The Dakota chief. (Gann Valley, Buffalo County, S.D.) 18??-1913, 1896-08-27
SENATOR DAVIS View.
The Democratic Platform Strikes
at the Governments
Foundation.
FREE SILVER NOT BIMETALLiSM.
Condition of Affairs Worse than Wa
Would Result from DEM
ocratic Success.

I'm a speech delivered at ST. Paul Au-
gust 4. Senator &. X. Davis pointed out
very clearly the fact that free silver is
not bimetallism and showed what evil
cess. He said that for the first
time since the election lex preced-
ing the great Civil war. we are
required to guard the very founda-
tons and bulwarks of national stability.
OF commercial honesty, of financial con-
duct. The Democratic party which met
at Chicago in convention i'll July suffered
a wonderful change in that convention.
The old ordcleS and guides of the party
were rudely turned aside. 1t was occu-
pied and Economically possessed by a new
spirit-something which has not raised
its head i'll the political conventions of
either party for thirty years. If there
was any one thing which the 100000
of men who went out to defend this coun-
try thirty years ago thought that they
had entirely Oblitcrated when they re-
turned. it was the malign doctrine of
state rights. which lay at the bottom
and was the impetus of the greatest
rebellion which ever reared its head
against a civilized government. Lo and
behold. in that convention, from the
state of South Carolina. as of yorc. you
ind the declaration of the same state
rights. in the same spirit as in the an
Gent time. and done in 4 connection, my
fellow citizens. which must appeal to the
resentment and repugnance of every lib
erty-loving and country-loving man. Ev-
eTyonc who knows anything about me
knows that an not Il political admirer
of Grover Cleveland: but if there was
any one act of his administration which.
after the contentious of history have
ceased 10 rage about his acts and his
memory that will remain star-bright
forever. it was his action, when the
pulse of business beat low, when COM
mcrclai intercourse was cut off by rioters
in Chicago. by which. upon principles and
prccedents laid down by George Wash
ington 100 years before. he evoked the
strong arm of the United States to re-
store law and order in this country.
IApplausc and cheers.
This act is covertly land c~Overtly is
too mild Il word denounced in the Chi
cago platform. More than that. If there
is anything in this country or in any ma
ton upon which the stability of the gov
m depends. the very Keystone of
the great arch upon which the ranged
empire stands. the ultimate principle of
that must exist somewhere
IN all governments it is the courts of our
land. where men sequestered from poIiti-
cal concerns and political ambitions.
the scales of Justice even be-
-ween contending passions and contend
~ i-hi> '!ffitit IoE Iiltlf ItllDW titlZrltS |
what the law is. And for more than 100
ears IN" Supreme court of the United |
'iatcS has sat in thai exalted position. |
midway IN zine cal it"l of the nation be
N"cl m" $'nat" aud the House of Rep
~r"ff'i'"~. "a t3ff'.ti "lj"rt l--~'u Of
tNtr -i b. l... of fl'it ~nh.1i' Ga
acity tp Restrain either, and has dom"
Iore 10 conduct th" government 10 the
igh plane which it occupies. | was @oiuS
. say. than all the statesmen which this
ountry has ever produced. tApplIu>r.b
The Chicago platform strikes NJ that
strikes At all courts. and nun
iates It's inali"n %propheSy of the rcor-
.anizatiOn of that court and of any other
if necessary. TO register the fitful
nd passionate and repudiating cdi";s of
mistaken and misguided men, of mistaken
md misguided parties.
a Crisis is Impending.
And worse than that. my fellow citi-
than that! If there was /
mother thing which the veterans IF the |
war thought they had achieved and
the loyal sentiment of the North
.hOught it had achieved. it was the OBJ |
of all sectionalism in this conn
ry; we were 10 have no South. no North. |
10 East. no West. my more. The whole !
country was To be il unity. But in these
after days. we see the solid South COM |
ng up to the banks of the Ohio and the |
MISSOURI as before the war. and with
sectional demands upon an economic is |
'ue. precisely such as was made before |
ne Rebellion. And now. with the pilcb- |
fork of Illlman stirring up the doctrine
" state rights. with the bomb of Alleged
N the denunciation of our courts and If
resident Cleveland thrown under the
very fabric of our government. they have
chosen to put forward "a an issue some
hing which touches more Immediately |
conviction, the passions. the cupi.Iitv |
anu IN" honesty of men. and which in il
sell contains more d~iSintc@ratin" inilu- !
tllceS To our prosperity than all the !
.auSrS combined that | have mcntiorrtL |
me i''liii"cfati" convention. or the
Democratic party. rs now organized. has
Joined the PopuliSt party in bonds of un-
holy Wcd!ock upon the demand that the |
| nited states shall take a position inon
the currency of this country which / |
to You under the responsibility
81 = man who X speaking To his neigh
horS. say that | believe is ~frauyl, With
more disaster to this country than tLr
greatest foreign war could possibly b'iny
about. tApplauSc.)
And that is the subject that Inn We
been asked to talk to you onigh about |
l am going To do So. us | said in the be- |
ginning. not with any attempt ut deco
ratlve speech, not dcnouncing any men
who may choose 10 differ from mo. for
| tell you. my fellow citizens. thai, many
and many il thousand men who differ
from us today oil this matter one wear
from now Will be wondering Why and
how they came to do it. tApplousrl
And so shall go on. | may be tedious.
L am going to give you facts and fig
ures. L am not going to draw on my
OWE imagination for my facts at all
The facts that l shall give You will b,.
l~mpregnable. 1t is for YOU to Judge
whether the deductions | shall draw
from them can be rctutcd.
Now what Is the question: For n cor
rect understanding of the question i al
ways the first step towards the solution
of the controversy. The question is non
whether there should br III" free and
unlimited coinage of silver in the. minis
ii al III" nations. lay he consent nf tho
principal commercial nations ot til" eio-c
iilon 81 ratio 10 Il" agreed upon. That j.
NOT the issue. We all might a@r.r tL9f
when this is brought ahuul. ~ II will ir.
II the (uit.l States conducts itself WiiL
judgment Uion this question. | say We,
might all agree that TIA, woull be ru
excellent thing. The Republican party
has ll"dgod itself in successive pIattu,u,s
t. labor L. bring ahout International
agreement. The most advance! think
els upon financial questions in hntb
homi,ph,roS ~" advocating. p<pcciallv in
foreign lands. the resumption ot the coin
age of silver. 10y united action Of nations
who. before we did. long ago. indnoend-
emily of us. and uncOntrnllable hv Us.
suspended or limited the further coinage