The Meeker herald., 1896-06-27
business for all time to come. tcheers


/, from the silver states,
There is a beneficial provision In this
platform about the tarifY. I subscribe
| to that. Applause and cheers from all
over the hOuse.) l believe In protec-
tive tariff (Afore cheers.) But 1t u
my solemn conviction that protective
tariff cannot be maintained upon g0ld
standard Applause and cheers from
the silver peorle)
The tariff protc ction principle is TOT
! the raising of the price of human toll.
i, 1t is for giving to the producers ample
compensation for their labor; the goid
standard on the contrary. everywnere
that 1t is enforced is. for the purpose OF
, reducing values.
| Now, to you, gentlemen of the conven-
! tlon, am led to make this simple ob1ec-
ton as to the protective system, that II Is
in danger: and will call your attention
to one other fact, and then leave 1t TO
your Judgment whether this platform
shall be adopted or rejected.
Under existing conditions we undoubt-
edly have the gold standard. l do NOT
deny that what l have sought for ls 10
change it for the bimctallic system.
have believed and now believe that
when the Almighty Grated these two
|
should use them for the uses for which
they were created tApplause) And
when he blessed this land of ours with
more gold and more silver than any
other country in the word. he meant
| that we should use them for the purpose
for which they were intended, to-wlt:
Their use by the people as standard
money And to-day you would reverse
| the traditions of our country, ana ue-
clare we will use only one.
| If the American people are in favor OF
that have nothing to say. ! must SUD
nit to the ajority vote ana the HaJo.i-
ty voice in this country of ours. l 90
not believe this party Of ours. II 1t coulu
be polled is in favor of the gold stan
dard. l believe that 90 per cent. or tine
people are in favor of bimetallism OF the
old-fashioned kind that existed IN this
country up TO 1873.
Mr.. President, and gentlemen Of this
convention. l promised you that i
would take but few moments. but
I want to say few things that may
seem to you to be personal, and thas
they ought not to be introduced IN an
audience like this. l must beg your IN
diligence il seem to transcend the pre-
scribed limits of this occasion, II shall
say something personal to myselr. l
have formed my convictions on TINS
c1eat question after twenty years OF
study, over twenty years OF carefui
thought and careful reading. l nave
been trained In school that 1t seems
to me to fit me well for reaching just
conclusions and the facts. have FORM
ed my conclusions to such an extent
that they become binding on my con-
science.
nI
gold standard in the United States Will
work great hardship: that 1t will In
crease the distress. and that no legis-
lntion touching upon the tariff can re-
move the difficulties that now. all ad'
nit, prevail in the land. I believe that
the whole welfare of my race is wrap
ped up In the rightful conclusion OF
this question: that the morality. civil
iZatioil. nay. the very religion or my
country is at stake In this contest. l
know and you know that men In dis
tress are neither patriotic nor brave.
,rs You I end desHTTy know that h9ngsr and 9!s
Of country, To have love of country.
patriotic fervor and Independence. you
must have your citizens comfortnbly
fed and comfortably clothed. That is
what MIR, Meccham said ia 1856: that Is
what has made me n Republican dur
ing all these years. because l believed
that the Republican party was made
for the great masses of men: that It's
legislation was intended to lift up and
elevate, and hold up and sustain the
fortunes of our people and give all
equality before the law. ApDlause).
/ do not believe 1t can be had with
the gold standard. You may doubt my
Judgment hut shall doubt 1t? must
answer to my conscience and not to
my neighbors': must do my duty as
1t ia presented to me and not as pre-
scnted to you. l say to you now, that
with the convention upon me, that this
gold plank means ultimate distress and
disaster to my followers; cannot sub
scribe to It. and, II adopted. I must as
an honest man. sever my connection
with the political organization which
makes that one of the main articles of
its faith. prolonged applausel.
repeat here what / said yesterday
/ was not acting upon my Judgment
alone, but carefully as I have attempt
ed to prepare 1t, dare to take this step
alone. My friends, 1 am sustained in
my view OF the danger that is coming
| to us and coming to the world, by the
adoption of the gold standard. by the
intelligence of the world. They may
say that the silver question is n craze.
Let me tell you that the best part of
Europe. the best part of the world, is
| with the advocates of bimetallism
All the great political speakers of
Europe. with the exception OF five or
six. are the pronounced advocates of
bimetalllsm. unrestricted and unre-
strained bimetalism. All OF the great
teachers Of political economy in Euro
| mean colleges without exception, are In
| favor of bimetallism. My own judg-
ment, based, as ] have said to you. on
careful preparation and careful study
for twenty years. bears me out and
puts me in accord with them, and
would be recrennt to my trust. given
me by the people Of my state, II fall
I ed to protest here and failed, when the
Republican party makes this one OF the
tenets of its faith. to sever my connec
ton with that party. applause and
cries of "No.o