Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-10-16
to say a very few words to you while you

to say very few words to you while you
are here.
gsess,s of {s aI, the trqt1 n try to do
II there is d; laboripg man in the United
States who ready, believes that the money
he is now .recsFmg for his wages - too
good for hind; fhat it Is buying too much
food. too much elothing for himself and his
family. or thRtit Is paying the rent for |.
to live In. it o his duty to vote for the free
az and IL unlimited nj Of silver at the ratio
II there is any laboring man in the
United States xyho has saved money out
of his earnings and has deposited it in
savings banG " building association. or
paid 1t on policy of insurance for the
benefit of his family. and who desires to
have 1t paid back to him in a currency
worth about haff as much as the money he
paid out. he also ought to vote for the free
and unlimited coinage of silver, for that
will give him exactly what he wants.
On the otheD hard. every man in the
United States, whether he works for wages
or not: who wants to preserve the value OF
what he has already accumulated, and to
insure the value of what he may hereafter
receive. ought to vote against the free and
unlimited coinage of silver and for the
maintenance Of sound and stable cur
fency in this country. (Applause.)
While every man who works for wages
or receives fxed compensation for his
services must be deeply Interested In the
who work for railroad companies and other
transportation companies, many Of whom
re side in your city, and some of whom are
perhaps here, have special interest in the
questions involved, because their employers
are confronted by situation which makes
It. impossible to so increase wages as to
&C mpensate for the diminished purchasing
power OF the money in which wages must
be paid If the policy of free coinage Of
silver at the ratio Of 16 to Is adopted.
These companies cannot increase wages
unless they can increase the receipts from
their business; they cannot increase the re-
ceipts from their business unless they can
increase the charges for carrying freight
and passengers, and If they would attempt
to increase the charges for carrying freight
and passengers it Is safe to say that the
very men. the very people, who are now
most clamorous for the free coinage OF Sill
yer would be the first to protest against 1t
and to demand legislation to prohibit 1t In
all cases where such legislation is not al
ready existing (Applause).
The man. therefore, who works for
transportation company would ind him
self the helpless victim CT policy which
diminished the purchasing power of his
wages about one-half and compelled him
to work on and on for the same number
of dollars he received before, thus destroy
ing all hope of Improvement Of his condi-
ton. But, gentlemen, the laboring men
have their fate in their own hands.
They have the power to protect their
wages against depreciation. and to protect
their country against financial disturbance
and ruin. and If they are as intelligent and
patriotic as 1 believe them to be they will
SO exercise their power that no reckless
agitator will hereafter dare to approach
them in behalf of his wild and revolution
airy scheme of finance and civil govern
ment. prolonged applause)
Now, gentlemen. l thank you again for
this visit, and l tender, to each and every
one of you my best wishes for his prosperi-
ty in whatever calling he may hereafter be
engaged" (Applause)