The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1895-10-17

my fellow Democrats, what would be the
result if we by express legislation adopted
the silver and thereby abandoned the
gold standard?
Was the President Right
The Democratic party, as | have said,
is not responsible for the financial sys-
TEN under which we live. The President
has no sympathy with it; and yet it is
the system which his oath of office re-
quires him to maintain until it is changed
by law, OF course, those who believe in
free coinage are opposed to the President.
and they deprecato the firm hand which
prevented this government from going
to 4 silver basis. In approving or dSap-
proving the Presidents course we must
determine whether it was right to main
tain the public credit or abandon it. If il
was right to maintain it, then the Presi-
dents course is to be approved: if it was
wrong, then it was subject to condemna.
ton. Who will say. in view of the pros
periW which is extending all over tho
land that he does not deserve well of his
party and his country?
In Respect TO the Currency.
In my judgment the path of duty is
| plain before us We have learned much
/ 10y experience. The time has come to re
| turn to Democratic principles and prece-
/ dents. Jackson has pointed us the way.
( lake the government out Of the banking
business; divorce it from banks and the
business of banking; make the Secretary
OF the Treasury the mere fiscal agent of
! the government TO collect and disburse its
revenues, and let MS be done with gold
reserves, gold shipments and bank syndi-
Gates, IN my opinion, no man would more
gladly cooperate in bringing about this
result than the President.
The Democratic Party.
I have now concluded the discussion
of the question about which proposed in
the outset to address you. 1t is the only
question which disturhs Democratic coun-
ellis, and ! hope l have discussed it in
such manner as not to give offenSe TO
any OF my party associates. To me the
/ Democratic party means great deal.
1t has accomplished much, and much re-
mains TO be accomplished. After a pro-
tracted struggle extending over many
years we have revised the tariff and re-
pealed the election laws. No longer than
ilve years ago the Republican party, then
i'll control of every brunch Of the govern
ment was barely prevented from placing
on the statute book force bill which
would have practically destroyed the hope
Of prosperity and good government in the
Southern States. Tctay every yestige of
Federal interference in our local affairs
has been removed from the laws of the
United States, and we enjoy boon dear
to all Democrats, the right to local self
, government. Five short years ago the
Mckinley bill was passed, whereby IA
: burden was placed on the shoulders of
our people which would have resulted in
, the gradual and inevitable absorption of
their substance for the benefit of pre-
tected classes; today that law is repealed
and in its stead we have Il tariff law, not
, such as | wanted, but one that has re-
, lieved our people of their burdens and
, given them cheaper markets for all the
| necessaries Of life than they ever knew
; before.
i The panic of 1893, the effects of which
+ were unnecessarily prolonged, resulted in
4 the overwhelming defeat of our party in
V 1894. When | entered Congress the
= North had become SO thoroughly Demo-
a cratic that in the absence of any repre-
e sentative from the Southern States the
: Democrats had a majority in the House
t When | return to Washington to attend
the session of the Fifty-fourth Congress
q l will find only thirteen Democrats from
. all the Northern States
= The Presidential year is fast approach
4 ing, and IL we are divided on the cur
+. rency question as we were in 1894, we
a cannot hope to succeed. In the event
i of failure can we hope to retain what we
4 have already accomplished? VIII we
4 not be thoroughly discredted, and will
g we not again be confronted with the con-
r ditions which we have so long and so per-
No sistently attempted to obyiate?
j. The south.
'e / have every reason to believe that a
n majority of the people of the Northern
n States approve the Wilson tariff law and
k the repeal of the election laws. And the
S, only thing that stands in the way OF
ct Democratic success is the apprehension
that the South will insist on the estab.
i lishment of the silver standard. If we OF
RS the South stood for sound money. ! have
le no doubt of the result. Our party would
Id then stand for the liberty of the citizen
s. the right to local self-government tariff
III reform and sound money This would
le challenge the confidence and support OF
ye the American people. These are by his
w tory and tradition the time-honored prin
It. ciples of the party and by them and witt
It. them we can override all opposition an,
TO control the administration of the coun
or try. On these lines the Democracy q
I'd New York, New Jersey, Connecticut In
a diana, Wisconsin, and other great States
ry Of the North are willing to strike hands
k. with us and wage an aggressive and sue
d, cessful opposition to Republicansm anC
en- Populism.
lie appeal to the Democrats of Tennessee,
at to answer can we break away from on
n old allies and our old friends, who stoo,
1t, by us in the weary years that are past
d. and hope to have a voice in the admin
is istration Of the government? Look owe
ed the field, and what nope of success i
he there for the free coinage of silver at til,
~ ratio Of IL to /? In New York, New Jer
X sey, Connecticut and Wisconsin there i
to practically no adherence in any party t,
ur that doctrine. He who expects one Stat
cy lying east of the Missouri river and nortl
re- of the Potomac and Ohio rivers to vot
TO for the free coinage of silver will fin,
oh that he is sadly mistaken. The onl,
States outside of the South which unde
rs any circumstances will vote that way ar
re- the States in the extreme West, whicl
in are interested in silver mining Wha
n l..