Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1895-06-21
THE MONEY QUESTION.
j. C. CURRYER.
THE VIEWS OF AN ILLINOIS JUDoI

He MONEY QOES ION.
THE VIEWS OF AN ILLINOIS JUDGE.
Below is given in full the speech made
at the recent Illinois Democratic State
convention by Judge Samuel p. Neon
nell on taking the chair to preside over
the gathering. 1t was evidently prepar
ed with great care and is an excellent
statement of that side of the question;
This convention has a most peculiar
and most Important significance. Here
tofore managers of political parties have
so arranged that party policies should be
declared only at the time candidates were
chosen and only a short time before the
gathering of the franchises of the people
The result has been, often, that our con-
ventions have put forth mere assertion
of general principles or on live issues eX
pressed themselves in meaningless COM
promises. ColOrless candidates have
been presented to the people, or candi-
dates unsympathetlc with the real pur-
pose of the party.
This convention marks departure and
is intended not only TO allow free dis
cussiOn before the next political engage
ment, but to define our party position
that no voter shall fail to understand us.
and no candidate-if chosen to office
have chance or excuse to defeat our
commands. This is government of the
people and this convention of the people
more than any other ever held before
in this broad land-should say what we
mean and what we want. | applaud the
courage and discretion of the State COM
mittee in converting this conference.
There are critics who say that the party
should not be called upon so early to
take a position on the currency question.
Their counsel is that of cowardlce and
dishonesty. We shall take no position
we are ashamed ONO position we can
not defend-no position that will not
bear the illumination of reason and trial
of discussion.
CONVENTION NEEDS NO DEFENSE.
We are here particularly TO confer and
express ourselves upon the monetary
system of our country and determine
how we can accomplish what we have
vainly resolved was wise and proper and
necessary in our party conventions for
many years. The Democratic party has
always been an advocate of hard money
and is so still. The Democratic party has
always been an advocate of the double
standard, ard. believe, is so now. Ever
since the discovery that our monetary
system had been changed (and, gentle
men, think how strange that such a
thing were done, and done so quietly il
had to be discovered, in IA nation where
the people are supposed to rule)-I was
saying that ever since our monetary sys
tenn was oVerthrOWn the Democratic
party has been demanding its restora
ton.
SO long, however, has our demand beer
unheeded-even by men chosen by our
selves-that now. when we make the
same demand again, there are those call
ing themselves Democrats and, adding
Enthusiastically to their ordinary name the
word "honest" so forgetful of theil
country and the party's history as tC
claim we are seeking to introduce an in
nOvation and to drag down a system ap
proved by long course of practice anC
of time. They ignore the plain fact tina
they are innOvators and that they art
seeking to fasten upon the people a sys
tenn established in silence and III derOga
ton of the peoples rights. They are tt
make the defense not we. They arr
called upon to explain why they pretend
to be Democrats in opposition to the ira
ditional policy of the Democratic party
and in defiance of its repeated declara
tons. We have been so long despiteful
ly used that the strange situation nov
exists that these heretics call on us t
show why the financial system, stolel
from us IN the nighttime, should ever b'
recognized again.
LEADING STATESMEN QUOTED.
Gentlemen, is the Democratic party
proposing an innovation when 1t asks TO
the reconciliation of silver? Let us re
cur a moment to what has been said OF
this subject. Sand Alexander Hamilton
"On the whole, it seems most advisable
not to attach the unit exclusively t
either of the metals, because this cannO
be done effectually without destroying
the Office and character of one of then
as money and reducing it to the situation
of mere merchandise"
Said Thomas Jefferson. writing to Mr.
Hamilton after the examination of hi
report: 81 concur with you In thinking
that the unit must stand upon boil
metals"
81 am certainly of the opinion salt
Mr.. Webster, "that gold and silver, at
ratio fixed by congress, constitute tn
! legal standard of value in this country
and that neither congress nor any Stat
has authority to establish any othe
standard or to displace the standard"
Said MIR. Blaine: "NO power was con
ferred on congress to declare that eithe
metal should not be money. Congress
has. therefore, in my judgment, no NOR
power to demonetiZe silver than to de
monetze gold; no more power to de
monetize either than to demonetiz
both"
Even Hon. John Sherman said som
years ago, apparently with reluctance
"The uncertainty of the relation be