The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-06-13
WE DEMAND
OMAHA PLATFORM.

. . .
Just after Mr.. Simpson began to speak
a hard wind and rain storm came up and
many left the building, but at least 1000
persons heard it through
1t was half past eight o'clock before
Mr.. Simpson, with that simplicity born
of the common people, walked up the
aisle to the platform with his somewhat
elderly straw hat on amid loud cheers
and bowed to the audience with happy
smile.
Senator PETER after being himself in
troduced by ]. NJ. Hart introduced Mr.
Simpson. Mr.. PETER said:
Now since Kansas has been redeemed
we all breathe easier and a little breeze
from the southwestern part of the state
will do us all good. Now that all the
saloons have been closed and the bad
men all expelled. with the possible ex-
ception of one or two, we can take
little time in listening to a man who has
spent four of his best years in con-
gress
"After an absence of some time, when
one day, emaciated by severe sickness
and slowly on his clutches he hobbled
up the aisle of the national house of
representatives and it became known
! throughout the hall, there was clapping
| of hands from the speakers desk TO the
! diamond fingered ladies of the galleries.
| None were more respected there than
Jerry Simpson of Kansas He is to adj
dress you tonight on the question of sill
YER 1t is not party issue, and though
the Populist party is certainly the father
! of the silver moveme Mt, we meet togeth-
er to discuss it on common ground"
| (Applause)
Mr.. Simpson advanced and said: at
used to be easy for me to make a speech.
The newspapers had so represented me
that people did not expect much, aud
they were never disappointed.
"Inasmuch as this is an off year, and
am not a candidate for anything in any
sense of the word we shall try to get at
the truth.
"Early in our government Hamil-
ton on the one side and Jefferson
on the other agreed that silver
and gold was to be the standard of money
at q ratio of 10 to 1. This was not dis
puted till '73, when silver was demone-
tized and was at the time worth 3 per
cent moro than gold
"Silver had been called the money of
the country God had planted it and
| gold in the bowels of the earth to be
used as money, it was said, and 1t was
| Gods money metal Where did you
get the authority to Gemonetize Gods
money!
"Men unite to gain wealth without
an equivalent I know there was pre-
concerted plan to do away with
try to enhance the value of the
other half It is admitted that
the number of dollars in circulation reg
ulates the value of the dollar. When
we decrease the number of dollars by
taking away the silver dollar we enhance
the value of the gold money that ia in
the hands OF the gold bugs.
81 dispute totally that there is such q
thing as intrinsic value in money 1t is
impossible. In 1878 gold was worth 100
cents on the dollar and SO was silver.
Today gold has so per cent more intrin-
sic value in it than it had then.
"Take away the money value and
what value would gold have?
1--WE are taught that gold is of unvary-
ing value. That is not SO.
"Suppose a Santa Fe engineer who re-
quired regular pressure of steam to
RIM his engine at a regular speed should
fasten the hand of the steam guage at
say 100. No matter what the pressure
really was he would point to it and say,
See what uniform pressure l have.
This is what tho gold bugs are trying to do
To be sure,a gold dollar is worth dollar
and it always will be SO long as we have
a gold standard. Give Us silver stand
: ard and silver too, will go to 100 cents for
a dollar.
} 81 deny the cry of the gold bugs that
} if you establish q silver standard the
! country will be flooded with silver from
I other countries.
81 believe gold and silver is not
enough. I believe we will have tc
I adopt what is called fiat money. be-
lieve the time viii come when every
nation on the globe will use paper
money. [Great applause1
take away one half of the money oil
: the country and you double the debt o.
the debtor classes contracted before
The gold bugs say that to pay off the
public debt in anything but gold woulc
, be to repudiate half of It Sherman said
that repeat it to show you how mer
in high places viii not always tell the