The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-07-08
GEORGE FRED WILLIAMS FOR
FREE SILVER.


YER by Mr.. George Fred Williams of
Massachusetts is the sensation of the
hour in political circles. He has been
leading Democrat in his state for a
long time and has served his partv in
congress. His coming out in favor OF
free silver is so important an event
that we shall quote literally from the
interview in which he does it. He first
says:
The time has come for a great pop
ular uprising. and 1 propose to be in
II. in taking this step of supporting
silver Democrat, l realize that | am
doomed politically in Massachusetts,.
and that l shall never be forgiven by
men who claim to be Democrats ! re-
alize, also, that these men can punish
me socially and financially, but I in
vite the persecution. with a conscien-
tious feeling that l am doing right bv
Volc1ng the sentiments of an outraged
public.
This shows full appreciation of all
the consequences of his action. He
fully realizes that it is in the power of
his party associates to punish him So
cially and financially, and that his ac-
ton dooms him politically The inter-
view continues as follows:
1 shall feel happy in the coming cam
paign, as it will be fought out square
ly on free coinage platform l shall
rot be asked to appear enthusiastic
over false issues and appear to be in
terested when | am not. / believe the
great issue of today to be the money
question, and over which there will be
a great uprising.
The representatives of the money
power are going to Chicago to defeat
the will of the delegates, but 1 think
Mr.. Whitney and his agents will meet
their Waterloo. The west and the
south do not meet in Chicago as a ma
licious body of people. They go there
as honest, Woodworking, robbed peo-
pie, looking for an alienation of their
wrongs. Four years ago what did the
party manipulators do? They be-
seeched them-and I'm not mentioning
names-to take Cleveland, gold man,
for president. and that they would give
them free coinage through congress
that was the trade We held up to
these poor. depressed people-the farm
ers of the country false beacon. We
fooled them, but this time they will
not be fooled.
They have the votes and propose to
run the convention, regardless of the
orders from Lombard, Wall and State
streets.
Sounds little Peffery, don't it, Mr..
Winiams?' quer:ed the reporter.
They used to call it Pefferism. but I
tell you that people have begun to
get their eyes open. I'm against the
present monetary system of the coun-
try, which is continuous as long as
this money combination of Lombard
street feels disposed to uphold it.
Didn't you take a leading part in the
fight against free silver in the Fifty
second congress?"
I did and the purchasing clause of
the Sherman law was repealed. We
were told by party leaders that if this
clause was repealed the trouble would
cease
There has been no sign of improve
ment since that act was repealed. They
have applied all the remedies but one
after another they have failed.
Then do 1 understand that you are
a free silverite?"
BY no means, answered Mr. Will
Jams. l am in favor of gold standard
if it is properly guarded, but today it
is not. And it cannot be until the pow
er of the moneyed interests is severed,
and this can only be done by driving
them to the wall I confess that 1 sd
not realize three years ago, when we
began to issue bonds. in what a parti-
san spirit l had looked at the silver
question. l began to study it and have /
my mind considerably until I /
am now convinced that for every mil |
lion dollars damage done by the al /
legged evil Of free coinage the people /
would be robbed of $4,000, 900 by Hanna |
and his trust, if they get control of
the country. The people of the west
and south have been long and patient
sufferers. Four years ago they gave
up their convictions for the north and
the east, under a promise that we
would better them after election. we
haven't done it. We haven't been (
honest with them Their conditions
are worse today than ever. Money is
1earer and farm products are cheaper. (
How can you stop the flow OF gold
70 Europe?"
You can't under our present system.
sold is a centipede that is running to /
Europe. Our whole money system here I
S wrong. We have placed ourselves
n a position whore the entire world I
IAN go 10 our treasury and draw gold !
IN par If it has the treasury note. /
You can't do that in England. France /
,r Germany. They make you paw a !
premium on gold. Under our present I