Evening star., 1896-07-29
SPEAKER REED ON SILVER
Address to the Republicans Of Alfred,
Maine.
Opening the Campaign in the Pine
Tree State-He Discusses the Money
Question at Length.

ALFRED, Me-, July 29.-This quaint
country seat was the scene today of the
opening Of the republican national cam
paign Of 1896.
People from all the country round about
came to town to listen to speech by
Speaker Thomas B. Reed on the occasion
OF his denomination for Representative in
Congress by the first district republican
convention. There were present many peg
pie from nearby sections of New Hamp-
shire and Massachusetts, giving the occa-
sion something Of the character of an inter-
state demonstration. He accepted the
nomination to Congress, which was unani-
nously given.
Mr. Reeds Remarks.
Mr.. Reed addressed the large gathering as
follows:
''If were going to give good advice to
the people Of the whole United States
should take this time to do 1t.
Just now there Is great deal Of froth
and foam in the air. and some time is really
Eeedful to disclose clearly to every eye how
much of 1t Is the result Of the temporary
breeze which stills at nightfall, and how
little there Is Of that heavy ground swell
which shows that great elementary forces
rush and stir has set itself into action!
Two months ago no man OF any standing
would have risked his reputation as q
prophet by limiting the slightest doubt Of
trial Of the opposition. under the guidance
Of its best and twice trusted leader. had
left no shadow Of question as to public
duty. ....-,
have fallen short of perfection neverthe-
less all men felt that 1t was the best party
just now to draw nigh to, for whatever is
to be left to us of sound government, COM
mercial success and business prosperity.
On that we were all agreed. some of US
who were democrats. regretfully. for we all
hate to be classed with the unsuccessful
whose condemnation is at hand. even II
We gain by the chain: others OF US who
were republicans. oheerfully. but without
exultation: for we knew how hard the task
must be to rebuild out Of the ruins of the
last four years the stately mansions Of ma
tional happiness. prosperity and self-respect
wherein our people lived until that unfor-
tunate election Of 1892.
Mr.. Reed Skeptical.
1.-TWO months have slipped away-hardly
time to ripen a strawberry, much less a
system Of tinance-and there are those who
tell us that all things have changed. that
these very men who were being arrayed
for decent burial had burst the cerements
of the grave. and transfgured by some new
arrangements OF crowns of thorns and
crosses of gold were to lead US to new
happiness. and even repair all the damage
they themselves had wrought.
Now this may be so. but to me 1t does
not seem probable. Human experience in
every walk Of life teaches US that those
who have blundered will blunder again.
and that the wisest course is not to en-
ploy ship captain who has not yet
emerged from his last shipwreck. but the
safe sailor who has never lost a ship. a
no CSD moor laffn htts xr,ko has yln1
safe through every sea.
He may have lost masts and sails and
even been rudderless for hours but If he
has every time come safe to shore far bet
forever shouting what they can d. and
never dare to tell of what they have done.
Bcasters are worth nothing. Deeds are
facts and are forever and ever. Talk dies
on the empty air Better pound Of per-
formance than a shipload of language.
What Has Happened.
1.-TWO months ago, as 1 have already
said, everybody conceded the election of
the republican ticket. What has happened
since then1
Have the four years of history been
tlotted out? Not one scrap of them Is
our condition better? Rather worse. We
are all in bad way and something must
be done. Let US see what is proposed by
these gentlemen. who, within the last two
months, have discovered a new cure for
all the ills flesh is heir to, and who pro-
claim as they did four years ago that they
alone hold prosperity in their grasp.
Their remedy is the coinage of silver, 10
to l. What does that mean?
Heretofore. whenever gold and silver
have stood together 1t has been at the
| market value. When we tried 10 make
gold and silver circulate together we have
always married them according to their
market value. Today we find them, not
10 to l. but 81 to /. and they are going,
they say. to hit silver to twice its value.
not by the universal sense OF mankind
which alone makes values. but by the
statute of the United States, single-handed
against the civilized world. Why should
the United States try to do this alone?
won't discuss the question whether the
free coinage Of silver will raise 1t to par
or not. Very few people claim that it
WILL and II they did l could not believe
them.
An Unfulflled Promise.
II was told in 1890. by two of the most
sincere. as well as the ablest silver men,
that the purchase of 100000 ounces a
month would raise silver to par and when
We did buy it, silver went down like lead
Silver men have not been good prophets in
the past What we want is not more mon
ey, but more capital-money always comes
with capital. We have money now more
than We can use. lying idle. We have just
exported lot of it. Money is the trans
ferer Of capital as a hayrack and horses Is
transferer Of hay. More hay-acks will
never make more hay, but more hay will
require more hayracks. and is sure to get
them.
Our capital is great. but the United
States is very much greater There are mill
lions of square miles, and Is, 600 900 of peo-
pie. and undeveloped riches without stint
But there is not capital enough to keep
70. .OOO. 600 Of people at work. When are we
the most prosperous? 1t is when the 75.-
0O0,OO0 are all at work. and when that hap
pens we borrow Of the rest of the world
thousands of millions of dollars
Now. just as soon as this election 10
over and the future position of the United
States Is assured both as to money and to
the employment of our people. capital is
ready to come to us from abroad and from
our own people and we shall again be pros
perous."
~rr NJ n rnV eTnr man