Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1896-10-09
< RANKIN rs ALL RIGHT.
His Speech Was Clear, In
teresting, Convincing and
Inspiring.
One of the Best Campaign
Speeches Ever Heard in
the City.

Tuesday evening to hear him, and he
presented the Republican side M the
campaign in the most distinct
manner.
The speaker was introduced by j.
Fl. Rhodes. in ~ few we'll chosen re-
marks. Mr.. Rankin began by saying
that the present campaign was
fought largely on new lines; that the
Democratic free trade victory of four
years ago had been won by u cOmbi-
nation OF isms and clements that
were unable to agree in the govern
ment of the nation, and that their
partial free trade enactments he'd
been so Overw helmingly condemned
in 1894 that no Democrat proposed
to this year make another campaign
on the issue that took the party In
to power. He said that all RepubIl-
cans had wondered. after the cleo
election Of 1894, what issue the Demo-
Gratis could make n campaign on in
1896. Their years OF fighting for free
trade had brought them victory III
1892, followed at once bv demon
stratiOn that Democratic control
was disastrous for the country, and
followed ut the next election by the
most emphatic public condemnation
OF the Dcmocra tic party and policy.
1t was this absolute certainty of de-
feat on the free trade issue that
forced the Democrats i'm 1896 to Il
combination with silver mine owners
and POpuli4ts in advancing some
other issue The proposition for free
silver coinage was the demand OF the
mine owners, the debased currency
that it would provide was in line
with Populist views, aud the Demo
Gratis would deliver to the represent
,tatives of those ideas such votes as
would follow them. and another
national victory for Democracy was
hoped for. 1t was the only chance
Democracy had, and it was taken.
The Republican party hao hoped
to meet the enemy ON the old ground,
and knew they could win a victory
and vindicatiOn. But the OppOsi-
ton had abandoned their position,
denounced their own record, and
now promised the prosperity by
new method that they had failed to
give the people under their last
method. The Republican party &C.
ceptcd the challenge to discuss the
money question, but they still MAIN
tanned that Il restoration CT ade-
quate protective tariff laws was
necessary to restore the prosperity
OF the nation.
The speaker gave the history OF
the first coinage laws. and called at
tention to the historical fact that
the founders of the nation provided In
1882 that the ratio between the gold
and silver coins should be the exact
ratio of the metals in the
markets OF the world. Gold and sill
yer were coined for. several years,
but in 1906 Jefferson, the great Demo-
crat, when president, ordered. the dis
of the silver dollar, and
none of the "dollars Of the daddies"
were coined for thirty years. He
plainly stated the well-known facts
of coinage history in the United
States down t. 1873. He took great
pleasure In discussing the "crime OF
'73'' as the Popocrats termed the
law that omitted the coinage OF a
dollar that did not circulate, and
had not circulated for years, and
never had Il very great place In our
financial system. He showed the
absurdity OF the claim that the law
was passed in secret, or that 1t was
for interests detrimental to the
nation. He said it was strange that
these men who in all other matters
had been patriots and wise states
men, should betray their country.
The crime Of 70 was blamed for the
failure of every incompetent or SHIFT
less citizen; for bad crops or fo1 over
production. and for all misfOrtunes
and disasters to citizens of this cOun-
try. To believe what the Popocrats
said about that it was necessary to
believe that the men who framed
that law way back in 1873 had not
only the shrewdest caution and cum
ningest calculation ever possessed
by man, but that they absolutely
possessed the prophetic powers OF
the prophets Of old. Because they
framed a. law that was according to
the, Popocrats all powerful In effect
hog all the business affairs OF every
citizen, but that it so Influenced AZ
fairs that for twenty years the
United States prospered as no nation
had ever prospered before. That the
condition of the farmers, under the
cunning and diabolical crime, con-
tinued to improve until in 1891 and
1892 the farmers of the United States
pfo 11o v,r0sror1rS