The Portland daily press., 1896-06-17

ran corporations for pillage escaped with
good regulations.
Our commercial morals we're degraded,
and we could not ask men to be honest
towards capital when capital was plum
dering all it could.
For relief from all these evils, the
Democratic party alone could be looked
to. (Applause.)
1t was not to be wondered at that the
laboring and industrial classes were
beginning to ask for government owner
ship of railroads, and to declaim against
monopoly of money and of production.
1t Is time to inquire whether the East,
so much dominated by the ideas of mo-
Dopoly, has not been deceived as to the
causes of its hardships. Hs for one WAS
glad that the great agricultural commu
mites We're pestering themselves, and
refusing longer to be dragged at the
car Of monopoly. (Applause.) No agra
rian movement could do half the damage
that the rapaoious monopolists have
wrought in the last five years.
The Repu blican party was responsible
for the outrages of monopoly, which had
caused the present attack upon1 the integ
rity Of our national currency. The Re
publican party, as revealed at ST. Louis,
had resolved itself into the Hanna
trust" buying delegates right and left,
turning out delegates at will, and sup
pressing its candidates. opinions.
Mr.. Williams said he took it for grant
ed that all present were against the evils
described. The only division would be
on the money question. After reviewing
our monetary system, in its history and
pecularities, Mr.. Williams turned to the
national banks, which he said were of no
advantage to the industrial and agricul-
tural classes, as they kept money at the
financial centres. He also related the
causes which, in his opinion, have brought
about the present depr ession, but made
no mention of the Wilson bill.
Mr.. Williams declared himself gold
standard supporter and commended Mr.
Cleveland's system of keeping our cur
rency from falling to silver basis. The
weakness OF our system was due, he said,
to Republican legislation. He attacked
that system, he said, even although he
should run the risk of being charged
with opposing the gold standard. Our
currency scheme was distinct from the
gold standard. In this respect the sound
money elements in the East had made
a grievous error. They have held this
system up as the gold standard; and an
Intelligent people, seeing the faults of
the system. have visited their displeas-
ures upon the gold standard.
He hsd never been dou btsd as a staunch
friend of the gold standard, and was 60
ing to Chicago to register the will of the
Democracy of Massachusetts but be-
tween the free coinage of silver and
further tampering with the present stan
dard by the Republicans, he would pre-
fer the former. cloud applause Better
free silver than toppling gold standard
loaded with Sherman Mckinley dyna.
mite. (Applause.
Mr.. Williams closed with advice as to
the platform, and denunciation of Hanna
and monopoly.
Hon. Harvey 81. Sheppard was given
an ovation when he was introduced to
respond to the sentiment "Sound Demo-
cratic Principles" He said he had
learned from experience to admire the
staying qualities of the Democracy of
Maine.
Truthfulness, honesty and boldness
ara always the best policies il taught"
said the speaker. ''Our prospects are
not AS bright as they might have been:
it is the fault of ourselves. 1t is because
we have failed to utterly uproot the rob-
ber tariff of MoKinleyism. The prinol-
pies of Thomas Jefferson are the principles
of Democracy. The right of an individual
to his own freedom and it's logical sue
oeeding principle, the right OF every
community to determine its own govern
ment. -
Mr.. Shepard made an earnest and i'm
passionede plea for sound money, and
looking the Hon. George Fred squarely
in the face, as if to chide him for his
gentle sops to the silver element, he
declared that the only possible principle
sound Democracy was sound money
and the gold Misunderstanding more,
nothing less. He said true Democrat
Continued on Second Page.