People's party paper. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1891-1898, 1892-10-14

came up there was only one man
who said it ought not to be done.
The Democrats ought to preserve
Hubbelin amber. Gentlemen, you
are the jury. -
A voice. Was that the vote of
1873?
Mr.. Watson. No; 1866. The
truth of the matter is the Demo
Gratis have tried to cover up these
votes. They are not willing to go
back to the original votes which are
the cause of trouble. They try to
blind by referring to later votes, but
the fact is that there was only one
Democrat who voted against the
policy of contraction.
Now come to where Cleveland
had recommended the same policy.
Mr.. Cleveland, by the report Of his
comptroller of the currency in 1886,
said what? Why he said that all the
balance Of the greenbacks that have
not been retired ought to be destroy
ed, and that this cheap money of the
people should not beKept out among
the people, and in place of it, we
should have, WHAT 0 National bank
money that the people have to pay
from eight to twenty per cent to get
use OF. -
A voice. You ARE skipping; I
asked for the vote Of 1878.
Mr.. Watson. Under this act of
1876-here is the report Of
Voice. (All these questions were
from an old gentleman with an ear
trumpet.0 I want the vote Of 1873
in the House and Senate, about
burning up the money.
Mr.. Watson. ItTall originated in
the act of 1866, and l am giving it
to you consecutively.
Same voice. No, you are dodg-
ing because I asked you for the vote
of 1873. l passed through battles
of this kind before, in the Know No
thing contest, and this is a contest
like it.
Mr.. Watson. It seems to me
that Mr.. Maddox who is a young
man like myself, should come and
discuss these matters. do not want
to be disrespectful to this old gen
tleman, but | think it is but fair to
say that [ see no similarity between
this and the Know Nothing contest.
The Know Nothings were pledged
against a certain religious sect. One
of its fundamental ideas was
''America for Americans 1t was on
that scheme that Stephens led the
fight against it. I see no compari-
son between this struggle of the
people, out in the open air, asking
only for all to have equal rights. We
propose to give equal rights to all
alike, white and black, rich and poor,
and special privileges to none, and /
do not propose to be side tracked.
Now this burning up Of the cur
rency started in 1866, consequent
upon the resolution of 1865. My
friend seems to have lost sight Of the
fact that in 1868 the burning was
stopped by act of Congress. Here
is the act of 1868, declaring that the
authority X of e. the secretary of the
treasury to reduce the currency by
cancelling shall be and is hereby
suspended. Therefore, what | am
talking aboIt WIS the crime OF 1865,
followed up y 1he act Of 1866, and
the point | make is that Dem
want to get away from it, VII
reality there was only one De
who had the courage to~EAesses- =
it. R W
A voice, Was the South rep
resented in Congress at that date?
Another Voice. Yes; by carpet
Mr.. Watson. Suppose that the
South 6was' not represented at all,
does that help the Democratic party
North and East? We are making
the fight on The national banks, and
not on the Democratic party of the
the South. fnsthat fight the masses
want to come our way. Why? Be
cause the Northern and Eastern
Democrats vote them and control
them in caucus.
A voice. That is just what they
ought to do.
Mr.. Watson. Now, that march of
contraction, destroying your money
for which you try to exchange your
products, had the effect of lessening
the price of your produce. Don't
you see how it takes two bales Of
cotton to pay the bill that one would
have done before.
Congress passed the national bank
act in 1899 The Republicans
passed the oaet and the Democrats
voted, mainly, against it A.; just as the
Republicans passed the greenback
act and the Democrats voted against
it. In that rational bank act, Con-
gress Reserved the right to repeal it
at any time. Any party has right
to Introduce d bill to repeal it at any
time, destroying the system. If the
Democrats are so anxious to show
their opposition to national banks
why did they not introduce such a
plank in their platform ? I defy any