The advocate., 1896-06-24
TELLER WALKS OUT.
Continued from page ~

SGDAAhINP
Mr.. President, in 1888 we carried the
State that here represent, for whom ?
For the Republican nominee; we carried
it on bimetallic platform. We carried
it with q majority that was equal, con-
sidering our vote, to that Of any State in
the union. It has been Republican
State from the hour Of its admission. 1t
has kept in the Senate Republican
Senators and in the House Republican
members.
Mr.. President, / promised you that I
would not discuss the silver question, and
/ will not, except to say that this plat
form in such distinct departure from
everything heretofore held by this party
that it challenges our Republicsnism to
accept it.
Mr.. President, the platform contains
some platitudes about international con-
ferences. It provides that we will
maintain the gold standard in this
country until the principal nations OF the
world shall agree that we may do other
wise. Mr.. President, this is the first
great gathering Of Republicans since
this party was organized that has de-
clared the inability of the American peo-
pie to control their own affairs.
To my horror, this declaration comes
from the great political party of Abraham
Lincoln and Ulysses s. Grant.
Do you believe that the American
people are too weak to actually maintain
financial system commensurate with
the greatness Of the country Of their own
volitiOn?
Gentlemen of the convention, you will
have no bimetallic agreement with all
the great commercial nations OF the
world, and it cannot be obtained. So
this is declaration, that the gold stan
dard is to be put upon this country and
kept here for all time. Do you believe
that Great Britain, that great CONNER
cial nation of the world, do you believe
that Great Britain, our powerful COM
petitor in commerce and trade, will ever
agree to open her mints to the free
coinage of silver, or consent that we
shall open ours as long as she gets the
advantage of the low prices and the
declining values that have been brought
to this country by the adoption Of q
gold standard in 1873 in partial degree
only?
We are the great debtor nation Of the
world. Great Britain is the great Credi-
tor. We pay her every year millions
and hundreds of millions Of dollars as
income on her investments in this
country or her loans. The gold standard,
in my Judgment, lowers prices and
decreases values. And she buys Of us
millions and millions more than she
Great Brittany sells. She buys upon q
gold standard, lowering and deprecist-
ing standard How long do you think
it will be before she will agree to a
system of values that raises the price of
the farm product or the product of our
mines in this country? It is q solemn
declaration that the Republican party
intends to maintain low prices and
stagnste business for all time to come.
Mr.. President, there is beautiful pro-
vision in this platform about the tariff.
Mr.. President, / subscribe to that. /
believe in a protective tariff. have
advocated it for forty years, But it is
my solemn conviction that protective
tariff can not be maintained upon gold
Standard The tariff protection principle
is for the raising of the price Of human
toll, it is for giving to the producer
ample compensation for his labor; the
gold standard, on the contrary, every
where that it is enforced, is for the pur-
pose of reducing values.
Now gentlemen OF the convention,
am going to make this simple objection
as to the protective system, that it is in
danger, and then / will call your atten-
ton to one other fact, and then / will
leave it to your judgment whether this
platform shall be adopted or whether il
shall be rejected.
Under existing conditions, we un-