The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-07-05

is straight, and no one OF as can look 10
the right nor TO the left. I'VE cannot hope
10 appeal with success TO an OF the sill
yer delegates. The great body OF them
would not listen TO even persuasion. The
wild character Of the movement Il shown
in its fury and anger. But there must
be many silver delegates who fnd them
selves out OF touch with fury and reckless
ness and who can still be made TO see
where this passion and excitement Is car
rying them and their party, ana possibly
their country. To their sober reason this
meeting is an appeal. They may still listen
to the solemn warning Of dispa sslonate
men, dispassionate Americans. We are
here without passion, without excitement,
without fury, but with perfect vision OF
the crisis that Is being forced upon the
party and the nation.
Unless the silver men with conserva-
tive tempers intervene. unless those in
tervene whose patriotism is more precious
to them and whose democracy is more
precious to them than adherence to
single idea, this majority will sweep the
convention. Where will It sweep IL TOT II
will sweep 1t into hostility with the abid-
ing sentiment Of the people, that senti-
ment, which is the single defense of the
nation. 1t will sweep It into hostility
with the abiding conscience or the
nation. That conscience whose sober
rigor will abate all sophistries
which work against the honor of the ma
tion. For what will the aim be-what
will be the imposition To pay the ma
tons debts in 5O-cent dollars. and that
is national dishonor. For quioble as we
may-quibble as Horace Boies has lately
been quibbling, the national debt is pay
able in the equivalent OF gold. That Is
the bare business fact, backed by the
conscience of dispassionate America ana
the conscience Of the world. HOY lately
has it become even conceivable to sober
minded men that the majority in ma
tional convention of great historic party
will headlong decide to urge a policy
whose effect, even before It could be en-
acted into law and at the first moment
when IL should become certain would be
to plunge their country into commissions
and panics whose disasters would be new
to the experience of the worldg
How can such action be pos
sible? VIII not the traditional sense or
the grave responsibilities of majority
defeat this frenzy? Is the majority so
blind that IL cannot see the precipice ana
the abyss? Let them ask the business
men. They VIII tell them what silver
monometallism means-what l6 TO
means. 1t means havoc. 1t means ruin.
1t means the prostration Of all business,
all finance, all manufacturing-by oy-
clone of panic. 1t means years OF hope
less depression after that. 1t means the
remorseless narrowing Of all employments
sLi the payment OF scant wages IN 20
cent dollars. 1t means salaries and all
hxed incomes reduced to 16 to 1 silver; II
means savings banks deposits and bult-
ing associations shares and every form OF
credits cut to the level OF silver. II
means the dissolu tion of the whole sys-
tenn of credit which Is as the breath of
life to the nostrils Of business. IL means
the Introduction of an unstable, fiuctuat-
ing currency that no business man and
no workingman can foretell the value
of from DAY to day In brief. there is
but one class of men who could be bene-
fitted. The silver miner could not be, for
he would throw away for temporary
and irresponsible outlet In this market
all his hopes Of that permanent and re-
| sponsible outlet which is only obtainable
through the consentlof the leading ciu-
| zens The laborer would not be benefit
| ted for If he got a silver dollar for his
| so cent. wheat, his dollars would be worth
| only so cents. There Is, say, but one
| class who would be benefited, and that
class was described by Altgeld in his
speech at Peoria when he spoke openly
| of himself as a man with a great deal of
property covered by great deal OF dust.
| So much for what this questionable ma
! jority, II not arrested by conservative sill
! yer men will attempt to do for the ma
| ton. Now let me ask what 1T will do for
the democratic party 1t viii defeat the
democratic party That is the faith OF the
! business world--and for that faith they
| thank heaven. The democratic party can
stand defeat in a worthy cause. If neces-
sary, it can stand extinction, for II has
a glorious history that will live.
| odium of silver monometallism.
and of the paltering with the honor or
the nation and the prosperity of the peo-
But what does defeat on this issue
mean? Who does not know? Who can
| fail to know that If the democratic party
! shall borrow this populistic issue from
the popuists and be defeated it will NOT
| regain the respect and confidence of the
! people for years and years to come; nor
after all those years until it has been
! born again? The silver movement will
| pass as the greenback Novement has
| passed, and as has passed all that series
| of historic attempts to make money out
| of nothing But ii will leave the demo-
i ri GiunFadifAA frs
! many years to come If the convention
| declares for free coinage at is to /, by
this nation alone, that action will not
be democratic action; it will be populistic
action A democratic convention
may turn populistic and many dem
ocrats may turn populists, but million
democrats will remain democrats. No
wave of populism can sweep them Off
their feet and their feet are on the plat
form of the historic principles of the
party"
was the ideal free silver man, and asked
If he was the ideal democrat. (Shouts of
no) The people of Chicago knew, he said,
how the Illinois state convention would
have been against free silver had it not
been for Altgelds corrupt and shame
less action. The cheering and Kissing
was kept up for several minutes, and
every attempt of the speaker to con-
cheers. Some admirers of the governor
In the rear of the theater attempted TO
offset the misses by calling for cheers for
Altgeld and were answered by loud cries
of 'Put them out !"
Mr MacVeagh closed with introducing
to the meeting, as a man who under other
circumstances, might have been the presi-
dental nominee the Hon. William e. Rus
sell. (Cheers.)
Mr. Russell was frequently applauded as
he spoke and when he asked whether the
free silver programme was in accord with
| the faith and practice of Jefferson and
| Cleveland, he was answered with loud ac-
| clamatfons and plaudits In honor of Presi-
| dent Cleveland. These were renewed When
| he afterward spoke of the free silver move
ment as a turning Of their backs upon an
| administration which had upheld with
courage and fidelity the national credit
| and honor.
| When Mr. Russell resumed his seat
| amid much cheering, Mr.. MacVeagh in
| troduced to the audience Senator Gray of
| delaware as zone of those senator's whose
| abilities. character and opinions had help
| ed to preserve and continue the besr
| traditions of the best days Of the United
| States Senate"
When Mr.. Gray concluded there were
loud calls for Senator Hill.
Mr. MacVeag however, Informed the
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