The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1896-06-18

MIR. President, | do not desire to say
unkind things, and | will touch for =
moment only why | object to this pro
vision of this platform. The Republi,
can party has never been the party of
Il single standard. (Applause.)
"It was bimetallic party in its origin
and in all its history In 1888 it de
clared for bimetallism; in 1892 it de-
clared for bimetallism; in 1896 it de
| clared for single gold standard. In
1888 we carried the state that | here
we carried it on Il bimetallic plank: we
carried it with a majority that is equal,
considering our vote, to that of any
state in the Union. Faint applause
1t has been n Republican state from the
hour OF its admission.
"Mr, President, | promised you |
would not discuss the silver question,
and will not, except to say this plat
form is such 4 distinct departure from
everything heretofore adopted by the
party that it challenges our Republican
name to accept it. The platform CON
tains some platitudes about an ntcrna-
tional conference. 1t provides that we
will maintain the gold standard in this
country until the principal nations of the
world shall agree that we may do other
wise. This is the first gathering of Re
publicans since this party was organized
that has declared the inability of the
American people to control their own af-
fairs. (All the silver delegates arose in
a body at this and howled approval of
the sentiment)
ITO my horror this declaration comes
from the great political party of Abra-
ham Lincoln and Ulysses :. Grant. Do
you believe that the American people are
too weak to actually maintain financial
system commensurate with the business
of their own fruition? Gentlemen of
the convention, you will have no bimetal-
lie agreement with all the great CONNER
cial nations of the world and it can not
be obtained; this is declaration that
the gold standard is to be put upon the
country and kept there for all time. Do
you believe that Great Britain, that
great commercial nation of the world,
our powerful comDaniOn in commerce
and trade, will ever agree to open her
mints to "he coinage of silver until we
shall have opened ours? We are the
great debtor nation of the world; Great
Britain is the great creditor. We have
every year millions and hundreds of mil
lions Of dollars of investment in this
country from her loans. The gold stan
dard, i'll my Judgment, lowers prices and
decreases values, and she buys of us
lros nnn i,T[e noII slan SG Sels US; Sne puyS
dd'1,.a.,;, 1pon a soiu sthnI"ru, covering anu
Gt,i tbiuI. tSalns - summary. IloW long 90 you
srStam a, wi" nf oo ng oel1Le smc VIII usreG 10
Of fornn nrod"nt M I ,ma' raises ti'e prices
Uiinos AN ~ tI?uuctS th; aa. pr9quctS ol our
declaration that the Republican party i'll
tends to maintain the low prices and
stagnate business for all time to come
V>'i'eei i'0i1 ''ie 'iiNer S'"'eSJ
'There is a beautiful provision in this
platform about the tariff. | subscribe to
that. applause and cheers from all
over the hall) | believe in Il protective
tariff. More applause) | have advo-
Gated it for forty years, (applause) but it
is my solemn conviction that a protective
tariff can not be maintained upon a gold
standard. The tariff for protection prin-
ciple is for the raising of prices of human
toll; it is for the good of the producer.
where that it is enforced, is much for
the purpose of reduction of values. Now,
gentlemen of the convention, / am
going to make this simple objection as to
the protective, system, that it is Il dan
ger, ana l VIII can your attention to the
other laGC ana then leave IL TO your JUDI
lient Whetnet thls PLATFORM snail be
auopteu Vi rejected
nder existing conditions we I'M
doubleday nave gold standard. | do
not ieny that have for twenty years
Sought most faithfully to change it to
a blmetallic system, and L have believed,
and yet believe, that when the
Almighty created these twin metals he
intended the world should use them for
purposes Tor which they were created.
ana When ne blessed tins land with more
gold and more silver, than any other
country III the world he meant That we
should use them Tor purposes Tor which
tney were INTENDED, toWlt: Inc use
OF thell poth as standard money.
we TO-DAY reverse the 'radltiohs
OIL our country ana deciare
we Wiil use oniy one: II tHe American
people are III 1avor OF that nave moth
ing 10 say must submit TO a majority
Vote ana majority voice III tnls coull-
Try OIL ours: L d0 not DeIieye thls party
OF ours, II II co9ld De poiled, Is III 1aVor
OF soiu standard. DelleVe that oO
per cent OIL tne people are III iaVor Oh
Dlmetaliism OF the OLD 1ashloned system
that existed III thls country up TO 1888.
"Mr. President and gentlemen of the
convention, promised that | would take
few minutes and | believe am allowed
only few in which | can rapidly address
you, but | want to say few things which
may seem to you to be personal and that
they ought not to be introduced into an
audience like this. | must beg your in
diligence if / seem to transcend the pro-
priatinc of tbic oonn einn &c I cbnU COW