The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-07-06

which Ia now impending. AS n north
rrn and national Democrat, l ilnnlore
our brethren In the west and south. by
whose side we would love to night,
whose principles we have Jointly held.
for whose Interests We have lnbOrcd
and suffered, and In whose victories we
have done our part--l imploro them 10
save our party from n course whlch
viii break the closest Yes ana eenu w;
divided and dlscreditcu, 10 great anu
lasting defeat"
Cheers AMI hssSs greeted various
uortI0ns Of the speech. Tho next speech
was by Franklin MncVclgh, OF Chi
caEo, for whom local pride gilvn u fair
share Of applause.
MIR. MncVaigh said In part: Gen.
tlGmun;-Thlg meeting hnS been called,
and this great nssCmblngn nus gath
cred, because the nation and tho Demo-
crntlc party are both face to face with
M impending crisis. History repeats
Itself. II IL now thIrty-slx years since
memorable Democratic convention
tncnt IN 1860. Thcn, also, both the ma.
tlOn and the Democratic pnrty stood
fnce to face with an impending crisis.
Then there was at stake the unity OF
the nation. Now Il Is the nations
honor. That honor must be preserved.
The agonlcs ana waste OF war. north
and south, would turn TO wnntOnneBs
In the pages OF our history lf our hap
PLY united country should have been
preserved only to Become defaullGr
and pay It's debts with LO-ccnt dollars.
eve who appeal TO tho coming con.
yentIun against silver mOnnmctNllIRm
are not all gold mOnOmetnlllsts. Many
OF us arc earnest blmGtnlllats. eager to
SEQ silver and gold made equal In the
coinage OF our country. Tint which
for this crisis unltcs hlmctnliSts ana
god monOmclallists IL theawful spectre
or silver monomctnllism,
1--WE cannot hope to appeal with sue
cess to all OF the silver delegates. The
great body OF them would not even
listen to persuasion. The wild chnrac-
ter OF the movement IL shown In Its
fury md anger. Bnt there must be
many silver delegates who find them
selves out Of touch with fury and rGCk-
lessncSs, and who can stlll he made TO
Sec where this passion and excitement
Is carrying them and their party To
their sober reason thiR meeting Is nm
appeal. They may stIll listen to the
solemn warnings OF dlspasslonntc men,
dIspassonnte Democrats. dlspasslonntc
Americans.
I'VE are here without passion, with
out excitement. without fury, but with
Il perfect vision OF tho crisis that IN
being forced upon tho party and the
nation. The questionable majority in
the convention, II not arrested by con.
servhtlvc silver men. will defeat the
Democratic party. But what does de-
feat on this issue mean? Who can fail
to know that II the Democratic party
bOrrOws this Popullstlc issue from the
Popullsts, and be defeated. II will not
regain the respect and confidence OF the
people for years and years to come; nor,
nftcr all those years, until It has been
born again?
THE silver movement will pass, as
the Ereenbnck movement has passed.
and as have passed all that series OF
historic attempts to make money out
OF nothing: but 1t will leave the Demo-
cratic party hupelessly dlscrcdlted for
many years to come. And what, then,
Is to become of all those Grrnt interests
and policies and noble impulses and
aims OF Democracy which the Demo-
cratic parry alone can champion and
defend?
This meeting Is an appeal for the
nation and fer the people. Why make
this new platform when we all know
that only PARTY Of the party can stand
on II? Why use an unexpected ma
jority 10 force policy new to Demo-
cratic platforms, when every snber-
minded man knows that It must newt
nbly disrupt the party?"
John L. Fellows, OF New York, closed
the meeting after brief speech by
Senator Gray. OF Delaware, with
ringing invectlve against free silver.
At least 5000 people we're present, rep
resentIng both the gold and the free
silver advocates.