The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1896-09-10
General Harrison and HIS Speech.

Inc dellVerance OF zen. HerflSon at
New York, ON Aug. 9th, was up to his
high standard as merely literary pro
duction, but 1t fell below his usual tone
in that it sometimes was deficient in
fairness and frankness. 1t was heroic
in the declaration that the republican
party will remove none of the notices
and inscriptions on its banner to lure
recruits from the ranks of the gold
standard democrats.
Gen. Harrison became somewhat hys-
terical in his endeavor to show that the
Chicago convention was a revolutionary
body, and that the preservation of the
government now depends upon the eiec-
tion of William Mckinley.
"The defense of the Constitution,
the integrity of the supreme court of
the United States and the presidents
power and duty to enforce all the laws
of the United States without waiting
the call or consent of the governor of
any state, " is not an issue of this cam
paign, Gen. Harrison's declaration to
the contrary Notwithstanding.
The democratic administration of Mr..
Bryan will defend the Constitution and
the supreme court, will enforce all the
laws of the United States without
waiting the call or consent of the gov
ernor of any state, or of any syndicate
headed by J. Pierpont Morgan. The
Constitution will be defended by restor-
ing to congress the power "to coin
money and regulate the value thereof, ;"
the latter branch of which power has of
late years been exercised by the gold
gamblers of Wall street. The in
terstate commerce laws of the United
States will be upheld by Mr.. Bryan
faithfully, as will all other laws.
Gen. Harrison will have it that
"the atmosphere Of the convention at
Chicago was surcharged with the spirit
of revolution" Let us all beware of
the Inauguration in this country of the
spirit Of despotism. General Harrison
says:
"The platform of the convention was
adopted and the nominations made with
accompanying incidents of frenzy which
startled the onlookers and the masses
of the country"
1t would be more correct to say
that the two-thirds majority of the
convention amazed and startled that
portion of the country which has
long assumed the right to rule conven-
tions by downright purchase. If the
fixed determination of free men to rule
when in a majority is an exhibition of
frenzy, Chicago presented, during the
early days in July, the finest one ever
seen in this country.
The discussion of these subjects from
republican platform can only result
in rallying to Mr.. Bryan's support the
people whose cause against greed, cor
ruption and foreign influence is pro-
claimed by their enemies to be the
cause of anarchy.
The campaign will proceed on the
great paramount issue of free coinage
against the gold standard. 1t is the
cause of the people against the bankers.
The total want of originality in Gen
eral Harrison's discussion of the
silver question shows what a poor
cause it is that he has undertaken.
It is not very much better than the ed
itorials of the New York Mail and Ex-
press. AS for what he says concerning
the tariff, it was not worth saying. The
prosperity which he and Mai Mckinley
and Speaker Reed boast of from 1878
to 1893 was partially modified advers-
ity for which the people had to thank
the partial restoration of silver to the
monetary system. The addition to the
volume of money of six hundred million
silver dollars and their representatives
checked the downward tendency of all
prices. The panic of 1893, and the pa
ralysis which business has suffered ever
since, did not come from the repeal OF
the McMinley tariff act, but from the
final destruction of all Legislation by
which silver was being added to the
volume of money.
Gen. Harrison repeats the atrocious
proposition of Carlisle and Mckinley
would not be sustained by the govern
ment, as the dollar now is which was
coined from silver purchased by the
government aad yet he we'll knows
that the existin- silver dollar coined by
the governmc,i is slandered by the
treasury oflicia,> ut every turn, treated
as debased money, refused all recogni
ton in payments by the government
and officially proclaimed an outlaw and
as not at a parity with the gold coins o.
the country The only support it re-
ceives from the government is that il
is received for public dues, and can mo-
. be lawfully refused in the payment o.
: private debts. The secretary of the
treasury states in an official circulal
that gold coin can not be had at th'
, treasury in exchange for silver dollars
which are themselves money of redemp
tion. Gen. Harrison with all his gift
can not devise any advantage the pres
ent silver dollar would have over thu
=; dollar of free coinage. Nothing could
possibly be denied to the latter which il
not now denied to the former.
The ex-president wound up with
wall about debasing the currency ant
called upon the people to ''rise up tt
rebuke the infamous proposition tina
o this government and its people shall be
e fcome O nation of repudiators. Thi
e was an expression of temper unworth,
e of the occasion and of the great maj
$ who indulged in it. If there is any in
t famv in this campaign it is not on tn