Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1894-09-20
ONE WHO KNOWS.
Crisp Tells Of the Record Of
the Late Congress.
PLEDGES REDEEMED AND FAITH WITH
THE PEOPLE TRULY KEPT.
Ideas Of Man Who Has the Best
Right TO Judge ofthe Work Ofthe
Fifty-Third Congress-Hoke
Smith on the Commercial
and Financial Situa-
tiOD,

ATLANTA, Ga, Sept. IA mass meeting
of Democrats was held in this city this eve-
ming. The principal speakers we're Speaker
Crisp, reviewing the work of congress, and
Secretary Hoke Smith against the free coin
age o. silver. Speaker Crisp declared bis
personal preference for the free coinage OF
silver, Much enthusiasm was displayed.
Speaker Crisp spoke in substance as follows:
When the Fifty-third congress met in Au-
gust last year it was confronted with difficult
ties which seemed almost insurmountable,
Trade was paral. zed, manufacturing had al
most ceased, labor was idle. our banking
institutions were failing and confidence, the
life and soul of commerce, was utterly de-
stroyed.
In 30 far as this deplorabe condition was
attributable to legislation, the Republican
party was responsible. For more than thirty
years that party had made our financial and
economic laws. Until the meeting of the
fifty-third congress the Democracy was with
out power. The condition which confronted
us, while not wholly, WAS very largely due to
evil legislation. In 1873 the free coinage of
silver had been discontinued and gold be-
came the standard of value. In 1873 partial
coinage was resumed. 1880 this law was re-
pealed and soon thereafter coinage of silver
practically ceased. These acts of the Re-
publican party resulted in 80 lessening the
volume of money of final redemption as to
decrease the price of all commodities, in
crease the burden of all debtors and impair
the confidence of the people in the power OF
the government and of banking institutions
to redeem their outstanding obligations.
For thirty years the Republicans had been
building up tariff walls around the country
and in 1890 passed what they termed per-
feet protective tariff law. A protective tariff
restricts trade and commerce, it limits the
market in which we must buy and depresses
the market in which we must sell. It is q
tax upon foreign product which the con.
sumner here must pay. By taxing his foreign
competitor you enable the domestic manu-.
facturer to increase the price Of his wares to
the extent of the tax, and this too, the con.
goods and pay the duty;it goes into the treas
ury and is called "tax." When You buy
the domestic product and pay the increased
price 1t goes into the pocket of the American
manufacturer and is called protection" A
protective tariff prevents US from exchang
ing our surplus of cotton, corn, wheat, mea
and other farm products for the surplus o.
manufactured goods abroad. We freely ex
port our products, but that for which we OK
change it is 80 heavily taxed as to make tn,
exchange Improbable. Commerce cease
when gain is gone; one cannot buy unless h,
can sell, nor can he sell unless he can buy
Commerce and agriculture go hand il
hand; when one ceases the other languishes
The laws which destroy the one make tn
other Improbable. What has the Democrat
10 congress 30 far done for the people? TIL
first matter considered was the fnancis
question. What should or could be done Of
the silver question: We had pledged our
selves against the makeshift Sherman la,
and In favor of both gold and silver as tn
standard money of the country. By an agree
ment arrived at between Democrats we dc
termined to take the ser go Of the house O
the free and unlimited coinage of silver q
several ratios. After full debate a separat
vote was had on each and on the repeal q
the purchasing clause of the Sherman &C
The result you know. While not professin
to understand the question fully in all il
bearings, have always been in favor of FIRE
coinage of silver; am ia favor of it now. Th
fears Of our friends who opposed it ar
largely imaginary and I believe the enac
ment of such a law would afford great reli,
to the people of the country. 30 feeling,
need not say that TO me personally the resu
of the vote on free coinage Of silver was
great disappointment. This question is Mt
settled. With our great struggle for tari
refo. You are familiar. All that wealth, a
that enerl ;, all that great intelligence an
capacity could do was daily and hourly dor
to defeat the cause of the people. Und,
these conditions our progress YVES slo,
The house framed and passed tariff bill
This went to the senate. After long an
tedious struggle the senate passed the bi
with amendments. Finally the questio
was presented in such fashion that we mu
either accept the senate amendments or hay