The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1896-09-05
SENATOR TELLER TALKS AT COL
ORADo SPRINGS.
Speaks of the Crime of 1873 and n
Remedy for Our Poverty
Stricken People.

campaign. Long before the hour of
opening the doors, an immense throng, |
numbering thousands. crowded the |
streets leading to the hall in which the
address was to be delivered.
When Senator Teller rose to speak, |
over 5000 people occupied every avail
able space in tho Coliseum, and a |
couple of thousand crowded outside of |
the hall and cheered from time to |
time. Senator Teller was given a reg
ular ovation when he arrived in the !
city and later at the Antlers hotel. The
scenes which greeted him at the open
ing of the meeting beggared descrip-
ton. This city is called the hotbed of
the Mckinley sentiment of the west
and the meeting tonight was all the
more remarkable for that fact.
Senator Teller was introduced by
Mayor Plumb. The senator was greet
ed with prolonged applause and cheer
ing.
Senator TeIIer's Speech.
He said in part: "Such a gathering
here tonight shows that the people of
this section are interested in the issue
now before you. 1 came to talk to you,
not principally of the silver question,
but of remedy for the existing evils.
l do not charge that anyone is less
patriotic than 1 am, because he differs
from me. We differ as to methods. l
have been attached to that great or
ganization, the republican party, hav-
ing helped to create ii and give it
form. 1t was dear TO me because be-
lieved it stood for the best principles,
the greatest agency for the promotion
of the greatest good. Do you believe
= ] have taken myself out of it except at
the bidding of my enlightened judg-
ment and conscience? (Cheers)
II come to make my defense, If de-
Tense is necessary. 1 honor your par
TALLY in choosing me to that great
body, the congress of this land. There
has been no interest that so touches
the welfare and prosperity as the mon
etary standard. Brought, as 1 have
been, to think on this question, L have
been brought also to break away from
the old party. 1 do not believe that
any relief will come on the money
question through the republican party
Although elected as a republican, 1 did
not serve that party alone through
these years. l served all-demOcrats,
republicans, prohibitionists. have
broken away from that old party be-
cause of a heresy, a thousand times
worse than the heresy of free trade
We must do our duty to the financial
question, for if we settle it here we will
settle it throughout the world. If we
could strip this question of partisan
ship, you would find a great majority
OF this country in favor of bimetallism.
The free coinage of both metals is no
new theory. 1t was a success; it was
not a failure. We propose no doubtful
experiment. We ask that we return to
the prosperity prior to 1878.
From 1892 to 1873 there was not an
hour when the minis of this country
were not practically open to every
ounce of metal coming to them. We
are told that Jefferson stopped the
coinage of silver dollars because of the
shrinkage of the currency. That is
true, because they were being exported.
But half the silver dollars were coined
and were legal tender. Not one man in
a thousand knew that silver had been
demonetized two years after the act Of
1873 have talked of the crime of 1873.
No American citizen knew of it.
That act was formed and promulgated
by an enemy of the human race
Il think we all agree that it was an
unfortunate act. Think of it, % years
of constantly falling prices. Our 7O,
900, 900 people ought to be the happiest
stricken. L find one-third without
means of supporting themselves.
II tell you, after 20 years of thought
and study, that our trouble arises from
a deficient monetary system. 1 find
that every other nation that has aban-
doned this standard is in the same con-
dition of poverty. In 1886 commission
was appointed in England to find what
was the matter with her stagnated
trade. 1t reported in 1888 that in 2v-
/ cry country where a gold standard OK
lists, only poverty and stagnation eX-
listed. Every gold country of the world
was suffering in 1888, and it is infinite
" worse now. l am asked what coun-
try has prospered on the double stand
ard. 1 don't care who it is that says
that the free coinage of silver will
drive out the gold. To him 1 say that
such a theory denies history.
They say if you go to free coinage
you go to a 50-cent dollar. 1 want to
see a 50-cent dollar. The Mexican dol
lar is not a 50-cent dollar; it is a 100
cent dollar. When the Mexican dollar
reaches the United States it is worth
but so cents, because it is simply silver
bullion. If you give all the forms of
money-the greenback, the silver, the
gold dollar-all the same functions,
they will all remain side by side, and
one will not depreciate until all do.
But 1 have said enough on that.
Not silver Alone.
do not misunderstood me. 1 do not
want to go to a silver basis alone; but
if we have to go to one metal, then let
MI.