Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1896-08-21
JOHN r. FELLOWS SPEAKS.
An Able, Finished and Conclusive Ar
gument for sound Money.

An Able, Finished and Conclusive Are
gument for Sound Money.
The Brattleboro gold-standard Democrats
held their first rally Tuesday evening in
the auditorium.
Gen. Charles Tracey of Albany, N. Y,
and Mayor John w. Gordon of Barre were
the only speakers at first expected, but II
was learned Tuesday that Franklin Pierce
and ex-Dstrict Attorney John Il. Fellows
of New York were in this vicinity and they
accepted an invitation to come to Brattle-
boro and address the rally. As it proved
the principal address of the evening was
given by Mr.. Fellows. G. II. Davenport
presided and introduced Mr.. Fellows as
the first speaker. In opening his speech
Mr.. Fellows said he was a Democrat from
principle and from mature conviction. He
came from Wing antecedents, but from
careful study of political questions he be-
came convinced that the principles repre-
sented by the Democratic party were the
true principles of governmental polity, and
he had faithfully stood by and advocated
Them Therefore in opposing and con-
demning the action taken by the Chicago
convention he acted from no partisan mo-
tive but from principle of eternal right.
He assumed that he was speaking to an
audience which contained some Democrats,
although" he said, 81 have learned that
this is a somewhat violent assumption in
the Green Mountain state" He paid a
warm tribute to the Vermont Democracy,
who, in face of certain defeat, have year by
year stood up for principle with no hope
of gain or reward He had himself been
delegate, he continued, to every Demo-
cratic national convention except one since
1865, and including the one which met in
Chicago July Z. He therefore understood
the rules of procedure which govern all
such bodies. The Chicago convention be-
gan its work of revolution at the very out
set by rejecting the chairman appointed by
the national committee, and substituting
another without having ascertained wheth
er those voting for him were delegates
constituting convention entitled to take
such action. The work of revolution was
continued by unseating four gold men of
the Michigan delegation and telegraphing
to Michigan for more delegates, thereby
gaining for the silver element the necessary
two-thirds vote.
After giving luminous account of other
features of the Chicago convention, and Wis
iting upon them whitening condemnation,
Mr.. Fellows took up the silver question and
devoted an hour and half TO a lucid, able
and bipartisan discussion of it. He related
the history of our coinage laws from the
earliest times, and showed how, under the
original ratio of II to ! or 15i to l, estab-
lished by jefferson and Hamilton, silver
was driven out of circulation because the
intrinsic or bullion value of the silver dol-
lar was fraction more than that of the
gold dollar; how the valUe of silver bullion
has steadily declined because Of the increas-
ing supply until the actual ratio today is
80 - to how false and demagogic is the
howl of the silverites about the "crime of
1873 and what the result of free silver
coinage will be should it ever become an
accomplished fact.
Perhaps his most effective illustration of
the difference in the intrinsic value of our
gold and silver coinage was when he said,
in substance: Take a five-dollar gold piece
and put it on one anvil; take five silver dol
lars and put them upon another anvil then
take hammer and beat these coins until
every vestige of the mint mark put upon
them by the government is erased. They
have then become simply pieces of bullion.
What is the result? You can take the bull
ion in the five dollar piece to the govern
ment treasury, or TO any bank, and you will
receive five dollars for it; but for the silver
bullion you can get only SO cents for each
dollar" because that is its commercial
value.
In closing his speech Mr.. Fellows made
an effective hit at Mr.. Bryan's "cross of
gold smile by saying that, while he had
no burning desire to be crucifed, If it were
to be done he had no particular choice as TO
the embellishments of the cross, whether
they were gold or silver, but he did object
to being crucified between two thieves who
had not yet repented.
As an example of ready and finished or
atory, every word well chosen, every idea
clearly and simply expressed, every period
fully rounded-the superior of Mr.. Eel
lows's speech has never been heard upon
the stump in Brattleboro. His words were
the words of man filled with sorrow and
indignation over the treachery to which his
party has been subjected, but anxious first
of all TO have the honor and financial in
tegrlty of his country maintained.
Franklin Pierce, a member of Demo-
cratic club of 400 members in New York,
all of whom are gold-standard men, was
next introduced. Mr.. Pierce is also fin
ished orator and clearly set forth the rea-
sons why free silver policy would bring
about disastrous condition of affairs in
this country. He compared the condition
of the laboring men of today with their con-
dition in 1850, and showed that they were
three times as well off as in any free silver
country in the world.
Mayor Gordon was obliged to leave with
out speaking in order to take the late train
home. Gen. Tracey, on account of the late
ness of the hour, made no speech, but asked
the audience 10 consider what he would
have said as embodying the best points
made by Mr.. Fellows and Mr.. Pierce.