Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1893-08-10
SILVER
Second Day Of the Convention at
Chicago.
The Friends OF Silver Had the Floor-Gov.
Waite, OF Colorado, Makes a Sensa-
ttonalSpeech-TheR Resolutions
Close OF the Convention.

CHICAGO, Aug. 3.-There was tremen-
dous applause when Gov. Waite, Of
Colorado, was introduced to the BIZ
metallic convention at Central Music
hall A number of enthusiastic dele
gates had been shouting for two days
for Waite and when the chief execu-
tive of the centennial state mounted
the platform their cup of joy was over
flowing. Cheer after cheer was given
by delegates, who stood up and waved
their hats wildly and the ovation term
mated with three cheers for Gov.
Waite. nr~->s
Gov. Waite spoke at great length.
He asserted that since 1872 no congress
had convened but that a majority in
both houses were in favor of restoring
the free coinage of silver. Congress
never had been able to enact such
law because the president,
whether republican or democrat, had
always been dominated by Wall street
and stood ready to interpose his veto,
equal to a two-thirds vote in both
houses of congress. The effect of the
gold-bug conspiracy, which has denied
free coinage of silver since 1873, has
been to increase the purchasing power
of money, or to put the statement in
another form to decrease the value of
all commodities. Abraham Lincoln
said that if a debt was created with
certain amount of money in circula ton
and then the government contracts the
money volume before the debt is paid,
it is the most heinous crime which the
government can commit against the
people.
''And that said Gov. Waite, SIS ex-
actly what this government has been
doing since 1873. Congressional legis-
lation and nothing else has reduced the
price of silver bullion from S1.32 per
ounce in 1878 to 20 cents per ounce in
1898, and legislation for which the two
old parties are equally responsible has
reduced tie price of wheat in the same
time from sL.41 per bushel to IS
cents. The same legislation has
reduced the price of cotton from
10 80 cents to : $40 cents in the same
time. The ratio OK value of silver as
bullion as compared with the gold dol
lar has been increased from 16 to to
2219 or "a to 1. 1t has not only dimir-
ished the value of silver bullion, but
also diminished in almost the same
pork, beef, cotton and the wages OF
labor. We hear much about over-pro-
duetion, law of supply and demand,
etc, but with the single standard gold
men of Europe, who have the reins in
their own hands, there is mot the same
necessity to lie about Is and no such
dishonest attempt to dodge the issue.
Not long ago. said Waite, Gladstone
FOL 1Nu ~ yr;-
Ssh parliament that the gold standard
was crushing out the agricultural and
the commercial industries of England
by compelling the business to be done
upon falling markets, debtor classes
being reduced to industrial slavery, and
taxes while nominally the same as in
force from India were double the
amount of her proFnots which a few
years ago paid tax. Gladstone unblusal-
ingly declared that England as a crezi-
itor nation could stand any amount of
appreciation in TIE value of CREDITS
and added, the governments were not
concerned about philanthropy"
Considering the condition of tihe
masses in England and in India, Waite
said this was the Uaost brutal remark
since Cain, with the blood of his maar-
y
insolently asked the Almighty: lam
/ my brothers keeper?" The proposal
by the false friends of silver and their
allies in Wall street to adopt the pres
ent price of bullieT silver as compared
with gold as a new money ratio, would
simply crystalize all wrongs and in
juries the money power has infiicaed
upon the public for the past twenty
one the devil proposed to Jesus Christ
on the mountain.
Waite said that theinternational CON
ference for the purpose of settling onr
money affairs by the dictation of fau--
eign money power was the most con-
temptible and God-f0rsaken idea that
ever entered the brsIin of an American
citizen.
IF we have become under the rule
of the two old parties only n province:
of European monarchies,' he said,
''then we need a0other revolutions,
another appeal to arms and to the God
of hosts
This evoked great applause. Im
closing Gov. Waite said:
who is Grover Cleveland and who is
Benjamin Harrison and who are their
supporters in Wall street and Chicago
that they dare assssane to drive into
poverty and exile half million of
American freemen? There's no use
crying peace when there is no peace.
Most dangerous Tyranny is that en-
forced under the FORMS of law. Our
weapons are argument and ballot free
ballot and fair count If the money
power shall attempt to sustain its usur-
patton of our rights by strong hands,
as in other lands, we will meet that
issue if it is forced upon us, for it is
better, infinitely better, rather than
that our liberties should be DESTROYED
by tyranny that is expressing human
ity all over the world. that We should
wade through seas of blood-yea, blood
TO horses brides" Tremendous APP
plause.
EX-Congressman Rice Pierce. of Ten
nessee, the lieutenant of Chairman
Bland in the last congress, was re-
eeived with great enthusiasm. and pro-
ceeded to make speech which was
the sensa ton OF the day in its arraign-
ment of President Cleveland.
After Mr.. Pierce had resumed his
Geat President Thurman, who had in
his opening address expressed the
greatest personal regard for President
Cleveland, criticised Mr.. Pierce for
n 10,