Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1895-06-07
John SHERMAN'S SPEECH.

The Ottawa Bulletin announces that the Ohio
Republicans have declared for free silver, tho
where the editor gets his information we are at
a loss to know. The platform-rnakers talked
about ''honest money" Zone dollar as good as
another" which may have fooled some people,
but if they had read j. Rothschild Sherman's
speech, they would have learned that the plat
form stands for gold "redeemer."
Sherman said:
GENTLEMEN OF THE CONVENTION: thank
you for the honor conferred. upon me in
selecting me to preside over this great conven-
ton. YOU have met to designate the next gov
ernor of the state of Ohio. You have good
many candidates before you, but each of them
is worthy of the highest honor you can confer.
You have the assurance that whoever you may
nominate will have the hearty support OF all
the candidates, and of each member of the
convention. I need not impress up
on YOU the Importance of selecting those who
will honestly and faithfully perform the duties
assigned them. You have still higher duty,
to announce the principles and policy of the
Republican party in the state of Ohio and in
the United States. What you will say here
will have an important influence beyond the
limits of your state, for the intelligent action OF
the Republicans of Ohio will, as in the past,
indicate the opinions of Republicans of other
parts of the United States. We have COM
mon faith I'D creed. We act together on great
matters On principle, on small matters for dis
cipline.
We are in favor of protective tariff. We
had such tariff. While it was in force, we
had prosperity, good times and money plenty
The tariff law of the last congress is
partly copy of the Mckinley law, and gener-
ally failure. All that is good of it was taken
from the Mckinley tariff, and the rest of it is
confessedly hotch-potch. The supreme court
has already disposed Of part of it that relating
to an income tax We want
change, and for this change we will have the
hearty support of large portion of the Demo
cratic party.
We are in favor of sound national currency,
ALWAYS redeemable in coin. All forms of money
should be of equal purchasing power. Fol
fourteen years after the resumption OF specie
payments, while the Republican party was in
power, we had such currency. We had gold
silver and paper money, all bearing the stamp
and sanction of the United States, of unques
toned credit and Of equal value, passing cur
rent not only within the United States, but III
all parts Of the commercial world.
Both gold and silver are indispensable for Use
in the varied wants of mankind. Gold is now
and has been for ages, the chief measure o.
value in international commerce, and the Target
transactions Of domestic exchange. Silver
from its bulk and weight, is not available toi
large payments, either at home OF abroad, but
il is indispensable in the minor wants of man
kind. Gold, from its greatly-snperior value
cannot be utilized for such purposes; therefore
il is that both metals have been coined into
money at a fixed ratio. The enormous increase
of the production of silver in the United States
Mexico and Australia has disturbed this ratio
and has lowered the market value OF silver pre-
ciselv as like increase Of production has low
cred the price of other commodities. 1t is
universal law that price or value is measured BY
quantity. Under these conditions, the rationa
and proper course would be change of ratio
but this can only be effective as to these two
metals by a concert Of action among CONNER
c;aI nations. Until this can be accomplished
the only logical way is for each nation to coir
both metals and maintain the coinage Of the
cheaper metal at par by limitation of amount
and redemption when in excess of the demand
for il. Such is now the policy of the United
States and of every great nation, including ev
ery country in Europe. Other nations adopt
the silver standard alone, not from choice, bu
from poverty.