The Ravalli Republican. [volume] (Stevensville, Mont.) 1894-1899, 1894-10-03
HON. R0BT. B. SMITH TALKS
To an Audience That He Tries
to BambOozle.
He Treats Them as Unread Bitter
Rooters Who Would Swallow
Any Kind Of Rot.

accompanied by II. Fl. Grant, candi.
date for state senator, Isaac Crane
candidate for sheriff, and s. f. Coen.
candidate for assessor. y;
Mr.. Smith spoke the same evening
in the, court house, and had an aud
fence Of about Is, some 25 Of whom
were populists, the remainder being
made up alike Of republicans anc
democrats.
Mr.. Smith started off by reminding
his auditors Of the time, four years
ago: when he spoke here in the inter
est Of democracy, and said he made
no sacrifice of principle as a democrat
by appearing before them as the
standard bearer Of populism. HI
still believed in the Old school dem.
ocracy, but not in democracy as ex
emplified by Grover Cleveland, Car.
Isle, Wilson, German, Brice anG
other democratic leaders of today
Mr.. Smith then took up the silver
question, the one issue npon which
the populist party expect to ride in
Ito power in the west, and on which
by the way, Montana republicans
and democrats are alike agreed. He
produced the platform adopted a few
days ago by the Montana state demo-
cratic convention, and read from the
first plank the following words:
We hereby express our cordial ap-
proVal OF the administration Of Gro
yer Cleveland and our confidence in
his Judgment and patriotism, and in
his ability to guide the destinies OF
our country through the difficulties
with which it is besct.
"What do you think of that?" said
Mr.. Smith, in so many words. "a
convention representing the demo-
cratic party Of Montana, party that
claims to stand up for the free and
unlimited coinage Of silver, declaring
their 'cordial approval Of the admin
istration Of Grover Cleveland and
their confidence in his Judgment and
patriotism.' Their cordial approval
Of the administration Of Il man who
was scarcely seated in Office before he
called an extra session OF congress
for the express and avowed purpose
Of knocking the last prop from under
silver: the man Who when a bill was
passed, known as the seigniorage bill,
which would have added the paltry
sum Of about S55, 900, coo to the silver
currency Of the nation, and was only
a sop thrown to the silver interests,
promptly vetoed it,
We firmly believe that complete
prosperity cannot be attained by the
United States until the complete res
toration Of silver to it's function as a
money metal is made by the reversal
OF the financial Legislation Of the re-
publican party.
''Listcn to that. For years | and
other Montana democrats have been
hoping. For years the democratic
party Of the United States have been
dcnouncing the financial legislation
enacted by the republican party and
asking the people to give them the
power to knock it out. In 1892 the
people gave them the power. They
elected a democratic president, a
democratic senate and a democratic
house. Now, I thought, we will see
Il scrap. Did we see it? No. The
leaders Of the democratic party, from
Grover Cleveland down, gave them
selves over to the power Of Wall
street and it's English masters. and
went even farther than 'thc financial
Legislation enacted by the republican
partly and enacted legislation which
completed the final and entire sur
render to the golditcs and moneyed
powers of Europe. a little over one
hundred years ago our forefathcrs
fought against paying taxes to King
George III. They little dreamed:
they little dreamed, | say, that their
descendants, in 1894, would be pay
ing tribute to the same power. Eng
land, as the great creditor nation,
controls the finances Of the United
States, and the only hope Of escape
from her clutches is through the pco-
pies party"
We dcnouncc as hypocritical and
insinccrc the declaration of the re-
publican state convention Of this
state in favor Of the free coinage Of
silver. coupled as it is with an en-
dorscmcnt OF the republican party.
'And this from the democratic
state convention. composed of repre-
scntatiycs from every county in tho
state, among them Ravalli county,
one Of whose representatives (Mr.
Faulds) | see before me. They de-
nouncc as hvpocritical and insinceln
the action Of the republicans in favor
OF silver because they endorsed the
republican party. And this from a
representative hO1y Of men who had