The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1896-07-18

minority. Those who are opposed TO thlS
proposition tell us that the issue of paper
money is function of the bank, and that the
Government ought TO go ont of the banking
business. | stand with jefferson, rather than
with them, and tell them, as he did, that the
issue of money is function of the Govern
ment, and that the banks ought to 90 out of
the Government business
'.They complain about the plank which de-
clares against the life tenure in Office. They
have tried to strain it TO mean that which it
does not mean What we oppose in that
plank is the life tenure that is being built up
in Washington which exclcdes from partici-
patton in the benefits the humber members
of our society. | cannot dwell longer in my
limited time" Cries of $50 onl Go onl'
'sLet me call attention to two or three great
things. The gentleman from New York says
that he will propose an amendment providing
that this change in our laws shall not affect
contracts already made. Let me remind him
that there is no intention of affecting those
contracts, which, according TO the present
laws, are made payable in gold. But il he
means to say that we cannot change our none
tary system without protecting those who have
loaned money before the change was made, |
want to ask him where, i'll law or IN morals,
he can find authority for not protecting the
debtors, when the act of 1878 was passed, but
now insists that we must protect the creditorl
He saws he also wants to amend this law and
provide that if we fail to maintain a parity
within a year that we will then suspend the
coinage Of silver. We reply that when we
advocate a thing which we believe will be sue
eessfuI we are not compelled TO raise doubt
as to our own sincerity by irving to show what
we will do if We can. | ask him, if he will
apply his logic to us, why he does not apply 1t
to himself? he says that he wants this coun-
| try to try to secure an international agree
ment Why dosen't he tell us what he is
going to do if they fail to secure an inter-
national agreement? There is more reason
| for him to do that than for us to fail TO mainr
tain the parity. They have tried for thirty
| years-for thirty years-to secure an inte-na-
/ tional agreement and those are waiting for
| it most patiently who don't want it at all.
| GCheering. Laughter, long continued.
'Now, my friends, let me come to the great
paramount issue. If they ask us here why il
is that we say more on the money question
than we say upon the tariff question, | reply
4 that if protection has slain its thousands the
gold standard has slain its tens of thousands.
| If they ask us why we did not embody all these
things in onr platform which we believe, we
reply to them that when we have restored the
/ money of the Constitution, all other necessary
reforms will be possible, and that until that
is done there is no reform that can be accom-
plished. Cheers. Why is it that within
| three months such change has come over
| the sentiment ofthis country? Three months
! ago, when it was confidently asserted that
| those who believed in the gold standard would
| frame our platform and nominate our eandi.
date, even the advocates of the gold standard
did not think that we could elect President,
but they had good reason for the suspicion,
because there is scarcely State here today
asking for the gold standard that is not within
the absolute control of the Republican party.
| Loud cheering
''But note the change Mr.. Mckinley was
nominated at st. Louis upon platform that
! declared for the maintenance of the gold
| standard until it should be changed into bi-
metalism by an international agreement. Mr..
| Mckinley was the most popular man among
| the Republicans, and everybody three months
ago in the Republican party prophesled his
election. How is ittoday? Why, that man
who used TO boast that he looked like Napo-
leon-Ilaughter and eheeringl-that man
! shudders today when he thinks that he was
nominated on the anniversary of the battle oil
/ Waterloo. Not only that, but as he listens
he can hear with ever-inereasing distinetness
the sound of the waves as they beat upon the
lonely shores of St. Helena. Cheers.
''Why this change? All, my friends, is moi
the change evident to any one who will look
| at the matter? 1t is no private character,
however pure, no personal popularity, how
ever great, that can protect from the avenging
wrath of an indignant people the man who will
either declare that he is i'll favor of fastening
the gold standard upon the people, or who is
willing to surrender the right of self-govern
ment and place the Legislative control in the
hands of foreign potentates aud powers.
[Cheers.
'sWe 90 forth confident that we shall win.
| Why? Because upon the paramount issue in
this campaign there is not spot of ground
upon which the enemy will dare to challenge
| battle, Why, if they tell MS that the gold
standard is "A good thing, we point to their
platform and tell them that their platform
! pledges the party to get rid ofa gold standard
and substitute bimetallism. [Applause,l
''If the gold standard is good thing why
Try to get rid of it? Laughter and continued
applause. If the gold standard, and might
cali your attention to the fact that some of the
yery people who are in this Convention today
and who tell you that we ought to declare in
favor of international bimetallism. and thereby
declare that gold standard is wrong and that
the principle of bimetallism is better, these
very people four months ago were open and
avowed advocates of the gold standard and
I
ais together even with all the world. Re-
newed applause and cheers.
81 want to suggest this truth, that it the
gold standard is a good thing we ought TO de-
clare 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 to let go
Applause Here IS the line of battle. We
care not upon which issue they force the fight.
We are prepared to meet them on either issue
or on both. Ifthey tell us that the gold stand
ard is the standard of civilization, we reply to
them that this, the most enlightened OF all
the nations of the earth, has never declared
for gold standard, and both the parties this
wear are declaring against it. Applause. ]
| If the gold standard is the standard Of civ
ilization. why. my friends, should we not
have H.? So, if they come to meet us on
that, we can present the history of our nation.
'More than that, we can tell them this, that
they will search the pages of history in vain to
find single instance in which the common
people of any land have ever declared them
selves in favor Of gold standard. [Applause. ]
They can find where the holders of fixed in
vestments have. Mr.. Carlisle said in 1878
that this was struggle between the idle hold
ers of idle capital and the struggling masses
who produce the wealth and pay the taxes of
the country; and, my friends, Il ls SIMPLY a
question that we shall decide upon which side
shall the Democratic party fight? Upon the
side of the idle holders OF idle capital or upon
the side of the struggling masses? That is
the question that the party must answer first,
and then it must be answered by each individ-
ual hereafter.
'eThe sympathies Of the Democratic party,
as described by ihe platform, are on the side
of the struggling masses, who have ever been
the foundation Of the Democratic party. APP
plause. There are two ideas of Government
There are those who believe that if you just
legislate to make the well-to-do prosperous
that their prosperity will leak through on those
below. The Democratic idea has been that
if you legislate to make the masses prosperous
their prosperity will find its way up and
through every class and rest upon it. Jap
plause.
''You come to us and tell us that the great
cities are in favor ofthe gold standard. tell
YOU that the great cities rest upon these broad
and fertile prairies Burn down your cities
and leave our farms, and your cities will spring
up again as If by magic. But destroy our
farms and the grass will grow in the streets
Of every city in this country. [Applause.l
NJ, friends ze shall declare that this nation