The River Falls times. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1894-1933, 1896-06-23
TELLER,s FAREWELL.
Speech of the Colorado Senator With
drawing From the Party.

drawing From the Party.
Senator Teller, as he stood on the plat
form to make his final proposition to the
Republican party against the adoption of
a gold standard policy, was striking
figure. Tall, gaunt, he wore the old-fash-
Toned frock coat Of the old time states
man. His face is deep furroWed with lines
Of thought; and no one who beheld him
as he stood and surrendered all his old
associations for deep conviction on d
Single topic; doubted his honesty of pur--
pose. His face is thin, his eye grey and
his forehead high. His beard and hair
are iron grey; the hair brushed straight
back from his forehead and falling back
ward like a cataract. He was evidently
deeply aroused by the emotions that
almost fierce: But his general tone was
one Of sadness and regret. He was given
most respectful hearing by the delegates
but except for those syhpathizing, there
was no demonstration on the floor in the
early part of his address The galleries,
however; were at times vocferous, and
when he asserted the power of the United
States to control their own affairs without
lictaton from Europe in the matter OF
finance or anything else, many Of the dele-
gates were drawn into the display Ct en-
thusiasm by the wild tumtilt about them,
but the Colorado senator made NO effort
at dramatic effect: He spoke In clear,
ringing tones, which have so often re;
sounded through the halls of the United
States senate. 1t was not until toward
the close Of his speech that he became
beth impressive and pathetic. His review
of his long service in the party visibly
affected him. AS he realized the step he
was about to take, he drew himself to-
gether for a final appeal, and declared,
with an earnestness that impressed those
who heard him, that in his opinion the
morality, the religion and the salvation OF
the cOuntry were at stake. He spoke as
follows:
I will not attempt to in1ict upon you a
discussion Of the great financial question
which Is dividing the people. not only OF
this country, but of the world. The few
moments allotted to me by the convention
will not enable me to do more than state
In the briefest possible manner our objec-
lions to the financial plank proposed Tor
our consideration. l am practical man
and / recognize the conditions existing In
this convention, foreshadowed as they were
by the action Of the committee selected by
thn REPRESENTATIVES assembled from the diff
ferent states This plank or the PROPOSE
ton was presented to the whole committee
and by ii rejected. Loyalty to my own
opinion and consideration for the great In
terest that is felt in this country compels
me in the face of unusual difficulties to pre-
sent this plank for your consideration, not
with that bounding hope or with that cour-
age that / have presented this in other
bodies with greater measure or success
than I can hope for here The great and
supreme Importance of this question Is
alone my excuse for the few words that l
shall say to you. / represent state that
produces silver. but want to say to you
here and now that my advocacy Is not in
the slightest degree Influenced by that fact
contend for it because / believe there can
be no sound financial system in the coun-
try or the world that does not recognize
this principle / contend for 1t because
since 1873 when it was ruthleSsly stricken
from our statutes there has been con-
tnued depreciation of all products of hu-
man labor and human energy. l contend
for it because in this year of '96 the Amer
lean people are in greater distress than
they ever were in their history. l contend
for it because this is in my judgment the
great weight, the great incubus that has
weighed down enterprises and destroyed
prices in this favored land of ours. con-
tend for it because / believe the welfare
of NV country is dependent on it. / con-
tend for it because believe the civilization
of the world is to be determined by the
rightful or the wrongful solution Of this
financial question.
I am tolerant of those who differ from
me- l act from my judgment, enlightened
as best have been able TO enlighten it by
nv years of study and my years of thought
In my Judgment the American people in
tie whole line of their history have never
been called upon to settle question OF
greater Importance TO them than this. The
great contest in which many of you partici-
pated. whether we should have two flags or
one, was not spore important to the Amer
lean people than the question of proper
solution of what shall be the money sys-
tenn Of this-land.