Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-08-26
Democrats Addressed in Behalf of the
Free Coinage Plan.
REMARKS BY CANDIDATE RIIEY
Deputy Commissioner Bell Declares
for the Platform.
MASSES AND CLASSES CRY

Deputy Commissioner OF Pensions HI. c.
Bell of Washington and Judge John F.
Rixey of Culpeper county, Va, the congress
sional democratic nominee in the eighth
district Of Virginia, last evening addressed
a large free silver meeting at Leesburg, Va.
Messrs Bell and Rixey, the former accom-
panied by his wife, reached Leesburg from
Washington about pm. by the express
train of the Southern railway and were
met at the station by the Bryan and Sewall
Drum Corps.
The meeting began at o'clock and was
held in the court house, under the auspices
of the Leesburg Bryan and Sewan Club.
Mr.. Thomas E. Worsley. president Of the
club. presided, ard introduced Mr.. Rixey
as the next Representative in Congress
from the eighth Virginia district.
I'VE are" said Judge Rixey, 'in the
midst Of a great conflict, the greatest since
the war. The question Is how are the
people of Virginia going to vote in the
coming election. / do not see how any sen
of Virginia can do otherwise than to vote
for Bryan and TN is declare his preference
for silver at the ratio of 16 to ], without
waiting for Any other nation. Mr. RlAey
closed his speech by an eloquent appeal to
his hearers not to vote the republican
ticket
Mr.. Bells Speech.
This campaign said Mr.. Bell, so far
silver men is conc earned, has been one
of education; as far as the gold men are
concerned, one of mendaciouSness and vim
dictiveness. There are many great ques-
tons in this campaign, but the one which
is of paramount interest to the people is,
Shall we continue the single gold standard,
or shall we again en.hrone silver to The
place II occupied before it was stealthily
thrown down I'm February, 1873? We have
well-grounded fears that dire results will
follow If the money of the United States is
to be confined to gold alone"
Continuing, Mr.. Bell claimed that greater
blessings would fall upon the people of this
country by the immediate restoration Of
silver at the ratio of 10 to I, without wait
ing tor the action of other nations. than 10y
continuing the single gold standard. The
gold standard capitalists" said he ARE
the men who, during the war, would not
loan their money to the government, except
at from - to !6 per cent interest. From
1872 to 1873 every silver dollar that was
coined contained 371A grains Of pure silver
Not once was the unit of value changed
in all that time. while the quantity of gold
In gold dollar was changed twice-once in
1884 and again in 1897
The "Crime Of '13."
He asserted that Senator Sherman at
tempted to demonetize silver in 1868. and
introduced a bill in the Senate for that
purpose, but the plan was discovered. He
sketched the charges that have been made
explained the meaning of 10 to L.
AT the present time he went on there
is no price on air, but If the gold bugs can
get corner on it they will either make
you pay for the use of il or they will
smother you TO death. and / am not sure
but what they will do SO anyhow"
Mr.. Bell referred to the recent speech Of
Bourke Cochran in New York and charac-
terized IL as an insult to the people of the
south. If gold, he continued. were demone-
tlzed 1t would not be worth 20 cents an
ounce, whereas on account of the demand
Tor II, 1t is now valued at $20.67 an ounce
he denounced as ridiculous the assertions
by some public speakers that the remone-
tlZation of silver would result in disaster
TO the country. The demand for money
is Unsuitable. No one ever had enough of
it.
There is no such thing as international
money. Gold is not international money.
When gold money leaves the country in
which 1t is coined it is bullion. After
Bryan is elected every man who can do SO
Will buy silver bullion and gold will de-
preciate.
More About the Crime.
For 5000 years silver passed side by
side with gold as money, and it was a
crime for Congress to pass a law which
compelled the closing of almost every mine
west of the Mississippi river. And is it
wrong for these mine owners to ask Con-
gress to place silver where it was previous
to the passage of the act Of 1873, which
brought them ruin?''
Mr.. Bell likewise declared that the cleo
ton of Bryan would add 81, 4OO,OOO,oOU to
the value of the agricultural interests of
the country, and said that if the farmers
of the United States could get the same
prices this year as they did in 1873 they
would be more than $2,O0OOO,ooO better of
than they are.
Upon the 35,OOO,OOo farmers of this coun-
try depends the prosperity of the nation.
The banks of the country are full Of money
because nobody wants ii. Remonetize sill
yer and every kind of business will revive
and people will prosper as they never did
before" The last statement was received
with loud applause.
1T is to the interest of every man." re-
sumed Mr.. Bell, who gets a salary to have
the gold standard; it is to the interest of
every moneyed man to favor the gold
standard, but every man who has anything
to sell and votes for Mckinley simply votes
to cut his own throat"
Masses and Glasses.
In conclusion, Mr.. Bell asserted that this
is a campaign Of the classes against the
masses. and after paying a high compli-
ment to Mr. McKinley's personal character
said that William j. Bryan was the peer
Of the republican nominee in every par
ticular, and that to know Mr.. Bryan was
to love and honor him. He asserted that
Bryan stands for the toiling masses as
against the insolent classes. and his cleo
ton will cause to dawn upon the toilers an
era of prosperity such as they have never
experienced, and that his triumph will be
a declaration of Independence against the
sordid. grasping gold men of the British
empire.
I'VE believe" said he I'VE can succeed
in this campaign, and that the people of
this country are fully alive to their duty
and the refuge of lies will be swept away"
At the conclusion of MIR. Bells address he
was given round of applause.
Remarks were also made by Mr.. Eccles-
ton of Maryland.