of the place hunters in the heat of
political campaign causes their preJudices and
partisanship to outrun their judgment? Con-
sistent with this the Populists at all times in
congress have voted unanimously for the free
and unlimited coinage of silver.
Upon the other hand. the conventions of
both the old parties refused to adopt a free sill
yer platform, and each headed its ticket with
q representative personally opposed to free
coinage.
The papers and speakers Of the east insist
that in the next congress the gold people must
take the offensive and stop the further coinage
of silver. Senator Sherman has introduced
bill for its complete destruction. The present
~ ion Inns dnna eyei.xth hing In Ito