The San Francisco call., 1896-09-27
Money Pronounced to Be the
Only Issue of the
Campaign.
GATOR ON OTHER QUESTIONS.
Defends the Attack on the Supreme
Court-Abuse for the Republi.
can Leader.

Hon. T. V. Gator and John W. Mitchell
| OF Los Angeles addressed a crowded house
at Metropolitan Hall last night on the
issues Of the campaign from a Populist
and Democratic standpoint respectively.
AS became the humble assumptions of the
adherents of the Populist party, the audi
orium was without single decoration;
the only exception to this severe and
Purltanic aspect of the hall was the Amer
ican flag draped over the speakers stand,
and which in consequence stood out in
bold relief. Here and there about the
audience gay plume or a brilliant bunch
OF flowers in the head-dresses of the ladies
present gave just a suggestion of color to
the otherwise solid mass of people clothed
in habiliments of black or neutral shades.
The meeting was held under the call
and auspices of the Democratic State Cen
trail Committee, but was a union meeting of
the Democrats and Populists and all those
who believed in free silver. On calling the
meeting to order William Craig, an elector
at large on the Democratic ticket, said:
"The time has at last come when the
people are breaking away from party afil-
iations and standing together on the great
issue of the day.
He introduced as chairman of the meet
ing P. NJ. Wellin, who resigned as an
elector on the Democratic ticket to make
room for Populist and thus permit of
fusion. After few remarks on the silver
issue Mr.. Wellin introduced John w.
Mitchell of Los Angeles. The latter began
by saying:
al am glad to bring you greetings to-
night from the land of the angels and
silver Republicans. l am glad to be able
to tell you that one of our great leaders
told me only last night that there are
2200 names signed to the roll of the Silver
League at Los Angeles"
Alter expressing his pride in the Demo-
cratic party and in his mem bership there
in he said that the Democratic party, sup
ported bv its allies, the silver people, was
calling for recruits to bring about legisla-
ton that will not discriminate against
any class.
There are two crucial tests" he said,
''to whicn the principles of parties should
be subjected. The platform should be
carefully examined for the principles con-
tanned therein and the past history of the
party should be taken into consideration"
He said that the ''new declaration of in
dependence recently proclaimed at Chi
eago" was the equal of that which Jeffer-
son and Washington helped to draw and
which Lincoln perpetuated.
THE issue which this platform makes
paramount" he explained, sis the ques-
tion of money. The great issue in this
platform is the need of the world, this
country, this State-more primary money
more constitutional money. The vol
ume of money has been constantly de-
creasing by the demonetization of silver
first by one country and then by another
and the adoption of monometallism. This
adoption OF monometallism is the greatest
of crimes. While the population of this
money per capita has been getting gradu-
ally less since 1880"
He asserted that the per capita value of
all assessed property in the United States
is 1884 80, while the per ca pita debt of the
country was $451. OF gold and its rep
sentative as money, he said, there was but
SD 50 per capita in the country, and the
he declared, was to adopt the free coinage
of silver at the ratio of 16 to L Continu-
ing, he said:
"The great argument of the Republicans
is that we will not be able to maintain this
ratio. We ask them 10 let us try the ex-
pertinent; but it is not an experiment, for
we have able for years to maintain the ra-
ito we propose.
"Will free silver help California? is fire.
quently asked. attempt to answer this.
1t would benefit California because it
would arrest the shrinkage of values and
the depreciation of prices. 1t would in
crease the value of agricultural products.
stimulate production and give EN- ploy-
ment to the unemployed. The cause of
falling values is the contraction of money" !"
Hon. L. V. Gator was greeted with en-
thusiastic applause. He began as follows {:
There is a universal depression in our
land and in other lands. The issue is in
this depreciation has arisen from the lack
of the legislation thev favor
1--WE, on the other hand. claim that this
depreciation cannot be eradicated by any
kind of tariff legislation. We claim it is
the evil of tariff legislation that has caused
this depression. Here you have the issue
briefly and plainly.
Republican administrations. As long as
they did not pass pernicious financial leg
islation there were prosperous times, but
as soon as they changed the financial laws
OF the country to please the money
changers of the world we had hard times
When they contracted the money volume
OF the country they created the cause for
the depression of the past and present.
We know that prices rise and fall as the
volume of money increases or decreases.
How will Mr.. Mckinley have more
open mills to grind out more goods unless
the people have more money to purchase
the product of these mills? We know
the hands of men of wealth and power,
and we know that if it is agreed among
these men to keep all these mills and fac
tories going for but half the time they
could flood the market with more goods
than the people have money 10 buy. We
thus see that it is of more Importance Just
st this time TO see how we can put more
money into the hands of the laboring
man so that he can purchase these prod
ucts.
Because of the contraction of money
we find the farms of the country mort
gagged to such an extent that there is not
enough money in the country to pay even
the interest on these mortgages let alone
the principle.
ST say to Mckinley that what be says
about our wanting more open mills and
not more open mints is wrong, and l reply
by saying we shall never have more open
mills until we have more open mints.
Free coinage OF silver does not mean
that the Government will go into the mar
ket and buy the silver bullion, as under
the Sherman act. Every owner of silver
will be able to take his bullion to the Mint,
have it coined and take away his dollars
So, if they tried to dump their silver into
this country from abroad, they would