The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1893-09-14

much in ruts. There has never been
robbery imposed upon the American
people in the shape of tariff on any
article, from darning needle to a
steel rail, from a 25-cent wool hat to 4
$500 shawl, that has not been imposed
in the name and for the benefit of the
laboring people alone. Laughter The
idea that the capitalist was to be
benefited by such tariff exaction was
always secuted as altogether untrue.
Strange to say, this impudent and
unblushing lie always found some
believers-such is the credulity OF
mankind. The same tactics are re-
sorted to in this discussion of the fl
nancial question.
Knowing tie popularity of silver
money with the great masses of the
people, speakers in this House and the
other sing the same praises of bimetal-
lism, from the invocation to the
doxology Of these services, coupled
with the solemn averment that they
are the best and truest friends of that
system to be found, and that uncondi-
tional repeal is the only true road to
attain it. [Laughter.l
With all the grave pledges of their
party platforms, State and National,
staring them in the face, as we'll as
their own speeches, promises, and
votes in the recent past, blowing
trumpet-tongued against the deep
damnation of the taking-of of silver,
they clamor all the fercer and all the
louder that the only way to save
silver is to repeal the one law on our
statute book which gives it life.
Mr.. President, in the presence Of a
position so defiant of logic and Of fact,
it is hard to speak plainly without ap-
pearing to violate those courtesies
which are not only required by
parliamentary law, but which are
urgently demanded by our feelings Of
personal respect and regard for each
other. 1t is my earnest desire not to
do so.
One member of the House met with
great applause when he said that the
bill to repeal unconditionally comes
not to destroy but to save silver. The
like sentiment has been uttered in this
Chamber again, and again, and those
who have uttered it would, no doubt,
feel greatly offended if their sincerity
was impugned. Certainly shall not
do so, but 1 must point out what 1
regard as their Inconsistencies. They
declare they love silver money,
bimetallism therefore they slay it.
They want both metals; therefore
they abolish one. They want gold
and silver coined on terms of equality,
according to their platform, and SO
they stop coming silver in order the
better to restore it.
They want to maintain the parity
between the two metals, therefore
they cut the only cord that holds
silver up and permit it to drop out OF
sight in the abyss, displaying thereby
the same wisdom which was displayed
by the Irishman who was going down
the shaft of a mine in a bucket, and
got scared. He shouted I" Haul me
up, boys, haul me up! IF you don't
haul me up, may the devil fly away
NTH me if I don't cut the rope! -
[Laugbter.l Those of us who claim to
be likewise true friends of silver, but
who are misguided by our weak judg-
ments, appreciate this love and tender
care, and deplore it.
Truly they must love silver much,
since they chastise it much. We will
suppose man is i'll and on his bed
the kind physicians doctoring him in
vain-he slowly sinks, his pulse is low
and feeble. Finally a bolder physician
comes in who practices Oh the heroic
theory, and he says to the others,
g You are all wrong and wasting time
in trying to restore this man by nurs-
ing and stimulating him; he will never
get up in that way in the world. Let
US try a new plan let us cut his
throat and take new start; we can
adopt other remedies for his restoration
to life after that [Laughter.]
Now, he that believes it will be
easier to resurrect the dead body o
silver into the full manhood of free
coinage than it will be to keep in the
life it already has and strengthen it by
the legislation which we solemnly
promised the people at Chicago, four
teen months ago, let him vote tol
unconditional repeal. l shall not. ]
shall try common sense little while
longer. If it be indeed decreed thai
silver money is to perish, and the world
Of the producers and the poor is to
undergo the travail and suffering and
the sorrow of the road which leads to q
sidgle gold standard, it shall not be
my fault; it shall not be said of me
& Greater love hath no man than this
that a man killed his friend that he
might save his life.'' Laughter.
Great, indeed, must be the love O
these men for silver, that they would
chasten it even unto death.
But they deny that the repeal of the
Sherman law means the death of silver
and accord full sincerity in this belle
to all who are and have been rea
friends to silver. There is no telling
what a man can not bring himself tt
if much depends on it. But can there
be a doubt of this? Let us see. 1
stops the coinage of silver in terms
there is no doubt about that much
1t will also cause a great fall in thu
bullion price of silver; neither car
there be any doubt of that. In fact, il
is admitted; but just how great tina,
fall will be is somewhat conjeetural.
The stoppage of not all coinage, bu
free coinage in India alone, caused :
fall of about 20-cents an ounce, ant