The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1894-07-09
The Seventies Populists.

er they would stick to the third party or
not.
The Seventies POpulists.
Lafayette, Ca, July 6.--(Special)-Th
peoples party executive committee of the
seventh congressional district met here
today and fixed August 18th as the time
for holding their congressional convention.
The convention will be held in Rome and
after that date Hon. Seaborn Wright will
know whether he is to be endorsed not.
1t is the general opinion here that the
popuists will endorse him and allow him
to an Independent.
MIR. TURNER'S ADDRESS
Reviewed by IL WeII-Knoyvn Georgian
Who Is Here.
Editor Constitution: must admit that I
was very much disappointed at Hon. Henry
G. Turner's speech. We had been led to
believe that democrats were to find out by
hearing his speech what was the cause of
our present trouble and that they were to
be given the remedy.
1 agree with him one proposition, and
that is that the democratic party is in
danger and that if disintegration comes
it will be great calamity to our people.
/ accept without dispute what. ne Says-that
our party by consolidating our factions,
reversed our disasters and again took pos
session of both branches of the government
ana the presidency ana tnaC ''cOnSufnIflate
generalship prevailed before our victory"
and l agree further with him that as soon
"as our party was inaugurated the differ
enceS which were healed in the campaign
reasserted themselves and the country was
rent with DIVISION
These statements are all true.
l was disappointed because Mr.. Turner
did not tell us how these discussions oc-
Cured and how they could be healed. The
nOint /
elucdated by the distinguished speaker.
In fact I had been told that he was a
candidate for the senate and had been
selected to make this speech in Atlanta for
that specific purpose.
Mr. Turner discussed mainly four propo-
sitions.
l. Silver.
q Repeal of state bank tax.
3. Tariff.
4. The senate.
am led to believe from his
speech that he agrees with what
has been done ON the first three important
subjects and endorses the senate, sugar
and all, when it has put two of the prin-
cipal products in his congressional district
on the free list, lumber and wool, and given
40 per cent protection to few sugar plan
ters in Louisiana because the sugar trust
demanded it. Every manufacturer that
uses wool gets some protection and the
wool grower gets none. Every trust is
protected by the senate bill; not one
escaped and there is not a sensible man
that does not know that the senate bill,
which Mr.. Turner says will be law in q
few days, is nothing but a modified Nc
kinley bill
Now I am sorry to hear so tame an
excuse as Mr.. Turner gives for the loss of
the direct pledge to our people to repeal
the tax of 10 per cent state issues I
will just quote what he says, after ne
shows that the committee appointed by the
speaker was opposed to the repeal of the
tax.
why did the measure fail?' asks Mr..
Turner. 1T was because Certain demo-
Gratis (He might have said mugwumps)
We're not true to the pledges which they
assumed and failed to carry out" If Mr..
Turner had stopped at this he would have
hit the nail on the head. but he apologies,
in substance, for those who deliberately
deserted their party colors, by saying
There were several from the north who
opposed the repeal Of this tax from honest
motives, and | am not the one to charge
them with disloyalty." If this was not
disoyalty what was it. and Mr. Turner
would made no mistake in charging it. If
these men were right, the democratic party
was wrong in putting such plank in its
platform L deny the latter
But Mr.. Turner's greatest disappoint-
ment was on his discussion of silver. To
say that it must be disappointing to the
friends of the Carlisle Sherman policy here
is TO put it mildly. Mr.. Turner never did
convince but one man that ratio of
20 to l right and that man is Ben
Russell, and if Ben had it to do over
again he would not convince him.
OF all the fool propositions about silver,
this parity business is the worst. The word
was never heard of in public discussion until
IN, hi. ,t,,Xr of laoe oh
Sherman imported it. 1t is an English thor
oughbred, registered by Mr.. Sherman in
The Congressional Record as ia" back as
1873 and the work of that year produced Il
panic in this country that has never been
equaled until the present day The panic
of 1873 was caused because ceased to
coin silver dollars (by shrewd trick, for
which the English government paid well,
it is said
Let us imagine for one moment that Mr.
Turner had been able to convince congress
that the ratio of 20 to l was the proper
one for silver. What would have been
the result? Every piece of silver, whether
dollars, half dollars, quarters or Dimes
as, soon as the bill passed would have been
at a discount all over the world. The bill
would doubtless have given the holder of
a 16 to | dollar the right to exchange for
a 20 to /. Mr.. Carlisle said it would take
four years to coin the seigniorage-about
$50 900 900. Counting our silver currency at
about $780, 000, 000 it would have taken thirty
two years before would have finished
the job of swapping dollars. This is certain
ly the grandest scheme for demonetizing sill
yer ever invented. 1t is so bold-faced that
even the monometalistS have never given
heed to it for fear they would be found
out.
Then another thing. Mr.. Turner. no
doubt knows that 20 to l is not the ratio
between gold and silver, even under the
artificial pressure of today The truth is,
the parity of gold and silver is nearer to
80 to than it is to 20 to 1. Then why change
from 16 to 20?
The United States has more silver in a
dollar than any nation on earth. The stamp
of the government makes the value, and
as long as a silver dollar will buy much
as any other kind of a dollar, Why do we
want to disturb it? Some of the goldbugs,
who went to Mexico, say you could get two
Mexican dollars for one American dollar.
Then why increase the ratio? There is but
$3.50 bullion gold in q ten-dollar gold eagle,
but nobody makes any fuss on that score.
Such arguments purporting to be made
to concilate are calculated to cause dsSen-
sion, especially when they are in the face of
all the promises we have made the people