Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-07-23
Senator Cockrell's Plain Spoken
Discussion of Silver.
RAKES The ENEMY FORE AND AFT
Denounces the Demonstration Act
Of 1873.
MR.. BLAND WAS THERE

SEDALIA. Mo-. July 23.-The attendance
at the democratic free silver editors state
CONVEX tion met the most sanguine expec-
tations Of those who promoted 1t. Editors
are here today today from every section OF
the state. stretching from Mississippi
county to st. Joseph. At 10 o'clock this
morning business meeting was held at
the Elk Club rooms Col. VIM. F. Switzler
of Bonneville presided as chairman and H.
J. Groves of Lexington was secretary.
Committees on permanent organization and
addresses were appointed, and the meeting
adjourned until o'clock for the election Of
officers. At II o'clock ex-Congressman R.
p. Bland delivered an address at Associa-
ton Park 81
After Mr.. Bland had concluded. the edi1
tors adjourned for dinner. At o'clock
they reassembled, and Senator Cockrell
spoke on the financial question.
Senator COckrelPs Speech.
Senator Cockrell spoke in part as follows:
beginning by asking the question: what is
the pending financial issue?' ut Is simply"
he said. whether the single standard of
gold shall be continued, or the true bimetal-
lie system shall be restored. Every possible
effort will be made to conceal, complicate
and mystify this vital issue. Let US not be
mistaken nor deceived nor mislsd. The
F'orty-second Congress, with tWo-thfrds
majority of republicans In each house. pass
ed the coinage law of February II, 1873.
which was approved by a republican Presi-
dent and established the single standard of
gold, made the gold dollar the unit of value
denied any coinage to the standard silver
collar. limited the legal tender value OF all
silver coins to s.. and DESTROYED the BIZ
metallic system which had existed by our
laws from April 2. 1892. to that date. The
law Of November 1, 1898, Internationally re-
pealing the purchasing clause Of the Sher-
man law Of July IA. 1890. left the coinage
law of February II. 1873, In full force and
effect. Today our laws authorize the free
and unlimited coinage of gold at our mints
into full! legal tender money, and thus en-
dow and clothe the golden metal with the
functions of money and make the metal
equal in value to the coin, but they do not
authorize or permit the coinage OF any
standard silver dollars. except the bullion
in the treasury, purchased under the Sher-
man law. thus denying to the silver metal
any functions OF money.
True Prophet.
TN the Brussels conference Of 1892 Mr..
Alfred De Rothschild, delegate from Eng
| land, said:
Gentlemen, I need hardly remind you
that the stock of silver in the world is es-
| timated at some thousands of millions, and
| If this conference were to break up with
| out arriving at any definite result there
| would be a depreciation in the value OF
| full to contemplate. and out of which a
monetary panic would ensue, the far.
spreading effects Of which it would be hard
| to foretell"
"This conference did adjourn without
| any definite results, and on June 26, 1898,
| India closed her minis to the free coinage
| of silver, and the commercial value of sill
| yer measured with gold at once fell about
| repealed the purchasing clause of the Sher.
man law and silver fell still lower. BY the
undisputed testimony Of the historic record
| Of events, Mr. Carlisle was right in 1873 II
his denunciation of the act of 1873 as the
| most gigantic crime Of this or any Other
| age Most clearly the laws demonetiznt
| silver. and they alone, have caused the
| fall In its commercial value and the rise II
| gold, both in It's commercial value and it:
| purchasing power. Had gold been demone
tized instead of silver, it would have faller
in commercial value as silver has. and bi
| metallists would not be urging the restora
ton Of gold to its old place. and our golt
advocates would be silver advocates call
ing gold the cheap, dishonest, unsound
ifty-cent money"
No Over-PrOductiOn.
Senator Cockrell then quoted at length
statistics as to the PRODUCTION Of silver
and showing that there had teen no over
production. He referred to Secretary Car
isles Memphis speech. and to his own sat
isfaction refu.ed the statements therein a
to bimetallism being failure both in thi
country and in France.
Referring to the attitude of the admin
istration toward silver, he said: mo ma
ton on earth, nor all the nations. cal
maintain the parity, the equal Commercial
value of gold and silver coined in money a
airy ratio whatever when they give to gol
free and unlimited coinage end deny sue
coinage to silver end refuse to recogniz
, and treat the silver money as the gol
money or use it equally with gold in pay
ing coinage obligation g. With equal pro
priety and assurance you might expec
Parents having Two daughters to maintai
them in equal standing. honor and virtue
when they re ,ognize and treat one only a
= honest and virtuous and refuse to recos
nize and treat the other as her equal Q
introduce her into society, and merely Civ
her lodging room and proclaim her to tn
world as dishonest immoral and lascil
ioLS."