Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1896-09-26
A SILVER ADDRESS
Full Text Of a Speech Recently
Delivered at Roswell, N. NJ,
by Hon. G. H. Sparks.
A MOST ABLE ARGUMENT
A Clear and Convincing Review
Of the Financial Stand
ards Of the World.
FREE COINAGE DEMANDED
Fello,o Citizens.

! FetloiD Citizens.
We all feel a conscious pride in the fac
that this is government Of the people, BY
the people, and for the people. We never
tire OF boastiDg that every American cIti
zen, from the strongest to the weakest, from
toe richest TO the poorest, with ballot IN
hand, wields the scepter Of power. Clothed
with the elective franchise each citizen, in
tne majority aggregate, is invested witt
the power OF sovereignty. He is the source
OF government-the arbiter of his own wei
fare. The government, under which be
lives, ts what he makes it. He chooses all
public officials, legislative, judicial and ex-
ecutive. With head erect he bows to nc
KING, emperor, despot or tyrant. Any OPP
preston or tyranny, and all vicious laws
from the effects of which he suffers, are
traceable to the source Of his government
the individual sovereign. His government
Is Just as good and no better than he makes
IT; 1t is just as bad and no worse than he
makes 1t. II is not probable or presum-
able that he, through bis own acts, willing
~ and voluntarialy, inflict oppression and
disaster upon himself. II, to-day, he suf-
fers from vicious legislation; If class Is ar
raysd against caste; If gigantic trusts
tIrlve and fatten on the products OF toll; (;
X the producers produce for the benefit of
the social parasites; IL aggregated wealth
gathers accretions unjustly and enormous
ly at the expense Of toiling millions; if in
debtedness and taxation increases; II A.
| nHncial, industrial, and commercial de-
| pressons cover, like fun sral pail. this
resourceful and productive land, In time
OF peace and plenty, hen this boastfu
| sovereign has but himself to blame. His
failure to secure good government is not
owing to wanton wickedness but to wrong
conceptions as to means and measures that
would best subserve his interests. Too
4 nff fas koI-o -
| ignorance or the blind zeal of a partisan.
His government of himself, by himself and
for himself, for the past twenty years, has
not been creditable In all respects, to his
intelligence. The monetary legislation,
| from the evil effects of which he suffers to-
day, enlists the condemnation OF all well
informed and unprejudiced citizens, ex-
cept those who are actuated by the lust of
greed. am pleased to say, in my opin
ion, only few of the many millions of our
citizens, from selfish motives, believe in
and advocate the system of class legisIa-
tion that established gold monometaIlism.
accord to my fellow citizens the right
that would exact for myself, free and
independent expression OF political opin
ions, and assume that those opinions are
founded upon what they believe to be
right. Yet question, and / accord to
those who differ with me the right to
question, whether their political opinions
are based upon party prejudices or not,
upon lack OF information or not, or upon
patriotic or selfish motives; but / prefer to
give to every man who differs with me po-
litically the benefit. Of doubt before ac-
cusing him ofselfish and unpatriotic mo-
tives. l am firm believer that a great
majority OF the goldites are conscientious
ly and patriotically in earnest In the pro-
mitigation OF their peculiarly disastrous
monetary tenets. Icannot believe, though,
that the bankers association of New York
City, and those who live and thrive on in
vestments 10 indebtedness advocate the
gold standard purely from a sense of
patriotism.
For twenty three years we have lived
under monetary system that operates in
the interests Of the few at the expense of
the many. Both the democratic and re-
publican parties. In like measures, helped
to foist aud maintain this system, which at
its inception seemed theoretically enticing,
hut which In the hard school of practical
experience has brought disaster. 1t is |
now time that our American sovereign in |
form himself upon this question, that he
may be able to weld his scepter OF power |
intelligently, honestly and patriotically,
and thus secure for himself aud his coun-
trymen such redress from oppression as |
threatens the direst calamity.
THE SYMPTOMS.
We have country that statisticiaus tell |
us is the granary Of the world and capable I
of supporting 7OO0OO,O0O people. With |
only tenth of this population, alarming /
cries OF distress resound throughout the |
land. For every alarm there is cause |
for every disease there is cause. In this |
case the symptoms of the disease point to |
defective monetary system as the cause. IL /
rests with the citizens Of this country, with |
you and me, to discover its cause and effect |
m q "a 10 nf thia /
great nation vaults are bursting with |
boarded wealth, while natural resources |
lie undeveloped and labor suffers from en-
forced idleness. With all our abundant |
natural resources; with all our productive |
ness with all our inventions and labor |
saving devices, behind which is an am
bitious, intelligent energetic, and vigor-
ous people, still poverty, like hideous
stalks throughout the land. The |
mortgage and bonded debt of our country |
is appalling. National bonds, state bonds, |
county bonds, railroad bonds, realty mort
cages and on to the end covering almost
everything, even mauly independence, un-
til the very subsistence OF the people is
My indictment is not against wealth.
Wealth is just as essential TO our national
development, Just as essential to prosperity |
and happiness, as is labor ITSELF Labor is |
the engine and wealth the steam OF indus
trial development. tine Ia necessary to |
the other. Without steam the engine can
not run without.the engine there would be |
no use for steam. Wealth as a servant IS a |
blessing; as master it becomes a curse. |
All the wealth represented in our mort |
gage and bonded Indebtedness, under BIZ |
system, as a servant of the peo-
pie, would have brought to US untold bless
ings ;but as a master under the gold stand
ard it has brought depression and suffer
ing.
THE DIsEAsE.
Let us behold ourselves as a nation Of |
debtors. In 1890 our private debts amount |
ed to SIS, 700 900 600 an increase of $13 ,000,-
000, 900 In ten years. From 1880 to 1890 our
railroad debt increased 129 per cent. and |
reached the enormous s1m of S. 400, 600 /
600. Their current debt doubled in seven
years. 1t Is estimated that our railroad |
liabilities exceed their assets by SIS 1000 ,000,
900. This enormous railway debt is an
invented to rob the people with the least
the interest thereon high freights are
levied. Who pays the freight, the people |
or the bond hoIdersa In the answer you
have the reason for the outrage. In 1890
the aggregate indebtedness of our cities
and states reached the stupendous sum OF
SIS 13 per capita. Five billion dollars of
our bonded indebtedness is held by for
eiguers. Three billion is owned by the
subjects OF tho British empire. We send
S200, 900 900 yearly In gold to Great Britain,
not to apply on the principal but merely to
pay for the use OF that money. Notwith