The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-07-15

clared in favor of gold and silver as the
money of the country. Four years have
passed since those platforms were
written and those four years have been
years of momentous events, and as
this campaign approaches, the two
great parties line themselves upon this
great question. The Republican party
at ST Louis declared that the gold
standard should be maintained until
it could be changed by international
agreement. Note the language. That
platform does not say that the gold
standard is good thing, because that
platform pledges the party to get rid
Of the gold standard and substitute for
1t something better as soon as it can be
done; this better substitute could not
he received until the world should
help. Long and continued applause.)
The Democratic party met at Chicago
and 1t adopted platform which is in
direct opposition to the platform adopt
ed at ST. Louis. The ST. Louis platform
declared that the gold standard should
be maintained until it could be changed,
by international agreement; until some
thing else could be DONE The Demo-
cratic party declared itself unalterably
opposed to a single gold standard. Gap
plause.) And more than that, the Re
publican platform did not promise you
any complete monetary system.
THE Democratic party outlined what
1t declared to have done. It declared
in favor of the immediate restoration
of the free and unlimited coinage Of
both gold and silver at the present leg
al ratio Of 16 to l (Applause) without
waiting for the aid or consent Of any
other nation. (Applause.) "We also
declared that the silver dollar should
be
LEGAL TENDER FOR ALL DEBTS.
public and private, and that such legis-
lation should be enacted as Is necessary
to prevent, for the future, the demone-
tization of any kind of legal tender
money. More than that, the platform
declared that the government should
exercise the right to redeem its coined
obligations in either gold or silver.
The issue is drawn and we have our
choice in this campaign between an
American financial system for the
people, and an English financial system
to be forced upon US. (Applause)
Those who believe in running this gov
eminent on the European plan should
go and legislate with the Republican
party applause and laughter) Ii l
mistake not the patriotism Of the peo-
pie whose patriotism has never been
appealed to in vain, there can be but
one issue in this campaign and but one
result. (Applause) If they ask us
them that so long as the right OF self
government is in danger there is no
other question. (Applause) Why dis
cuss things if we be not powerful
enough to act when we have the
power?
1--WE not the time nor disposition to
talk to you at this time, but 1 want
to impress upon your minds two
things. 1 want you to ask two Ques-
tions which ought to be asked over and
over again in this campaign, each time
with increased emphasis, and the two
questions are these: If the gold STAN
dard is a good thing why ought we to
try to get rid Of it,? and, If it Is a bad
thing, why should we keep 1t until
some other nation helps US to get rid
Of it?' (Applause.)
II thank you, for the interest which
you have manifested and for the COM
pliment which you have paid me by
your assemblage here today. I can but
beg Of you that you shall do your duty
as citizens. We who stand upon the
platform adopted at Chicago, do not
seem to you as suppliants begging for
your votes. Those votes are your own.
You are free men and no man should
stand in the attitude Of petitioning for
a free man, to do anything but what is
according to his conscience, but we
come before you standing upon plat
form and pledging its enforcement If
elected, and we beg you to study the
questions, all the questions presented
by the issues involved and then let
your ballots register free mans will.
1 thank you. Great applause and en-
thusiastic cheering)