The advocate and Topeka tribune., 1893-10-04

muzzle, at us, and they justify their conduct
upon any preteXt or pretense they please.
But you call US cranks have heard
chat term applied to almost every man
who In 20 years has stood out in advance Of
the common horde. Any man who stands
in advance Of the present Is called crank.
They did not then have the name invented,
but fancy Columbus, Luther, Gallileo,
Garrison, Lowell, Patrick Henry and the
great men who have made lasting impres-
siOns on the pages of the past were all de-
nominated cranks or the equivalent term
therefor.
You say that we are weak and obscure
and a lot Of fanatics from the west that
come from the farms, land what can such
men know about fnancew Why, my
friends, l do not know but what these men
while they have been turning the furrow
have had as good opportunities as other
people to turn over in their minds these
great living problems which SO closely sf-
feet their own well being The mechanic
has stood at the lathe, and as the shaft re-
volved has also revolved in his own mind
these problems, and cannot for the life Of
me understand why he cannot attain as
perfect an apprehension Of them as the man
who walks into the Stock Exchange at 10
o'clock in the morning and stays there till
o'clock in the afternoon, goes to his Office
and balances up his accounts, saunters up
town for dinner at Delmonico's, goes to
the theater, takes box for the evening
and then sits in with the boys and plays
draw poker until o'clock the next morn
ing.
The very best business men, my friends,
you have known in your lives came from
the farm, and the only argument that l
have seen that all those remaining on it
were fools wac from those who had not re.
manned. Oh, you say that there are q lot
Of obscure cranks back in the country.
Why, your great New England poet, the
champion and herald Of human liberty,
once said:
o Truth FreedomI How are ye still born
In the rude stable, in the manger nursedl
What humble hands unbar those gates Of
Through which the splendor Of the new day
burstsl
Now, want to make my friend from
Ohio [Mr. Harterl a proposition. know
he lS out for converts. l know the corridors
Of this capitol are thronged with a lobby
that are trying to make converts, and the
hotels are full of them. Now, I want to-
tell the gentleman how he can make one
convert right here. make this PROPOSE
Gion-that silver has not declined in value
one iOta from 1873 down to this minute. II
Il has, will vote on the other side of this
proposition. Il has maintained its parity
and its ratio with every product Of human
industry save one.
This ounce Of bullion silver which today
you tell me is worth but 20 cents measures
as much wheat and more than 1t ever meas
ured inthe last 50years. It measures more
pounds of beef, more pounds of pork, more
pounds Of cotton, more pounds Of iron,
more barrels of oil, more Of every product
Of human industry, save one, than it ever
measured even when 1t sold at its legiti-
mate value, 129 cents an ounce. If you will
show me any other than one exception to-
this proposition, you have convert right
here The one exception is gold. The 70
cent ounce Of silver will not buy as much
gold today, but it will buy more of every
other product of human industry.
Now, then, fnasmuch as silver has main
tanned its ratio-its parity with your wheat,
and your corn, and your cotton, with every
product of human labor-why do you say
that silver has gone down and that this
metal is debasedP Why do you not say
that gold has gone up and has been deifedi
You cry out In these halls for an honest
dollar" You do not want an honest dol
lar-not one of you that makes this cry. You
want scarce dollar. You do not want an
honest dollar. Hyou do, comeover and vote
with us, and we will give it to you. Wewill
give you dollar that isas honest today as
II was In 1878. But you are not going 10
Rrrnn NznrlI 1Sn cant diahnnaat dollar nnon