The Republican journal., 1896-08-27

our hahds AGAINST Inc Nominee of our Party.
An lmpas>ioned Philippe by the Matches
Orator of Tammany Hall.
Mr.. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen
fellow Democrats ALI Applause) With tn
inspiring strains of that national song ring
ing in our ears, who can doubt the issu
of this campaign? (App1ause)
Stripped OF all verbal disguise, it is al
issue OF common honesty, an issue be
tween the honest discharge and the dis
honest reputation of public and privat,
Obligations
1t is question as to whether the pow
ers OF this Government shall be used tC
protect honest industry OF to tempt The
citizen to dishonesty.
On this question honest men canno
differ. 1t is one OF morals and of justice
1t involves the existence of social order
1t is the contest for civilization itself
A Democratic convention may renounce
the Democratic faith, but the Democracy
remains faithful to Democratic principles.
Democratic leaders may betray conven-
ton to the Populists, but they cannot
seduce the footsteps Of Democratic voters
from the pathway of honor and of Justice.
A court bearing the mandate of a Demo
cratic convention may in this hall open a
canvass leyelled against the foundations
of social order, and he beh0lds Tie Demo
cratic masses confronting INN organized
for the defence.
Fellow Democrats, let us not disguise
from ourselves the fact that we bear in
this contest a serious and grave and SOL
enn burden of duty. We must raise our
hands against the nominee of our party,
and We must do it to preserve the future
Of that party itself. We must oppose the
nominee of the Chicago convention. and
we know full well that the success of our
opposition will mean oul own exclusion
from public life: but we will be consoled
and gratitied by the reflection that it will
prove that the American people cannot be
divided into parties on a question of simple
morals or of common honesty.
We would look in vain through the
speech delivered here one week ago to
lind true statement of the issue involved
in this canvass. Indeed, | believe it is
doubtful if the candidate himself quite
understands the nature of the faith which
he processes. | say this not in criticism
of his ability, but in justice to his moral-
". ] believe that if he himself under
stood the inevitable consequences of the
doctrines which he breaches his own hands
would be the first to tear down the plat
form on which he stands We all must
remember that the lurid rhetoric which
glowed as fiereely in the Western skies as
that sunlight which through the past week
foretold the torIii heat OF the ensuing dav.
and here upon this platform we find that
same rhetoric as mild, rs insipid, as the
W t1Fs of
didate who was swept into the nomna-
ton by wave of popular enthusiasm,
awakened by appeals to prejudice and
greed He is candidate who, declaring
that this was revolutionary movement.
no sooner found himself face to face with
the American feeling than he realized that
inns sou is not propitious to revolution.
that the people of this country will not
change the Institutions which have stood
the tests and experiences of century
for institutions based upon the fantastic
dreams of Populist agitato1s-that the
American nation will never consent 10
substitute for the republic of Washing
ton. Of Jefferson and of Jackson. the re-
public of an Altgeld, Tillman OF a BRYAN.
Whatever change may have come over
his manner as candidate, however much
the vehemence of his eloquence NAV have
been reduced, two things for which he
stands remains unaltered. On this plat
form he defended the most revolutionary
plank OF the Chicago Convention, in Ian
guage vehement, but not less earnest than
that in which he supported their adop-
ton. On this platform he defended the
Populist program for overthrowing the
integrity of the Supreme Court. If there
be any fruit which has grown for the
benefit of all mankind out of the estab-
ilshment of our republic it has been the
demonstration that it is possible by the
organization of an independent tribunal to
sateg uard the rights of every citizen, and
protect those natural privileges against
any INVASION, from whatever source or
however powerful might be the antagon
izing elements
The very existence of that power pre-
supPoses the existence of an independent
tribunal, yet we have this Populist con-
Ventlon, because Populist measure was
condemned as unconstitutional propos-
ing, not to amend the Constitution in the
ordinary way prescribed by that instru-
meht llself, but proposing to pack the
court SO that 1t Will pronounce those laws
10 &c constitutional which the Copstitu-
,loh hsell condemns-a proposal to make
tl4e courts OF law instruments of laWlesS-
ness, 10 violate that sacred compact be-
tween the States on which the security of
TINS nation rests, to pIofane the temple
erected tor its protection by the hands of
faise priests, who, though sworn to de-
1eha II, VIII be appointed to destroy it.
In the time to which | must confine my
self tonight can do nothing but examine
that one question which Mr.. Bryan him
self declares to be the overshad0wino is
sue OF this campaign. l am little puzzled
when L read this speech to decide lust
what Mr.. Bryan himself imagines will be
the fruit of change in the standard of
value throughout this country. | do not be
heve that any man can follow wholly with
the speech, because if he dissents from
one set OF conclusions, he has got to read
put few paragraphs and he will find an
other. If Mr.. Bryan could show me that
oy any means known to heaven or on earth
wages could be increased, | will be ready
to support him, because / know of no test
OF prosperity absolutely infallible except
the rate OF wages paid to laborers.
THE WAGES OF LABOR.
"heh we come to find how Mr.. Bryan
expects to increase the wages of labor we
ind ourselves lost in maze of contradic.
tioh. NO man can tell how or where or
"heh the wages of the workingmen are
TO be increased; but any one who ex-
amnnes the scheme can see that the in
eVltabie tendency-the inevitable cOnse