The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-09-11

Major Peter ]. Otey, the Democratic
nominee for Congress in this the Sixth
Congressional district, spoke to the peo-
pie of Roanoke on the issues of the cam
paign at the city hall last night He was
introduced. by ex-Mayor Sturgis E. Jones
as the present efficient member of Con-
gress from this district and as our next
representative in that national body. The
city hall was filled with people anxious
to hear II fair discussion of the money
question, and they paid the strictest at
tention to the argument produced by the
distinguished speaker
Major Otey in II few choice words smoke
of his service during sthe last Congress
and then got down to the great question
of the hour, the question of free coinage.
The Major spoke i'll II more eloq uent
strain than ever before in Roanoke and
won for himself the reputation of being u
good speaker. He spoke of the Republi-
cans who had espoused the cause of hui
mainly and free silver not us Democrats.
but as Republicans who hold principle
dearer than party. Every mention of
Bryan's name by the speaker brought
forth the widest applause. In his refer
ence to Bryan's nomination he said that
great convention assembled in Chicago
in July, the greatest convention that ever
ton of Democrats and not of plutocrats.
1t was the national Democratic conven-
ton and let no man raise his finger and
claim that it was ought but purely DEM
ocratic He then referred to the St. Louis
convention, the modern BelshaZzar of
which stands trembling for fear of the
declarations of that convention, calling for
Daniel to interpret the meaning of the
great uprising of the American people.
Daniel who opened the convention at Chi
cago pointed to St. Louis and exclaimed
Thou art weighed in n balance and found
wanting," and the silver plume now
waving in the hands of that honored
knight, VIM. j. Bryan, is spreading con-
sternation among those who would dare
oppose him.
The speaker then got down to business
and went into an extended discussion of
the money question. His speech was deep
and to the point, yet presented in such n
manner as to leave no doubt in the minds
of his hearers but that his position was
right.
lie used chart showing the CONNER
clai ratio of gold and silver and showed
that from 1916 to 1878 it remained the
same ana not until the American nation
oemonetized silver did the Iatio go down,
put - .ce the characterization act in 1878
it has steadily gone down, until in 1894
the commercial ratio was 81 to 1. AT this
Juncture Major Otey was interrupted by
voice from the audience asking who has
control OF the national Government. to
Which he wittily replied 'The devil. |
think. " This quelled the catechiser and
he refrained from asking any more oues-
tions. Another chart was then produced
showing the production of gold and sill
yer and the fiuctuation in quantity IN
until 1873, yet the ratio remained the
same.
lie then went into what might be termed
the fallacious arguments of the gold
standard advocates and exploded their
theories one after another with telling
effect
He asked for the loan of silver dollar.
which was handed him by one of his hear
ers. He then asked for q gold dollar but
got no response. This little object lesson
brought forth rounds of applause and the
speaker exclaimed, 81 would rather have
one dollar of silver in my own pocket
than 50 in gold in Pierrpont Morgan's
pocket"
He reviewed the question of an honest
dollar in telling and convincing man
ner and produced a chart showing the an
probation of gold. The chart was then
pushed to one side showing magnificent
portrait of Bryan, which was the signal
Tor the widest applause. He spoke for
over two hours and held the closest atten-
ton of his entire audience for the first
hour and half The speech will doubt
less do much good for the cause of silver
in Roanoke.