Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1896-08-26
MIR. fuckers SPEECH AT AMHERST
COURT HOUSE,

COURT HOUSE,
The following was the speech deliver
ed before the Democratic convention
of the Tenth district at Amherst G. H.,
on Thursday 30th of July, by Hon. H.
st. g. Tucker:
Mr.. chairman and fellow democrats
of the old Tenth district: It may test
your credulity. but beg you to believe
me when say this is the proudest mo-
ment of my life. Atmy request I have
been notified that your honorable body
has adopted the Chicago platform, up
on which you will expect your nominee
to stand aud advocate those principles.
/ AIN Democrat from the crown of my
head to the soles of my feet, and when
my party in national convention as
sembIy. has spoken, /, as citizen and
a Democrat do not hesitate to give my
support to and heartily endorse it's
nominees But when l am called be-
fore you as a candidate for your suf
frages, another question presents itself
to me. l, as an individual Democrat,
am ready to subordinate my individual
views, and endorse my party's action,
for in my opinion. though not in yours,
there Is much more involved in this
canvass than the money question; but
when | am asked to take a position up
On Il platform which do not believe ]
can honestly advocate before the peo-
pie, csnlo5 do it, and God helping
me, never will take such position
before the noble people who have hon
ored me in order to hold office at their
hands. (Applause), 1t is not ques-
ton, gentlemen, what you and I as
Democrats shall do-for we are going
to support our nominee unfiinchingly
and heartily, and support not only the
nominee of the Chicago convention,
but of this great convention assembled
here to day But the question is high
er and broader than that. it's wheth-
er man, as the nominee of party,
can take Il position On the stump and
advocate doctrine which he does not
himself believe This / can never, new
er. never do (Applause.)
This is an important era in our politi-
cal history in this district. feel that
I am not going too far when say that
I believe if l had announced in the be-
ginning, or even now, that | was pre-
pared to stand on platform which de-
clared for the free and unlimited coin
age Of silver by the United States alone
at the ratio of 16 to 1, from letters re-
ceived from friends and from converse
tions | have had with the delegates in
this convention. indeed I have not the
slightest dnibt that / could receive the
nomination at your hands. But there
is another question which no man who
respects himself can disregard and that
is whether man with fp;asiittiivG convic-
tiols against the Tightfulness of GER
tall. policy, can with propriety and
+ conscience. advocate its adoption by
tie people The trust reposed in me
by the noble people whom represent,
will never permit me to take a position
before them that do not honestly be-
lieve in. | may say in passing, some of
the warmest friends I have on earth,
some of the men in whom [ have the
greatest confidence, and some of the
noblcst and truest Democrats living
have, in season and out of season, urged
me to jnmp ca the platform and go sail
ing in, and / could do it but for one
thing, and that is, would despise my
self il did. How could / go and ask
the people of this district to endorse
principles siiat l do not believe in my
self? They tell me to jump on the band
wagon and ride on it. For myself ]
would rather ride in a dog cart right
than in tie band wagon at the expense
of my convictions. loud cheers.)
Now gentlemen l want you to under
stand this fact SO that there may be
no mistake about my position. l am a
Democrat from way back" and l am
going in fer the ticket. Not because /
endorse every word of that platform,
| for if there is man here who does, l
would like for him to hold up his hand.
Camm Patrerson-'l endorse every
word Of it,"
Mr.. Tucker-I do not desire to enter
| into O controversy with the gentleman
| from Buckingham, but l want to say
to him and to my friends that that
platform declares against state banks,
ard / have a letter in my pocket from
my honorable friend advising me to
advocate ST ate banks and now he says
that he Stands on that platform. Has
he renowned that opinion? could
easily stand on the platform in the
same way. Uaughter.l
| trust you are right about this, but
] believe r;Iat is to l silver, free and
unlim;ted by the United States alone,
would not -re q good thing for this
country. l said it openly and in pub
lie speech [ believed it then. l be
lieve it now. But bear with me further
for preaching ones own funeral is en-
barraseing. (Cries of 1--WE will resIrrect
you in two years. But you must give
me a little time. | always recognize
the right of the people to select can
didate and their platform upon which
they wish him to stand. 1t is your
right and your duty to select your plat
for II as you choose. The Democratic
National convention has made its plat
form Ii the people of this district
have q fright to make their own plat
form and }Ol require platform which
declares FIR the free and unlimited coin
age of silver at the ratio of 16 to /. ]
could not conscientious1y agree, If
were yoEr nominee, to say ON the stump
that it WIS for the best interests of the
people aud | ought not to do so if
covered To my denomination seems to
be a speech made last winter in the
house Of representative in defense of a
vote against the free coinage of silver
at the ratio of 16 to 1. You have right
to say, we don't like that vote; you
have u right and it is your duty to say,
if you think right, you cannot be our
presaiitatiYe.' But ! want to say
that three years ago I voted against
the free and unlimited coinage of sill
yer at theratio of 16 to l, and voted for
the ratio eff 20 to 1, and I came back
to this people to defend that vote,
and yon sent me back to Congress.
| went back to congress with the en-
dorsemeut CT this people, having voted
against silver at is to /. the very vote
which you now condemn me for. Voice
from tho crowd, that was before the
people went crazy.) Now my friends l
want no mistake about this. | recog
nize your right to say that time has
changed your views since two years
ago. l know that there have been
some little fellows picking at my coat
tail, declaring that l had changed my
position, when, the fact is, the men
W BIO supported me two years ago have
changed themselves and not |. You
have a rish5 to change, and it is your
duty to change if you see you are not
right, but let no man deceive himself
in this; three years ago l voted against
20 to silver; you returned me to con
gress after that vote, which was a
practical instruction to me to go and
do Likewise in the future. [ Obevei