The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1896-07-16

thc country the issue of higher taxea.
more bonds and less money. 1t has
proclaimed at last, throwing away the
disguiscs, the British gold standard.
we can only expect should they sue
ceed, my cOuntrymen, a specimen Of
panic and u long protr acted period of
depression. DO not ask us then to ioin
them in any OF their propositions.
Least OF all ask us not to join them
upon the money question and fight q
sham battle over a settled tariff, for
the money question Is the paramount
issue before the American people and
1t involves Amoricanism more than
any economic issue that was ever pre-
sented at Presidential election.
we pray you, no moro makeshifts
and straddles. Vex not tho country
with your prophecies OF smooth things
to como from the British-ltcpublican
propaganda. (Applause.) Tho fact
that tho European nations are going
TO the gold standard renders it all the
more impracticable that We should do
| SO, for tho limited stock OF gold In the
! world would have longer division aud
smaller share for each nation. Pre-.
v:ous predictions have been promptly
refutcd when prosperity WA proph,-
clcd to come upon the unconditional
repeal OF the Sherman Law. In.Lcna
OF protecting the trcubIry rcbcryr. II.
| was prophccicd il would DO, an unpr".
ccdcntcd raid "us promptly n;,Ic or.
| ~ and two hundred aud .ixty.tWn nil.
lions OF borrowed gold have been H..
efficient to guarantee 1t BccUrity. IN.
stead OF causing foreign capital ~ N,w
TO us It, has stimulated the liOw III pDiG
TO Europe and the grccnback notch AND
the sherman notes which are ju.t ~
payable In silver ~ in gold have been
~ Il
ury OF the United States and to store:
it In the strong box OF the war IOrds Of
Europe. Instead Of rcviving busincs
tins policy has depressed it. Instead
OF increasing wages this policy has
further decreased them. Instead OF
multiplying opportunities for employ.
mcnt this policy has multiplied idlcrs
Instead OF increasing tho prices OF
our products this policy has lowered
them, and 1T is estimated at about Is
per cent. in three years. Instead OF
rcviving, confidence tho policy has
banishcd confidence. Instead OF bring
iny relief it has brought years OF
misery and for this reason it has con
tracted the currency of tho United
H"t"s, four dollars u head for every
man; tso, y" !" MpI child since November
j. 1915 ana ~HS'r'this vast aggregate
contraction the pr.>>,s,, land and of
manufactured goods and or a~.'-inSs ~
agricultural and mercantile pro. =.
has fallen.
The public revenues have fallen,
wages Of labor have fallen apG evu~y.
| thing on the face Of the ear:h I as fallen
but taxes and debts which haye h19.
dened, while on the other hau6 ise;r
| liquidation has been diminished.
No nation can call itsel: free ard :.
dependent that is not CREST enough 10
establi, h and maintain financial rys-
tenn of its own. Great applause.
TO pretend that this foremost ana
richest and most powerful nation in the
world cannot coin its own money with
| out suing 70" an International agree.
ment at the courts of European auto
| Gratis, who have none but primary
interests to subserve. has for many
years been held out AT Presidential
election have made use Of such an
agreement and have failed afterwards
and we have never in our history had
an international agreem Mt on money
system and none Of the founders of this
republic ever dreamed that such an
agreement was essential. We have
had three international conferences in
order to obtain it and to wait longer
upon them is to ignore tho interest OF
our own people and degrade our ma
tional dignity and to advertise to all
mankind our impotence and our folly.
The majority OF this convention
maintain that this great American
nation, without dependence upon
European nations for anything that
they produce, and with European ma
tions dependent upon much that we
produce. is fully capable OF restoring
this constitution money system Of gold
and silver at equality with each other.
(Applausc.)
Ard as our fathers in l77G declared
our national independence OF all the
world, so to-day has the great Demo.
cratic party, founded by Thomas jet
fcrson, the author Of that declaration,
appeared here in Chicago to declare
the financial independence of tho
United States Of all other nations and
to invoke all true Americans to assert
it by their suilragcs at the polls, that
our country may be placed where she
by right belongs rs to the frccst, as
the foremost, as the most prosperous
and happy nation that ever blessed tho
life OF mankind upon this globo.
--Ex-Srprctnry - of tbc Troounr,, E,,