Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-09-17
TALKS TO TOILERS.
Altgeld Club Holds an Enthus-
iastic Meeting.
Observation-Disclosures ExPoUNDED
Q. b. M arshall and Charles Buford and
Others Make Brief Addresses In Which
People Who Labor Are Advised to SUP
port Bryan and Free Silver.

port Bryan and Free Silver.
Laboring men heard campaign
issues inselligeatly and forciby pre-
sented II meeting Of the Altgeld
club held at Roche's all last even
ing. II was an enthusiastic gather
ing. the hall being comfortably
filled with the men who toll. from
the Third ward and other portions
Of the western end Of the city.
The club first made arrangements
for participating in tonight's demon
stration. The Chinese lantern was
adopted as means Of parade illumi.
nation. After the business of the club
was disposed of e. B. Marshall was
called upon by President Butler to
make q few remarks to the meeting.
The speaker said t0ere were peculiar
conditions involved in the present
political contest; some that were
painful. Men who had stood shout
der to shoulder in The various battles
OF the democratic party we're now
divided. They have parted. the
issue on which their opinions differ
being one Of such great Importance
that they would cling to the princi-
pie which they thought was right,
although it would separate them
from the political associations of
many years. But. he contended.
America was land of free thinking
and every man was at liberty to be
on whatever side OF question he
saw fit. Mr.. Marshall then dealt
briefly with the m ney question. He
said that it is being claimed that
the campaign now being waged is a
sectional fight. But he wanted to
know of a political contest in the
past where sectionalism was no. in
volved. For over twenty years the
republican party held the reihs by
dividing the north and south; it is
the laborers and the farmers asking
redress for wrong, which was in
iicted upon them by the monopo.
list and money sharks of the cas-
many years ago. They have born
the yoke of oppression in the hope
that one OF the great parties might
alter their condition. But it re-
remained for the democrats who as
sembled at that memorable
Chicago convention to extend
to them helping hand
and they are not going to let the OPP
portunity escape them. MIR. Mar
shall wanted to know how the west
could ever hope to prosper under the
conditions as they presently existed,
yet the necessaries OF life are nearly
all produced in this section. The
cattle and the horse and the corn
| and the wheat are raised here. And
when we ship these staples down to
eastern count'ymen they give us in
| return a mere financial pittance.
What we want is the government to
open up its mints TO the free coin age
of the bullion which is lying dor
mant in the rich hills of the west
and let US enj ~ the fruits of that
which is our own. Give US money to
circulate among the people in such
volume that the shylocks OF Wall
and Lombard streets cannot corner i:
up and raise it in price at will so
that the poorer class cannot look at
it unless they pay premium for it.
L
age of silver was the only salvation Of
the common people. He was loudl '
encored.
| Mr.. Buford Talks
| Charles Buford, Candidate for state s
attorney. was then called upon. He
said the democratic party was advo
eating in the present campaign the
principles which are the foundation
OF its existence. The repu blican
leaders sre talking about patriot
ISM" continued Mr.. Buford. Com
pare the platform OF the democratic
and republican parties and Judge fol
yourselves. Mckinley. although il
1892 he was chairman OF the conf nit
tee in the national repu blicau con.
vention which presented resolution:
condemning Grover Cleveland fJl
his opposition 70 the remcnitizatior +
OF silver, says let US have the IN
limited coinage Of silver and gold a,
the ratio OF 16 to LIT the othel
nations OF the world viii consent &c
such transaction. which in Other
words is TO say that il old mother
England viii let US do it-whilt
j Bryan says to give us free coinage
at the ratio OF 10 to l whether other
nations like it or not. Which pla,
form has the American ripg? Which
embodies independence, which oul
foTefathers offered their lives on til,
battlefield for? Surely it is not tn,
one which says we will change oul
laws if some other country will ALLOW
US to. When Old Glory had but /,
little Stars America attended to he,
own affairs without help from out
siders and when England tried t,
bulldoze she was given a bloody nose
And now with years Of advancement
and growth behind US and with 4:
stars twinklipg on her banner o
liberty. is it not a sorry spectacle t,
see party getting down on it
knees asking permission of john,
Bull to change law"
In illustrating the benefits to tn
laboring man which would accru,
from the adoption of free silver. Mr.
Buford gave an example to prov,
the fact that gold would NATURAL,
increase in value under the existing