The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1895-04-20
Messrs. Sibley and Warner Cham
pioned SiIvers Cause.
WHAT is TO BE OUR MONEY!"
The "Straddle" Bng Is More TO BE
Feared Than the Gold Bug
This Campaign.

Denver, Colo, April 16.-The open-air
silver nass-meeting held from the steps
of the capitol this afternoon was the
largest that Denver has ever seen. III
the vast concourse OF people were men
and women of every division and shade
of political utilization and belief. Re-
publicans. democrats and populists
stood shoulder to shoulder and showed
by their cheers and applause their SYM
pathy with the remarks of the speakers.
The meeting was called to order by
Judge Rucker. Miss Caldwell sang the
"Silver Song" which was greeted with
great applause.
Congressman Sibley was intro
duced and received an ovation. He
said that he had not started on his
present tour with the intention of MAX
ing speeches, and that it was not for
him to attempt to enlighten the peo-
pie of Colorado on the subject of silver.
Frantic appeals" he said, ARE being
made by the goldites to the bankers and
merchants of the country to educate
the people in regard to sound money.
The great political parties in the coming
campaign will have to incorporate free
silver in their platforms or 'straddle,'
said Sibley. IT have had great deal
of experience with bugs. Even a gold
bug can be exterminated-that is, con-
verted by proper argument, but the bug
1 fear the most is the 'straddle bug.
| There are but two parties in the field
| today-the monometallic and the bime-
tallic, and ii is necessary for the people
to enroll themselves under the banner
of one or the other. We must shake off
our party shells and come to the sub
| ject, not as republicans, pOpulists or
democrats, but as free-born Americans.
I have not come" he said, "to ask the
people TO elect a president, but to ask
them to unite under the silver banner.
I am ready to follow that standard
whether borne by a republican, demo-
crat or populist."
He decried the idea of relief being OBJ
tanned by an international conference.
Let. us go forward" he said. IF the
other nations join us, so much the bet
ter for them. We may meet with one
or two defeats, but the truth will pre-
vail. Truth was crucifled 1900 years
ago. and when ii was buried the rulers
said Truth is dead but it rose again.
We will win this fight when you do your
part"
The speaker then thanked his hearers
and told them that a sudden, deep aff1ic
ton at his own door had called him
back to Pennsylvania, but that he
would come again. However" he
said, "men should not come from the
east to the west to talk silver but apos-
ties should be sent from this state to all
the eastern states to preach the doc
trine of truth"
GENERAL WARNER.
General Warner, the next speaker,
was introduced. The general confined
his remarks to practical politics. 1--WE
are face to face" he said, with the
question. What is to be our money?
How is it to be supplied?
1.-The line of battle is drawn, monOmet-
allism on the one side and bimetallism
on the other. BY the repeal of the So
called Sherman law. the power to pay
debts has been reduced by $12 900 900 600
in the last years. The dear dollar means
the cheap man, and would rather have
the dollar man and the 50-cent dollar
than the 50-cent man and the 100-cent
dollar.
'As to whether or not the battle can
be won in 1896" said he, depends on
whether we unite or remain divided. I
fully believe the 9,0O0, 600 voters are in
favor of the question: but if the next
election was thrown into the house the
} cause would be lost. Party lines must
be submerged for the present and free
silver believers must unite on some one
candidate for their support. We present
for your consideration Mr.. Sibley. and
however much you may turn the search
light of Investigation on his character
you will not find a blot. If he were
president, he would be the first real
president since Lincoln. If the silver
democrats, silver republicans and popu-
lists will unite on a candidate, the bat
tie is won"
: He warned his hearers against put
z ing their trust i'm the international con-
ference.
Both speakers were interrupted at
: frequent intervals by bursts Of APP
plause.
Sibley leaves for Pennsylvania to-
night and General Warner continues
his trip through Colorado to the Pa
l cific coast.