Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1896-07-02
SOUND SENSE FROM A SILVER MAN.
A RATTLlNG REPUBLICAN SPEECH.
Won't Follow Stewart and Teller out Of the
Republican Party.

Hon. Thomas Fitch at the Arizona
Territorial Convention, April -:
/ thought that the seclusion that
the upper gallery grants, with
other circumstances, would exempt
me from any invitation to speak be-
fore this convention, but your re-
peated calls leave me no alternative
consistent with courtesy but to ans
wer to them.
The speakers who have addressed
you have spoken of the free coinage
of silver az cardinal principle of the
Republican party. / fear that the
to retrace some of our steps in this
matter, and, as the statesmen who
control the action of this convention
have not included me among those
deemed most fit to- represent Arizona
at st. Louis, feel quite at liberty to
tell the truth. "a voice: Lets have
it," Applause.)
suppose no one will question my
long devotion to the cause of free
silver coinage. Years ago, at the in
| ceptiOn of the movement, L, as vice
president of the National Executive
Committee of the Silver Convention
i'm connection with A. j. Warner. the
president of the committee, Travelled
through the South and West preach
ing the doctrine of bimetallism, and
| have never since had occasion to
change my views with respect tn the
great benefits that might result to
this nation from the complete restOr-
alton of silver AZ money metal; and
yet there are other circumstances
quite az influential which must be pO-
tent in determining my future action
and the future action of fmany Repub-
licans in this matter.
This morning a friend. who is a
member of this convention, and, who
now hOnOrs me with his audience,
said to me: mir. Fitch, you have
always been a pronounced advocate
of the free coinage Of silver, what will
you do il the ST. Louis convention
Eshall adopt a plank In their platform
IfavOring q single gold standard and
/ ldenOunctng the eecOinage of silver?
did not answer his question then,
but with your permission will do
80 now. (Applause.l
i belong to the Republican party
because it's history IL the history oi
the growth, the greatness and the
freedom of the nation; because its
lpurpOses are patrtotic; because 1t II
the friend Of labor without being the
foe of thrift; because 1t Is wise, be-
lcause 1t 10 Just: because Its restOr.
ation to complete power will rekindle
the furnaces and start the turbines,
and fill the land with the music al
lcontented, well paid toll, and put
bread into mems mouths and hope i'm
their hearts. (Applause.)
/ belong to the Republican party
because it il the grandest political
organization of free wen that the
world has eyer known, because under
It's wise guidance star after star has
been added to our flag: ship aftershiI
has been added tn our fleets; factory
after factory has been added to oul
resources, millions upon millions have
been added to- our wealth, city after
city has been developed from our vii
lagos, and the land has been lacet
with a network of iron rails, and thu
grand diapason of labor has beer
made to sound throughout the coun
try.
belong to the Republican party
because under its inspiration thes'
United States, once wraugiing ant