Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1896-07-20

| ask him where, in law or in morals he
can find authority for not protecting the
debtors when the act of 1873 was
passed, but now insists that we must
protect the creditor
He says he also wants to amend this
law and provide that if we fail to main
tain a parity within year we will then
suspend the coinage of Siver. We reply
that when we advocate thing which
we believe will be successful we are not
compelled to raise a doubt as to our own
sincerity by trying to show what we
will do il we can. | ask him. if he will
apply his logic to us, why he does not
apply it to himself? He says that he
wants this country to try to secure an
international agreement. Why doesn't
he tell us what he is going to do if they
fail to secure an international agree
ment? There is more reason for him to
do that than for us to fail to maintain
the parity. They have tried for thirty
years-for thirty ycars-to secure an
international agreement, and those who
are waiting for it most patiently don't
want it at all.
Now, my friends, let me come to the
| great paramount issue. If they ask us
here why it is that we say more on the
money question than we say upon the
tariff question, | reply that if protection
has slain its thousands, the gold stan
dard has slain its tens of thousands. If
they ask us why we did not embody all
these things in our platform which we
believe, we reply to them that when we
have restored the money of the consti-
| tuition all other necessary reforms will
be possible, and that until that is done
there is no reform that can be accom-
pliShed.
Why is it that within three months
such change has come over the senti-
ment of this country? Three months
ago, when it was confidently asserted
that those who believed in the gold
standard would frame our platform and
nominate our candidate, even the advo-
Gates of the gold standard did not think
that we could elect a president, but they
had good reason for the suspicion, be-
cause there is scarcely a state here to-
day asking for the gold standard that is
not within the absolute control of the
Republican party.
| But note the change. Mr.. Mckinley
was nominated at st. Louis upon a plat
form that declared for the maintenance
Of the gold standard until it should be
changed into bimetalism by an intcrna-
tional agreement Mr.. Mckinley was
the most popular man among the Re-
publicans, and everybody three months
ago in the Republican party prophesied
his election.
How is it today? Why that man who
used to boast that he looked like Ma
poleon-that man shuddcrS today when
he thinks that he was nominated on the
anniversary of the battle Of Waterloo.
Not only that, but as he listens he can
hear with ever increasing distinctness
the sound of the waves as they beat
upon the lonely shores of ST. Helena.
Why this change? All, my friends. is
not the change evident to any one who
will look at the matter? 1t is no private
character, however pure, no personal
popularity, however great, that can pro-
tect from the avenging wrath of an in
| dignant people the man who will either
declare that he is in favor of fastening
the gold standard upon this people or
who is willing to surrender the right of
self government and place the lcgisa-
tive control in the hands of foreign DO
tentates and powers.
We 90 forth confident that we shall
win. Why? Because upon the para
mount issue in this campaign there is
not spot Of ground upon which the
enemy will dare to challenge battle.
Why, if they tell us that the gold stand
ard is good thing, we point to their
platform and tell them that their plat
form pledges the party to get rid of a
gold standard and substitute bmetal-
ism.
If the gold standard is good thing,
why try to get rid of it? l might call
attention to the fact that some of the
people who are in this convention today
and who tell you that we ought to de-
clare in favor of international bimetal-
lism and thereby declare that II gold
standard is wrong and that the principle
of bimetallism is better-these very peo-
pie four months ago were open and
ayowed advocates of the gold standard
and telling us that we could not legs-
late two metals together even with all
the world.
| want to suggest this truth--that if
the gold standard is a good thing we
ought to declare in favor of its retention
and not in favor of abandoning it,; and
if the gold standard is a bad thing, why
should we wait until some other nations
are willing to help us let go? Here is
the line of battle. We care not upon
which issue they force the fight. We
are prepared to meet them on either is
sue or on both. If they tell us that the
gold standard is the standard Of civli-
zation, we reply to them that this, the
most enlightened of all the nations of
the earth, has never declared for gold