The Monitor-register., 1896-06-19

| IfeSlueucys
ST. LOUIS, June 19.-The Republican
| convention began it's work yesterday at
| 10: 32 o'clock, at which time President
| Thurston called the body to order. With
out waiting for the delegates to get into
| their seats he introduced the Rev. John Il
Scott, a colored clergyman of Florida,
| who opened the proceedings with prayer.
Ex-Governor Foraker was then intro,
duced to read the platform, and the an
nouncement of his name produced an out.
burst of applause which continued fol-
| several minutes.
After the reading of the platform Mr.
| Foraker moved its adoption. Senator Tel
Ter, of Colorado, here appeared on the
| platform and was greeted with applause
| He moved as a substitute for the financial
| plank the minority report-a declaration
in favor of the free n unlimited coinage
| of silver at a ratio of 16 to l.
The name of Teller set the westerners
wild. In little scattered squads, the hand
fuls of delegations who had been sitting
under the banners of Colorado, of Idaho,
| of Utah, of Nevada, California and Mon
tana, and some of those from Tennessee
and other western and southern states,
were on their feet, waving hats, flags, UNI
| brellas, fans and handkerchiefs, and shrek
| ing like madmen.
The fire spread to the galleries and swept
| across them until they seemed to be al
| most unanimously carrying the cheer.
| For two or three minutes the uproar con-
tinued.
Senator Teller, rs he stood Oh the plat
form to make his final protest to the Re-
publican party against the adoption of a
| gold standard policy, was n striking fig
| ure. Tall, gaunt, he wore theo old fashioned
| frock coat of the old time statesman. His
valedictory to the Republican party, which
was frequently interrupted by applause,
| mingled with Misses, was in substance as
follows:
SENATOR ~TELLER's vALEDICTORY
This plank, or the proposition, was presented
| to the whole committee, and by it rejected.
| Loyalty to my own opinion, consideration of
| great interest that is felt in this country, com
| pels me in the face of unusual difficulties to
| nresent this for our consideration, not with
that bounding hope or with that courage that |
have presented this in other bodies with greater
measure of success than l can hope for here.
| The great and supreme. Importance of this
| question is all of my excuse for the few words
| that | shall say to you. L represent u state that
| produces silver Dub van u say W you mere
| and now that my advocacy is not i'll the slight
| est degree influenced by that fact.
contend for it because | believe that there
| can be no sound financial system in any country
in the world thai does not recognize this prin-
chile. | contend for it because, since 1919, when
| it was ruthlessly stricken from our statutes,
| there has been a continued depreciation of all
| nroducts of human labor and human energy. /
contend for it because in this year Of 1896 the
American people are i'll greater distress than
they ever were i'll their history.
The great contest in which many of you par
ticinatcd, of whether we should have two flags
or one, was not more important to the Amcri-
can people than the question OF q proper soll-
ton of what shall be the money system OF this
land This is not a question Of policy, but a
o~uastion of principle. 1t is not a mere idle
thing. but one on which hangs the happiness,
the prosperity, this morality and the indapen-
dence of American labor and American pro
ducers.
The Republican party has never been the
PARTY of IA single standard. it WAS u bimetallic
party in its origin, in all its history. IN 1850 it
declared for bilnetiallism, in 1892 it declared for
bimetallism. In 1895 it declared for a single
gold standard. In 1888 we carried the state
that l here represent for the Republican nomi-
nee; we carried it on a bimetallic platform. We
carried it with a majority equal, considering
our vote, to that of any state in the Union. IL
mas DtCh u 4hSPuohNuhA oeoNS IN ObA VI
its admission.
The platform contains some platitude5 about
international conferences. 1t provides that we
will maintain the gold standard in this country
until the principal nations of the world shall
agrees that we may do otherwise. This is the
first gathering of Republicans since this party
was organized thai has deelered the inability
of the American people to control their own af-
fairs. Do you believe that the American people
are too weak to actually maintain a financial
system commensurate with the business of the
country, their own fruition?
Do YOU believe that Great Britain, the great
commercial nation of the world, our powerful
competitor in and trade, Will ever
agree to open her mints to the coinage of silver2
We are the great debtor nation of the world.
Great Britain Is the great creditor. We pay
for every year millions and hundreds of mill
ions of dollars as income on h6F Ayestments in
this country on her loans. The gold standard,
in my Judgment, lowers prices and decreases
values. She buys of us millions more than she
sells us. She buys upon a gold standard low
ering and deprecating standard. How long do
YOU think 1t will be before she agrees to a sys-
tenn Of statutes that raise the price of the farm
product or the product of our mines in this
country2 1t is q solemn declaration that the
Republican party intends &c maintain low
prices and ~stagnated business for all time to
come.
There IS q Deaublfu PROVISION IN this plats
form about the tariff. l subscribe to that. l be,
lieye in o protective tariff. I have advocated
It for forty years, hut it is my solemn convic-
tion that a protective taRiff cannot be main
tanned pon a gold STANDARD. The tariff of pro-
lection principle is for the raising OF PRICES of
human toll, 1t is for the good of the producer,
for his labor: the gold standard, on the con-
trary, everywhere that it is enforced, is much
for the purpose Of reducing valuas.
Now, gentlemen of the convention, I ann GO
ing to make this simple objection as to the pro-
tective system, that 1t Is in danger, and Iwil
call your attention to the other fact, and then
leave it to your Judgment whether this plat
form shall be adopted or rejected. Under ok
istinq conditions we undoubtedly have the gold
standard. do not deny that 1 have sought for
twenty years to change it to the bimetallic sys-
TEN. 1 have believed. and yet believe, that
when the Almighty created these twin metals
He intended that we should use them for the
purposes for which they are created.
= Ibeleve that the adoption of the gold stand
ard viii produce hardships, will increase the
distress, and that no legislation touching the
tariff oan remoye the difficulties that now all
edmit prevails in this land. 1belieye that the
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