Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1896-07-17

class exclusively, and that is the spec
ulative class-the money changers, the
bankers, and, 1t Is an ugly term to
use, the gold gamblers. l can not
think of better word to use, because
1t is gambling, the same as gambling
on a stock exchange or race course.
"The object Of the pending bill Is to
stop that kind of work, to tie the hands
Of the president, if he cannot use them
in accordance with the law which he
has held up his hand and sworn before
God faithfully to execute. We-per-
haps I had better speak for myself
I denounced it upon this floor as q
usurpation of authority for which, II
it had been perpetrated in the better
and earlier days of the republic, the
guilty one would have been impeached
for high crimes and misdemeanors. l
heard democrat senator say on this
floor, why do you not impeach him"
This is not the place to impeach him.
At the time the bonds were issued the
president was democratic, the senate
was democratic, the house Of represen-
tatives was democratic by large ma
jority, and there is the place to begin
impeachment proceedings.
"But 1t is said, and that comes chiefly
from this side of the chamber, from old
veteran Republicans, that this bill is
opening up the avenue to reputation,
that it means reputation. l appeal to
senators, especially to Republicans, a
class of men with whom many of the
best years of my life were spent, and
not until the last six or eight years did
l feel it to be my duty to separate from
them on account of the tendency Of that
great organization toward the policy We
are now pursuing. They charge me, and
they charge the rest of us in this cham
Der who are Populists, with attempted
reputation. No, Mr.. President, the
legislature that sent me to this body
was composed almost wholly Of men
who had been Republicans within two
years. There were ninety-five Populists
in the house of representatives. Every
one Of them voted for me. Out OF the
ninety-five populists eighty-three had
been active, earnest Republicans up to
and after the year 1883. They and I all
voted for Benjamin Harrison. Out Ct
those eighty-three old Republicans for
ty-one had spent from two and one
half to three of the best years Of their
lives in the Union army, in our great
struggle to suppress the most tremen-
dous rebellion known in human his
tory. All of my ambition is to serve
this great country. There is nothing
that l venerate more highly, more in
tensely than l do the flag of our coun-
try. The great body of the Popul:st
party in the Northern and Western
states were Republicans only few
years ago, and there are more old I'm
ion soldiers in our party to-day in pro-
portion to the aggregate membership
than there is in the great organization
of Republicans.
II resent that imputation indignant
ly. 1t is unworthy of the senator from
Connecticut (Mr. Hawley) and the other
senators who have uttered the senti-
ment upon this floor. have said, and
do now say, that you men who are in
sisting upon this policy will drive the
people to reputation in the end.
would stop reputation; 1 would stop
all dishonor; l would stop all revou-
ton, by taking from the hands Of the
usupers the power they are Improperly
exercising. That is the object of the
bill. l have said upon the public plat
form, in the presence of the people, as
1 say here in the senate, that this pro-
ceeding is not only without authority
of law, but it is one of the most dan
gerous proceedings, the most danger
Gus exercise of power that has ever be-
fallen the American people.
d
"Populists want no reserve fund to
redeem their money-no redemption
fund for the benefit of stock brokers
and banking syndicates. We believe
government paper is safer money
than metal of any kind. We want gov
eminent paper, not bank notes; we
want money that is as good as the ma
tons credit-money that needs no re-
deemer; money as good in the hands of
the poor as in the tills of the rich; mon
ey worth its face in the products of la
Dor; money that will not stink away
when trouble comes; money that spec
ulators cannot corner; money that will
pay debts and taxes; money based On
the peoples property and the public
credit; money that the government will
receive at par; money that will be good
as long as the republic endures."
They Are.