The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-06-22
FORAKER'SPLATFORM
He Says Teller Could Have Bolted
-Four Years Ago
ON THE SAME PROPOSITION
The Senator-Eieot Predicts Mo-
klnley's Election and Pros
perity-He Explains His
Stand on the Plank.


his relations with Senator Teller four
years ago In similar capacity. his ut
terance on the subject OF gold and sill
yer last night In his ratification speech
becomes of peculiar interest. He said.
Il want to take advantage OF this op-
perfume time to say a word about the
effort now being made to make II ap-
pear that the republican party declared
in its money plank for something new
at st. Louis. That Is not true. The
declaration of the republican party. as
| embodied In its financial plank. defines
exactly what has been the position Of
the republican party through all the
years with respect to this silver ques-
tion. Silver was demonetized In 1873.
and ever since that We have been on a
single gold standard. About the same
time several Of the leading nations OF
Europe demonetlzed silver, and ever
since that time an effort has been made
to get back to the standard. We have
seen three international money confer
ences. the object Of them being to agree
with the nations upon an international
ratio according to which We could have
the free coinage of silver. But all these
efforts have failed.
1T has been constantly and repeated
ly declared by both parties that bimet-
alism was desirable In preference to
gold or silver monometallism. Both
parties have agreed that we could
maintain the parity OF the two metals
and bring about bimetallism again by
an international agreement. Some have
insisted In the meanwhile that II we
could not do It that way. we could do
II alone, without regard to what other
nations might see fit to do. The repub-
lican party has constantly, consistent
ly and persistently stood up against
that Idea.
-Four years ago, when We held the
convention at Minneapolis. II was my
fortune to be chairman Of the commit
tee on resolutions, as / was at the St.
Louis convention. and II was my for
tune to ba associated on that committee
with Senator Teller and his associates
from the silver states who came to that
convention and came before that COM
iNittee asking US to insert q plank
pledging the republican party to the
free coinage Of silver. We refused to
do II. We declared that We were In IA
yor of international bimetallism, but
that, until that was brought about, II
would be our policy TO maintain silver
at parity with gold by issuing no
more of II than could be maintained at
a parity with gold. They accepted the
result and remained In the republican
party. That declaration was simply a
declaration as the one adopted the
other day, that we would stand pre-
cisely where We were until we could do
better.
1--WE were annoyed that we could not
safely undertake to have bimetallism
by international agreement; we were
unwilling and refused to attempt II by
free and independent coinage. They did
not feel called upon to go from the
party then; their consclences did not
seem to trouble them no much then as
now. They remained In the party four
years longer. When the last session OF
congress commenced. as a result Of this
democratic free trade experiment. the
government was found to have defi-
Lciert revenue; not enough revenue TO
meet Its current expenses. A bill was
| prepared in the house and passed that
body without partisan division almost
providing for an increase Of revenue.
That bill was known as the Dingley
bill. II went to the senate,
THE national credit. the national hon
or, the national life was at stake. The
gentlemen said the bill was unobJectlona-
BILE. but they refused 10 vote for II uhat
is six OF these gentlemen from silver
states did, unless the great majority
who did not agree with them. would sac
rihce their convictions and vote for ths
free unlimited and unrestricted coinage
of silver. The great majority in the SEN
ate would not be coerced by that minor.
ity.
That action upon the part OF thes'
people directed the attention OF tn,
country to that subject as II had moi
been directed before. And therefore wher
we met at st. Louis we were not for q
different stand to be taken by the repub
lican party. but for moro explicit declare
tons OF our principles thaa we had here.
tofore made, and. inasnuch as they hat
thrown down the gage OF battle by de-
manding free silver and seeking to CO
cree us TO accept. we concluded that tha
was a good time to meet them hall way
join issues and let the battle come on
They appeared before the committee an,
were part OF the committee. just as the,
were four years ago. They made th'
same demand and we made the same an
swer. but when we came to write th'
platform We said we would make IL D,
pain al. would understand and so W,
declared that we weEc unalterably op
posed to the free and unlimited colnag,
OF silver Until we can have an interna
tionai agreement, and In the mcantlm,
we will preserve the existing gold stand
ard.
ITO conclude with a word: When Sena
tor Teller and his associates bolted tn,
party at the ST. Louis convention the!
had no cause for Il whatever that did no
exit fout years 'efore ut the Mime apo
ils conyVL 80 . ana Haen the republican
party made The declaration II did max
at ST. Louis. II did not change It's posi-
t.on one particle. but simply made IL nb
soiutely certain. in order that thor
could be a settlement OF that question
that the proposition for free. independ
ent and unlimited coinage OF silver Is
proposition that we did not entertain. w
cid not entertain II. because. In our judg
ment II does not. as Senator Teller an
his associates claim. mean hlmetallisn
but simply silver monomctallisw
We go into this. therefore. with Gu
gallant standard bearer representing IN
people OF America, protection to Ameri
can Industries and American labor an
an absolutely sound dollar with which [
} do our business. An absolutely sound dol
, lar. not simply for the merchant and ban
, ker. but FOR the wage-earner as well. W
propose that the dollar We put into cir