Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1896-07-30

AAb. WIG lALELA gAAgtkA [gAA fNAAtANAA VI
Arizona, held to elect delegates to
the St. Louis convention, Tom
Fitch, one OF the most noted free
silver advocates in the territory,
was called upon 30 speak, and re-
| sponded in a speech which for sim
pie eloquence aud beauty Of dlc-
rion deserves preservation. His
reasons why he should remain IN
the Republican party are unanswer-
! able, and should be read by all
Republicans. The reading will IN
no way dwarf their enthusiasm for
the grand old party. The full text
of Mr.. Fitch's speech is as follows /:
"eGentlemen of the Convention !:
| thought that the seclusion that
the upper gallery grants, combined
with other circumstances, would
exempt me from any invitation to
speak before this convention, but
your repeated calls leave me no
alternative consistent with courtesy
but to answer them.
"The speakers who have address
ed you have spoken of the free
coinage of silver as a cardinal prin-
ciple of the Republican party. |
fear that the st. Louis convention
may compel us to retrace some of
our steps in this matter, and, as
the statesmen who control this con
vention have not included me
among those deemed most fit to
represent Arizona at st. Louis, |
feel quite at liberty to tell the
truth.
81 suppose no one will question
my long devotion to the cause of
free silver coinage. Years ago, at
the inception of the movement, |,
as vice-president of the national
executive committee of the silver
convention, in connection with A..
j. Warner, the president of the
committee, travelled through the
south and west preaching the doc
trine of bimetalism, and | have
never since had occasion to change
my views with respect to the great
benefits that might result to this
nation from the complete restora-
ton of silver as a money metal !;
and yet here are other circumstan-
ces quite as influential which must
be potent in determining my future
action, and the future action of
many Republicans in this matter.
"This morning a friend, who is
a member of the convention, and
who now honors me with his audi
ence, said to me, Mr.. Fitch, you
have alwas been a pronounced ad
vocste Of the free coinage of silver,
what would you do if the st. Louis
convention adopts a plank in their
platform favoring a single gold
standard and denouncing the free
coinage of silver p / did not an
swer this question then, but with
your permission will do so now.
81 belong to the Republican party
because its history Is the history of
the growth, the greatness, and the
freedom of this nation ; because it's
purposes are patriotic ; because it
is the friend of labor without being
the foe Of thrift; because it Is wise;
because it is just /; because its res
toration to complete power will
rekindle the furnace aud start the
turbines, and fill the land with the
music of ~contented and well paid
toll, and put bread into mems
mouths, and hope into their hearts.
81 belong to the Republican
party because it is the grandest
political organization Of freemen
that the worlc has ever known /;
because under its wise guidance,
star after star has teen added to
our flag, ship after ship has been
added to u fleets, factory after
factory has been added to our re.
sources, millions upon millions
have been added to our wealth, city
after city has been developed from
our villages, and the land has been
laced with a network Of iron rails,
and furnace fires have illuminated
the hight, and the grand diapason
OF labor has heen made to sound
throughout the continent.
81 belong to the Republican
party because under It's inspiration
these United States, once q wrang-
ling and discordant commonwealth;
these United States, once shamed
with slavery and decrepit with the
d'sease of secession--these United
States have become a country where