The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-09-24

"
age With that bone of contention (the
sherman law out of the way we will
stand with the antfrepealeTs for restoring
silver TO its rightful place in our cur
rency Then, and not till then, will the
real battle for silver and state banking
begin with their friends no longer
divided, but united, resolute and irresist-
lble. Beyond all doubt we shall secure a
better law than we have had since 1873.
why not then accept some compromise
now in the Senate2" / might answer
that question by asking another-what
good would that doc 1t requires the
House, as well as Senate, to pass bills,
and the House has irreyocably committed
itself to unconditional repeal and by
more than two-thirds majority. The
whole vote in the House against repeal
was only los while $50 voted for repeal;
besides our platform commits the party
to speedy" repeal. How long then
would it require the Senate to persuade
that great majority in the House to yield
its convictions and repudiate our plat
form2 We would bein a dead lock inde6-
nitely. In the meantime what would be-
come of the country
Let me now go one step further and
show how utterly illogical and untenable
is the contention that if the Sherman law
is repealed nothing else will be done. Look
at The facts. Our platform does not say
repeal and stop" but exactly the re-
verse.
The President does not say this in his
recent message, nor anywhere, nor to any
man. On the contrary his only utterance
on silver since his nomination at Chicago
is in his letter of acceptance, and that ut
teranee was fullyas strong for silver as
the platform declaration Indeed it was
stronger; for where the platform requires
the two metals to be of equal intrinsic
and exchangeable value" Mr.. Cleveland
used in that connection the word orr in
stead of "and, - clearly showing that he
was satisfied either with equal intrinsic
value or purchasing power. The differ
ence in these two little words. in such
connection, is marked and broad, an Mr.
Cleveland does not use words idly. Be
sides he added words for both metals
being "safely utilized upon equal terms"
etc. He also said what the platform did
not say, that the people are entitled to
sound money "abuudantly sufficient in
volume to supply their business needs"
1t is clear, therefore, that his declaration
was more favorable to silver and a suf-
fcient supply of currency than the plat
form itself.
But our friends, the anti-repealers, ask
why the President did not again say so
in his recent message urging repeal of the
Sherman law: l do not know; for l have
no more right to speak for the President
than any other democratic senator. |
have not seen HIM or communicated with
him directly or indirectly for many
months, nor with any man authorized to
speak for him; but l can readily see that
there was no occasion for repeating the
declaration contained in his letter of &C
ceptance To ask him to again say it
would be an indignity if not an insult. 1t
would be an implied charge of insincerity,
and fraud, and no self-respecting citizen
would relish such imputation. He said
it once and in the most solemn form and
by the most binding pledge he could give
to the party and people and he has never
denied or qualified the declarations in his
letter of acceptance.
Besides, in his repeal message, he was
dealing with specific evil, with an &C
cursed law that has brought distrust and
death-dealing panic into every avenue of
trade and business, and which had to be
repealed and repealed quickly. He doubt
less saw in advance that to undertake to
revise the whole financial system of this
country would involve long debate and
delay which, under the circumstances
then around us, would bankrupt the
country In no sense, so far as know
.
platform or qualified his letter of accept
ance. Had he "gone back" on either I
should have opposed him with all the
strength and whatever of ability l may
possess; but I can see no benefit to the
party nor good to the country Especially
to the SOUTH in harboring suspicious
which have no sufficient foundation in
fact, and whose certain tendency is to
dissensions and disaster.
ie al T.,
platform or in the Presidents position to
justify fear that repeal of the Sherman
Law means an end to financial legislation;
but precisely the reverse.
But again. The southern and western
senators who favor repeal do not say
stop when repeal is accomplished. On the
contrary all of them declare their pur-
pose to see the platforms pledges complied
with in good faith and in the interest of
the people / think l may claim, without
undue assumption, that the position taken
by me in my speech fairly represents the
position of Senators Ransom, Faulkner,
Turpie, Lindsay, VOORHEES,, Hunton and
others, and of the Georgia and southern
members who voted for repeal in the
House. BY reference to that
speech you you will see tath
from end to end it is an argument
for silver and on the line of every utter
ance and act and vote of mine for twenty
years. So that to say that the repeal of
the Sherman law means an end to finan-
cial legislation is to charge that the Pres
ident of the United States, the senators
and representatives who have thus
spoken are unworthy of trust, unfaithful to
pledges, platform and people. That they
are untruthful men, dishonest and dis
honorable.
The misrepresentation of my views
and sentiments is of small consequence to
the country, however painful to myself
and friends; but surely the people of
Georgia cannot be deluded into believing
such stuff in reference to some of the
men of the party and of the re-
public.
fWill we be able to get better law?"
OF course we will. The democrats could
scarcely concoct worse one, if they were
bent on bringing disaster to the country
OF course we will get compliance with
our platform pledges. am glad to note
your hope that our people will wait and
see what the party will do with its power.
The only possible ground for condemna-
tion now is that the party may do some
thing wrong or fail to do right.
On such fears I could base as good an
for Herodizing Georgia and
the boy babies, for fear they
would grow up To a dishOnorabl BILE man
hood and commit theft and murder In
deed the logic in this case would be
sounder; for we would at least have the \
experience of the past to show that a
great many boys develop into bad men;
whereas there is nothing in the past to
Justify such fears of democratic action.