Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-11-01

| describe such n policy to you? Yet
| that was the result OF the elections in
| 1888, as formulated In 1890. And | tell
you, that the American people in 1892
had become thoroughly alarmed at WI hat
they were witnessing. They had seen
a dreadful Force Bill that had threat.
ened to upset their government, barely
defeated, backed by the whole Repub-
lican phalanx; they had seen this mon
strous Tariff bill passed. and saw that
the principle admitted then must neces-
sarlly go on increasing for when did
mercenary greed ever become satisfied ?
When would it ever cry 'enough 2"
That time has not been in human history,
and it never will be; and therefore the
American people must themselves state
their judgment and their decision upon
such questions, and they did state it in
1899.
SILVER LEGISLATION.
But something else had occurred In
1878, with n Congress Republican in
both branches, with o Republican Presi.
dent,a bill WAS passed which for the
first time In the history of this govern.
ment--and SO far as | know in the his
tory OF nny other government pretend
ing To be constitutional in furm--the
Government Of the United States be.
came the purchaser and the owner
monthly and annually OF large amounts
of one of the metals used for our metallic
currency--l meano of silver. Before 1878
the mints of the United States never
contained one dollar of gold or silver
that belonged to the government. may
say that exclude the fractional cur
rency, because that is deposited; it be
longsto the government. 1t docs not
contain that intrinsic value OF metal
that 1t purports to represent, for you all
Know that there is not the same amount
OF silver in 10 dimes that there is in one
dollar. There is II degradation of about
6 or per cent of alloy. As say, the
government Of the United States had
never--and so fur as | know no other
government had ever-proposed to 70
into partnership with the producer OF
the metals, or of anything that was
purely private property, and become by
law its purchaser and its owner.
But SO it was. l objected to that law.
| tried to oppose it, but it passed; and
by that law two millions dollars monthly
were to be bought by the government at
the top market price and coined into
silver. Wise men, thoughtful men were
looking with great disapproval and ap.
prehension upon this. But it was slow;
it was gradual, and did not declare itself
until the time came for the Republican
party to settle with the class of men
who bad placed themselves in power.
And, Just as the tariff tax laws were
hnnIoH fFN Il ,F Ear
facturers, so the currency laws were
changed to meet that class or body of
rich silver miners and producers, who
claim-and who claim with apparent
logic-that they had right to the same
protection and governmental aid as the
men who were engaged in other pur-
suits. They threatened if they did
not get that, that they would leave the
Republican party. Their allegiance was
based-as is that of many others of that
party-upon getting their fair share OF
their plumber of the American people;
and they got it. They rushed through
the House of Representatives, under
Mr., Reeds rule, free silver coinage
act. They brought it to the Senate.
The Senate resisted it, and finally they
| made compromise; and the compromise
came out in the shape of what is known
| as the Sherman bill.
Why was a compromise made upon
that? Why do you call it compro.
mise? That bill contained the provision
| that the United States should purchase
each month b4,500,000 of silver-$54,-
| 100000 per annum-more than was
mined in the United States, and to sup
ply this they had to go outside of the
/ United States to purchase it. That be-
came the law in 1890, and they bought
it for one year, and they bought it for
two years, and then, my friends, came
another cause for the American people
to feel alarmed.
| say there was not sensible banker
in the State of Delaware; say there was
not a responsible man of intelligence
engaged in business in this State-I saw
you could scarcely find one, or if you
found exception, it was only to prove
the rule that the united intelligence, the
united experience and the united none
tary learning of the United States be-
came overwhelmed with fear as they
saw the necessary effects of the Sher-
man bill proclaiming themselves in the
commerce and the business of the
country.
There, my friends, they had unset.
tied respect and public confidence by
attempting to pass the Force bill; they
had unsettled respect and public conf
dence by the passage Of the Mckinley
bill; they had unsettled the public con
fideuce by the adoption of the Sherman
Compromise bill. And the American
people arose in 1899 and sent Demo.
cratic Congress and Il Democratic Presi-
dent to represent their will, and they
voted y want of confidence in the Re-
publican party from the President down.
Applause.
My. friends, may say one word more
in regard to this Silver Purchase bill I
II Is not confined to this country alonc.It
is to-day agitating Great Britain, because
with her enormous dependency of 300,-
100000 of people in East India, whert
silver is used and where from time i'm
memorial they have used that and but
little else as money, there is arising Il
tremendous question as to whether they
can maintain their standard of value or
not. The subject is profound. 1t is not
an instance before the American people
for action, thank God. The courage, the
atriotism-almost at the cost Of his
life-of your Democratic President has
saved you-mark me, has saved you my
brothers from evils compared to which
your sutferings of the last year would
be mere child's play. Had not Grover
Cleveland been IL man of honor ap-
plause had he not been a man of
courage, had he not been patriot who
would have given his life to serve his
country, the American people, in
my opinion, would have lost their
standard OF value, (their gold stand
ard) and We would have seen the