The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1896-09-10
NATIONAL SILVER PARTY CONE
MkTrEE NOTIFIES BRYAN
OF HIS NOMINATION.
OCCURRED At HIS NEBRASKA HOME
In His Speech Bryan Said He. Womb
Not Have Supported the Nominee
Had Gold Man Been
Nominated at Chicago.


demonstrations given VIM. J. BRYAN to.
day eliminated tonight in the formal
notiiicaton of his nomination for the
presidency by the national silver marty
The members of the notification COM
mlttee were seated on the platform.
situated on the north of the contoI
They were suffering greatly from tbo
ANNOYANCE OF so many bugs and the
small snats attracted by the brilliant
glare of the electric light that hung over
the grand sand Several were Obliged
TO leave the grand stand, bearing legions
OF frantic insects. The arrival of tha
torchlight procession was increased ten
Tod. 1t seemed many times larger
than the audience of 5000 that listened
to Mr.. Bryan this afternoon.
Morris Humphrey presided at tho
meetlng ana introduced George A. Groot
rot ONO, chairman of the notification
committee, who made speech dealing
with the money question.
1t was 1920 before Mr.. Groot's long
address was concluded. Mr. Bryan was
Immediately presented and made II short
speech. He said:
\ MI. Groot Chairman and Members
OF the Notification Committee of thp
Silver Party-.l beg to reply ut this time
without the formality of letter. The
platform adopted by the silver Marty
contains but one plank and that mink
the plank upon the silver question. is
identical with the silver plank of thp
Chicago platform.
L beg to answer The committee and
to accept thc, nomination rendered by
mem on behalt OF the silver party in the
spirit in which that nomination was pre-
sented | can appreciate the feeling
which animated those who assembled in.
that convention. | can appreciate the
hesitation with which those assembled
tnere turned their backs upon the par
ties with which they had been asso-
ciated.
More than year ago. when we were
engaged III Il struggle to bring the demo-
cratic party to an endorsement of free
coinage the question was put to me
whether in case of failure. | would sup
port the democratic nominee if he was
II Soiu standard advocate, "unning upon
u gold standard platform. | intimated
that such action was not probable in the
democratic party then, but when those
VINO questioned me were not content
y with probabilities and asked me again
whether in that event | would support
the nominee, | said, as you will remem-
Der that under no circumstances would
my vote be given to Il man who would, in
the executive office. use his influence to
fasten the gold standard upon the Amer-
can people. | stood where the
members of that silver convention stood
and, like them. would rather have the
approval of my conscience than the ap-
proyal of all the world. My convictions
upon these questions are not shallow
convictions. | may be in error. bur |
believe that the gold standard is IA con-
splracya against the human race. |
would no sooner join the ranks of those
whose purpose it is to fasten them
upon the American people than to enlist
III an army that was marching to attack
my home and destroy my family. | say,
therefore, that | can appreciate the
spirit that animated those who have
Just rendered me this second nomination.
pledge them. if elected. they shall
never nave any cause to accuse me Of
being false to that platform.
My friends, when | declared | would
not support such Il candidate | was
standing on the record of the democratic
party | was defending its principles as
well rs the interests of the country at
large. And when the republicans who
assembled in the silver convention at st.
Louis refused TO worship :he gold idol
their party had set up. they were up
holding the history of the republican
"'''' nv iNl'Nbi'dll DlullOTIll OF 1000
denounced the democratic administers
ton for attempting to degrade silver.
In lS9l. on the 2Sth of February. in
Memorial Hall, Toledo, Ohio. at the
Lincoln day banquet, the present candi-
date for president on the republican
ticket used the words which | shall now
read 70 YOU. | have found these words
published in a Toledo paper. and they
have been published so long without cor
rpctlOn that tbot hn
was correctly reported. If he hereafter
denies the correctness of this report
shall hasten to do him justice by re.
tracing these words. These are the
words he is said to have used:
During all of Grover Clcvcland's
years at the head of the government he
was dishonoring one of your precious
metals, one of our great products. dis
crediting silver and enhancing the price
of gold. He endeavored. even before
his Inauguration. to stop the coinage of
silver dollars, and afterwards, and to the
end of his administration, persiStently
used his power to that end, He was
determined to contract the circulating
medium and dcmonetize one of the coins
of commerce. limit the volume of moncy
among the people,, make money scarce
and. therefore, dear. He would have in
creased the value of money and dimn-
lshed the value of everything else.
make money the master, everything else
the servant
Following these same lines, the re-
publican convention in 1892 declared
that the American people were in favor
of bimetallsm. That is the language in
lS92-that the American people, from
tradition and interest. favor bmetalism.
Have traditions changed in four years!
Have interests changed i'll four years?
No. my friends: and yet forgetting the
platform of 1888. forgetting the de
nunciation uttered by their distinguished
leader in 1891. forgetting the platform
of 1892, the republican party. in con
vention assembled. declared that the
American people must forcgO the adyan-
tagcs of the bmetalic system until for
eign nations should bring those advan- |
tages to them 1t is strange that men |
who had looked for bimctallism in the |
republican party should have given up |
hope end turned elsewhere for relief. |
The republicans can not be criticised for |
leaving the republican party. They have |
done what every American has right |
to do
we do not ask those who present this |
nomination to pledge their future ser
vices; to the democratic party. The same |
intelligence which directs them in the
Lii IL h..