The herald., 1894-11-01

Mr.. George 8. Patton, the Domocratic
candidate for congress in this district,
addressed large meeting of Democrats
at San Fernando on Tussday night.
The following is . verbatim report OF
his address. which should be carefully
read by all good citizens:
FELLOW CITIZENS I'm appearing be.
fore you as candidate for so high and
important \ position as that OF represen-
tative in congress from the Sixth dis
trict of California, it is proper that 1
should state to you frankly and candidly
the attitude which / occupy upon the
various public questions concerning
which II would be my duty to represent
You In case of my election. Also, as
the representative of the great national
party, whose nominee l am, it is but
just and right that l should be prepared
to answer all fair and just criticisms
which may be made upon the action OF
that party, which il now in power in
the United States. l use the words
"fair and just criticisms" because it is
neither incumbent upon me, nor would
it be profitable, to take up time by at-
tempting to answer the absurd criticisms
OF those whose argument in such mat
tors consists OF nothing more than bare
assertion. Among the most conspicu
ous of such criticisms are those which
We hear upon every hand, asserting that
which the United States has passed
during the last two years. are directs
~ due and attributable to the cleo.
tion Of Mr.. Cleveland in 1892. 1t
10 sufficient to reply to these, that
those who mako such arguments UNDER
estimate the intelligence Of the people
to whom they address them. 1t is we'll
known to every intelligent citizen that
in the very high-noon OF Mr.. Harrison's
administration there burst upon the
world . financial cyclone such as had
never been known in its history. Be.
ginning with the collapse OF the fnan.
cial system Of the Argentine Con!edera.
tion it swept with unabated fury
throughout the civilized world, bury
ing beneath its ruins the greatest
banking institution in the world, and
making its effects felt at the rsmo,eat
corner OF the earth. 1t is peedless to
say. for everyone knows. that in the
complex system OF financial and COM
meycial relations between the nations of
the world. such a disaster coald not but
be felt in the United States. l do not
cause or oauHes which led to this result.
, do not believe that any living man has;
but do say that l believe it may be
fairly stated that one OF the
most potential OF the causes which
have contributed to this result
aud to the present financial distress
throughout the United States, was the
demonstration OF silver. l bslieva that
the foundation for much of the trouble
which We have eince experienced was
laid upon the fateful day in 1873, when
the Republican party, a. the hehest OF
John Sherman, struck down the fnan-
cial system which had been esta ablisned
BY our forefathers and which had amply
served our needs for nearly a century.
believe that with the decentralization
OF silver at that time there began in the
United States that fearful and fatal fall
in prices which has been scarcely
broken since. BY the destruction OF
one halt OF the worlds circulating me-
dunn the immediate and necessary
effect was that prices sought to accom-
modate themselves to tho new condition
OF an enhanced gold dollar. This being
tho case, nothing else than steady de
cline in the price OF all agricultural
products could have been expected. and
lowed q decline in the value of the land
from which such products arc pro-
duced. The subsequent financial legie-
lation OF this country, canddlv conaid-
cred, must display to any etuuens the
fact that the Democratic party. taken as
q whole, hae consistently endeavored to
re-establieh the financial system of the
United States as II existed prior TO 1873.
do not claim that the party has been
united in this policy, but do claim
that judging that party by the only
standard by which it can fairly be
judged, to wit, the opinion of the major
ity OF lite lesdera aud voters, am justi-
fed in saying that the Democratic
party has stood since 1878, and today
stands, as the only party whicn holds
out to the people of the United States
the hope of securing legislation in favor
of the free coinage OF silver at the ratio
Of IL to l. 1t 10 true that the Republic
can platform OF California this year
contains plank to that effect. but its
insircerity and hypocrisy are apparent
to every one. While no doubt the ma.
slority Of this Republican voters of Cali
iornia agree with their Democratic
brethren on this subject, no one pre-.
tends that there is the slightest hope OF
ever securing any result favorable to
silver within the lines OF the Republic
can party as at present constituted in
the United States. The record shows
tnat II has, by an overwhelming major
NY OF its voters and leaders, become the
avowed and open defender OF the princi-
PIE OF monometallism, and IL is only
lew weeke ago that GO prominent Re-
publican leader ae Senator John p.
Jones Withdrew from that party in
public letter, declaring that he did SO
lol tne reason that it was hopeless to
expect any legislation favorable 70 sill
yer coinage from that organisation. Ny
own opinion upon that matter is we'll
known. and | have declared it without
qqaliic9flon from every platform from
which ! have addressed the voters OF
this district. Notwithstanding this fact
nnd npon my return that the Los An
geies Evening Expresc, which ie M.
Huntington's railroad organ in this ciry.
essax ssserts that am not sound upon