The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1894-11-04

Mr.. George s. Patton, the Democratic
candidate for congress in this district,
addressed large meeting OF Democrats
at San Fernando on Tuesday night.
The following is q verbatim report OF
his address. which should be carefully
read by all good citizens:
FELLOW CITIZENS In appearing be-
fore you as q candidate for 80 high and
important position as that OF represen-
tative in congress- from the Sixth dis
trics of California, it is proper that
should state to you frankly and candidly
the attitude which | occupy upon the
various public questions concerning
which it would be my duty to represent
you in case OF my election. Also, as
the representative of the great national
party, whose nominee | am, 1t is but
just and right that should be prepared
to answer all fair and just criticisms
which may be made upon the action OF
that party, which is now in power in
the United States. / use the worda
flair and just criticisms" because it is
neither incumbent upon me, nor would
1t be profitable, to take up time by at-
tempting to answer the absurd criticisms
of those whose argument in ouch mat
ters consists of nothing more than bare
assertion. Among the most conspicu
pus of such criticisms are those which
we hear upon every hand. asserting that
all of the financial trouble through
which the United States has passed
during the last two years. are direct
~ due and attributable to the cleo
ton OF Mr.. Cleveland in 1892. 1t
lie sufficient to reply to these, that
those who make such arguments under
estimate the intelligence of the people
to whom they address them. It is we'll
known to every intelligent citizen that
ia the very bigh-noon of Mr.. Harrison's
administration there burst upon the
world a financial cyclone such as had
never been known in its history. Be-
ginning with the collapse OF the fnsn-
cial system of the Argentine Confedsra-
ton it swept with undated fury
throughout the civilized world. bury
ing beneath it's ruins the greatest
banking institution in the world. and
making its effects felt at the remotest
corner of the earth. 1t is needless to
say, for everyone knows, that in tho
complex syetem OF financial and COM
mercial relations between the nations of
the world, such q Disaster colld not but
be falt in the United States. | do not
pretend to say that have fathomed the
cause or causes which led to this result.
do not believe that any living man has
but | do cay that l believe it may be
fairly stated that one of the
most potential of the causes which
have contributed to this result
and to the present financial distress
throughout the United States, was the
demonstration of silver. l believe that
the foundation for much of the trouble
which we have since experienced was
laid upon the fateful day in 1873, when
the Republican party, at the behest of
John Sherman, struck down the fnan-
cial system which had been established
by our forefathers and which had amply
served our needs for nearly century.
l believe that with the demonstration
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 half of this worlds circulating ms
dunn the immediate and necessary
effect was that prices sought to accom-
MEDIATE themselves to the new condition
of an enhanced gold dollar. This being
the case, nothing else than steady de
cline in the price of all agricultural
with this decline there naturally fol-
lowed decline in the value of the land
from which such products are pro-
duced. The subsequent financial legs-
lstion of this country, candidlv consid-
cred, muHt display to any student the
fact that the Democratic party, taken ss
q whole, has consistently endeavored to
re-establish the financial syetem of the
United States as it 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 its leaders and voters, | am juati-
fed in saying that the Democratic
party has stood since 1878, and today
stands, as the only party which 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 /. 1t ie true that the Republic
can platform OF California this year
contains a plank TO that effect, but its
insincerity and hypocrisy are apparent
to every one. While no doubt the ma.
iority of this Republican voters of Cali
fornia 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 Republi-
can party ae IT present constituted in
the United States. The record shows
that it has, by an overwhelming major
ity of its voters and leaders, become the
evowed and open defender of the princl-
pie OF monometallism, and il is only
few weeke ago that 40 prominent Re-
publican leader as Senator John p.
Jones withdrew from that party in g
public letter, declaring that he did 30
for the reason that it WAS hopeless to !
expect any legislation favorable to sill |
yer coinage from thst organization. My |
own opinion upon that matter ia we'll |
known, and have declared it without |
qualification from every platform from |
which l have addressed the voters of |
this district. Notwithstanding this fact |
I find upon my return that the Los An |
Reles Evening Express, which is Mr.. |
Huntingten'e railroad organ in this city, |
daily ASSERTS that | am not sound upon |
the silver issue. II by this charge it is |
meant that do not agree with the alb
surd editorials upon the silver question |
which have appeared in the Evening |
Express dur,-g the past few years, ii Ie |
eminently correct. II, however. it ia in /
tended To lie Infatuated that am not |
al ardent advocate OF the free coinage |