The Helena independent., 1892-11-05
Miss Ella Knowles Address to a
Great Crowd at the Audi
torium.
The POpulist Candidate for Attor
ney General on the CAM
paign Issues.
She Talks for One Hour and Fiftv-fiye
Minutes without Any Signs Of
Exhaustion.

of the only woman ever honOred by nom-
ination to high state Office, the call for a
peoples party meeting at the auditorium
last evening filled every seat in that great
building. The ladies were very nearly In
majority, but the men who were there we're
Just as enthusiastic in their reception OF
Ella l.. Knowles, who says she Is going 10
be the next attorney general Of Montana If
she gets the most votes ON tuesday next.
Tho stage was prettily set in potted plants
and pictures of Weaver and Field and MISS
Knowles were prominently displayed. Rob-
ert Teeples called the meeting to order, and
without any formality OF presiding officer
GOT down to business by introducing X. A.
Carleton, who spoke for fifteen minutes.
Among other things he said that when he
was boy the issue on which the republi-
can party appealed TO the voters was that
bloody shirt, which they waved and waved
until all the color was out of it, Since then
it had been the tariff. Strike from the
eastern edge Of the map of the United
States small section of country and where
would the Mckinley bill be. The greatest
republican the country ever produced, who
was downed at Minneapolis by an migrate
full party, had said that that bill did not
make a market for another bushel of corn
or barrel of pork. He had had reciprocity
fastened to the tariff bill as its only re-
deeming feature. and the leaders at Mime
apolis had sought even TO rob him Of the
credit of that performance and appropriate
it to Harrison. ON the financial question
he said that if either Harrison or Cleveland
were present and were asked if they would
sign free coinage bill. they would be
dumb as oysters. Weaver was the only
sign such bill. He was surprised that at
the democratic meeting at the opera house
Weaver had been attacked as the exponent
of fat money, when the democratic plat
form contained plank which called Tor the
repeal of the tax on stats banks. Ihat
must have gotten into the democratic plat
form on the assumption that the rank and
file of the democratic party could neither
read nor write. Applause and laughter. i
There never was a time when vote for
Weaver would count as much as now. The
silver states would hold the balance OF
power and could keep any candidate from
being elected until he pledged himself TO
sign free coinage bill.
As Miss Knowles rose and walked to the
front of the stage the audience gave vent to
a mighty cheer. She spoke in clear,
strong voice that was heard all over the
auditorium. and talked for exactly one
hour and tfty-five minutes without any ap-
parent sign of exhaustion. Before proceed-
ing to argue the general questions of the
campaign she said she wished to speak a
word in her own behalf, thing very natu-
raj with politicians. daughter. IF any
one has any doubt of my being eligible to
the position" she continued, II wish to
state the opinion of the attorney general of
she United states to Attorney Herbert, of
In1r 10 iv,a aft thpk
q plurality of the votes of this state. can
be inducted into office. Attorney General
Miller adds: All Miss Knowles has to do
is to look after the votes 1t is not neces
sary to tell this audience that | have been
looking after the votes" Applause
The people had been told. Miss Knowles
stated. that the free coinage OF silver was
not to be an issue in this campaign. 1t had
been her experience that just before every
election the tariff was presented as an Is
sue; after election it was noticeable that
party lines disappeared, and some of the
democrats who went to compress voted for
protection, and some republicans for low
tariff, or no tariff at all, and their constit-
uents justified them SO long as they acted
for the interest of the section they repre-
sented. 1he fact was the issue was raised
to divide the parties. The peoples party
says there are other issues which are para
mount TO the tariff" said the speaker,
silver. Applause. Certainly no issue as
to this great principle is raised by the plat
foi ma of the two old parties. The claims
of the stock growing and silver producing
states were not recognized by the
hiRh-soundlnR words and rolling
phrases u;aa on fnaIs. finance anu ana b.netai @
silver planks in the platforms of the
democratic and republican conventions,
and declared that they were exactly alike
and that they must be labelled TO tell
which was which. She then read the plank
of the peoples party platform, demanding
she free and unlimited coinage of gold and
silver on the legal basis of sixteen to one"
'lf you want free coinage" she said, "you
have no choice but to vote for the only
party that has free coinage plank. Lap
plause. The question Is one beyond party
lines. 1t IS one of progress, of great ma
tlonal benefit, of great public veal" Be-
fore 1873, she said, when silver was demon
etlzed. no matter what the proportion of
the two metals. silver was deprecated
over three per cent and much of the time
was at premium above gold. and this de-
spite the fact that England adopted
single gold standard in 1860. This, Miss
Knowles claimed, conclusively proved that
the United States, by proper legislation,
could control the silver markets of the
world. Appliance. She spoke of the de-
preciation of the white metal since 1873,
$129 to 81 cents an ounce
since the passage Of the bill by the
Reed congress, and the recent reaction TO
90 cents, she declared that the late advance
was the result of an arrangement by which
1T was hoped to catch the silver vote of the
great northwest. Applause. This coun-
try, which produced 80 per cent of the sill
yer output of the world, was debarred from
using 1t, while foreign powers which pro
duoed none. or very little. set the price ON
the American article. England could buy
eleven ounces of American silver for $9
ana coin 1t into siIty-six English shil-
lings. worth $l6. Deducting the cost OF
transportation and mintage, the profit
made OF every ounce of Montana silver
was 6o to 10 cents. Add that to the present
price OF Montana silver and it would mean
the starting up of 10000 mines, new life In
every channel of trade, and increased
wages to WorklnRmen. iApplsusel.
he1errlnR 10 the demonetlzation of silver
by republican congress- IN 1873, Miss
Knowles said that both the old parties had
realized the great wrong perpetrated on the
American people, why had they not, al the
first opportunity, in justice to that people,
riRhted that wronR2 Applause ii he
republican party say they are for free coin
age" continued Miss Knowles. 1.-The
democratic party say the same. The ora
tors of the republican party in the east tell
the people that if Benjamin Harrison is
elected free coinage bill will never come
out or the White house alive. The demo
cratic orators tell the people that if Grover
Cleveland 10 elected free coinage bill will
never come out of the White house alive