Mississippi leader. (Jackson, Miss.) 1892-1895, 1893-08-22
4 FLEA roH kEErING FAITH WITH
THE PEOPLE

Hon. G.. J. BoatnCr Democrats OF
Louisiana. has made one of the strong
est speeches vet delivered in Congress
against the unconditional repeal OF the
Sherman silver law. as proposed by the
Wilson bill. and made an earnest plea
in favor of keeping faith with the peo-
pie and carrying out the party platform.
Mr. Boatner said that the arguments
now made against the practicability of
bimetallism were made against the free
coinage bin last session and during the
Fifty first Congress. The party con
ventions decided that the effort should
be made. but it is now proposed that
Representatives shall violate the trust
reposed in them by their constituents
and stultify the party. The Democrat
ic platform declared that the Sherman
law was a cowardly makeshift. because
while it pretended to favor silver as a
money metal. it really deprived it of
that character 1t made it subsidiary to
gold and piled up stock of silver bull
lion i'll the treasury. for the use of
which no provisions we're made, and
therefore. depressed it instead of APP
preciating the price in the general
market
If this Congress refuses to provide
for the coinage of silver at all. the ques-
ton is whether the platform was not a
more "cowardly makeshift'' than the
Sherman law. If the members who
pose as the representatives of the ad
ministration intend to execute the plat
form. he asked. why have they not
brought in bill conforming to their
| ideas and giving its meaning and in
teut? That it is not their intention to
attempt to carry out the platform is
shown by the argument OF the support
ers of the pending bill. who claim that
it is impossible to provide for the
coinage of both metals ON terms of
equality.
If the system of finance proposed by
! this measure is to be adopted the prom
Uses and pledges of the party will be
absolutely ignored The obligation of
members to stand by the declaration of
principles on which they are elected is
the only guarantee the people have
that their will as expressed at the polls
will be given effect. For the first time
in many years the Democratic party is
in complete possession of the govern
ment and cannot evade responsibility,
and the speaker insisted that the House
should enact the legislation promised
before the election.
The existing distress and paralysis,
Mr.. Boatner said, was due entirely to
. the crusade inaugurated by the gold
standard men. who have since the close
of the last Congress endeavored to
create such a demand for the repeal of
the Sherman law as would coerce Con-
gress to action and prevent concur
rent legislation on the silver question
If their argument be correct, that the
continued purchase of silver was I'M
dermining the credit of the govern
ment. it ought to cause run on the
government instead of a run on the
banks. With all their cutlery about
the insecurity of silver certificates they
have not been able to create any dis
trust of the government ability to
take care of its obligations.
The very money which they depreci-
ate has been withdrawn and boarded
They have succeeded in creating such
a distrust ill the public mind that bus
mess has been paralyzed. They sowed
the wind and are reaping the whirl-
wind, and they are responsible for the
| immense loss and suffering which their
financial determination to force their
views on the country have brought
about.