The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1895-11-08
EpRRGH IA - ELIIa-

SPEECH OF MR. ELLIS.
The Would-be Hon. A. II. Ellis, the
corporation attorney Of Beloit, and
chronic candidate for congressman Of
the Sixth district, spoke at the opera
house Saturday afternoon and evening
to light houses, a great many Of the
audience being Populists, who could
have put up arguments that would
have knocked the wind out of anything
the speaker put forth.
1t was expected that the address
would be & fair and impartial review of
the silver question, but turned out to
be I6 to 1-16 falsehoOds to truth.
Mr.. Ellis started out by saying that
"the rank and file of all parties we're
honest as they view the case" As he
progressed he got down to the bull
doing, pettifogging tactics, that passes
for talent with some classes OF the
American people. By inference he
said:
@Populist editors are liars; Populist
leaders are hyprocrital demagogues;
Populist congressman are fools; Popu-
list voters are dupes; Populist plat
forms are ridiculous"
He further inferred shat there had
been no hard times; no panic; no con-
traction of currency; no increase OF
indebtedness; no distress except that
caused by crop failures, calamity howl
ers, and Democrats"
He also said, "Populism is Green
backism reyamped, and Greenbackism
is reputation, and opposed to the
coinage of either gold OF silver, and
favors fatism."
The national Greenback platform of
1880 was as follows: "The bonds of the
United States should not be refunded,
but paid as rapidly as practicable &C.
cording to contract. To enable the
government to meet these obligations,
legal tender currency should be sub
stituted for the notes of the national
banks, the national banking system
abolished, and the unlimited coinage
of silver, as we'll as gold, established by
law" Where IS any reputation here?
It is fact that the great bulk of the
United States bonds were purchased
with greenbacks and were payable in
lawful money of the government; later
refunding bonds were payable in coin
John Sherman said, in an interview
in 1898, "The fact is the government
has always received gold for its bonds
since 1862" This was said in justifca-
ton of the gold bond issue under
Cleveland, and was a falsehood of the
meanest kind as the United States did
not resume specie payment until Jan
l, 1879; prior to this date if the govern
ment got gold for bonds, the purchaser
got the premium.
There we're extremists among the
Greenbackers, and there are extremists
among Populists, but that either Green,
hackers or Populists in their national
platforms have ever squinted towards
reputation, or an unlimited issue Of
irrbdeemable fiat money is as false as
hell and Mr.. Ellis knows it, or if he
does not, he ought to.
Mr.. Ellis declared that the POpulists
were not in favor of free coinage at all
and that the demand was put in theil
platform to catch votes. Christ said
"By their fruits ye shall know them.
How did Greenbackers in congress
vote? For free coinage. How die
Populists in both branches of congress
vote? For free coinage. How did
Populists, Democrats and Republican;
vote on the repeal of the Sherman law
Here is the party vote on the repeal Of
the Sherman law: