The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1896-08-20
He CITES HISTORY IND TALKS FACTS
Explgdes the Crime u '73 Bubble-Gives
Complete History Of Our Nations
Financ-s-Silver Experiment,
Have Cost $14J.CO0.GpO.

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Of Brooklyn. y. Y. The meetings were
held in an immense tent on East Broad
street. the city having 10 auditorium
| large enough 10 accommodate the crowd.
Al the afternoon meeting fully 1900
people were crowded into the tent. The
large attendance was great surprise.
d, il was feared the warm weather would
interfere.
Governor Bushnell presided at the
afternoon meeting. being introduced by
Hon. Henry c. Taylor. chairman u the
Franklin county republican executive
committee. The governor made a brief
speech. He said the people from all parts
Of the state were present to open a cam
paign that will elevate to the highest Of
fee in the gift OF the people of the United
States a distinguished son Of Ohio. and
that man was VIM. Mckinley. The
speaker reminded his hearers that no
Ohio candidate for the presidency was
ever defeated and every republican presi-
dent. except the first and greatest Of them
all. Abraham Lincoln. was a native Of
Ohio. In response to a question from
the governor as 10 whether the people
would break the custom this time. there
were deafening cries Of NO. no.
The governor then expressed himself
as having too much faith in the people
to think that they would defeat repub-
lican candidate this fall Of all times He
deminded his hearers that four years ago
the democrats gave them Grover Cleve-
land and promise of tariff reform. Now
after four years Of suffering they ask
the people to accept Bryan and unsound
money as a cure for all the ills To which
flesh is heir. He, for his life, could not
imagine such effrOntery.
When Governor Bushnell introduced
Senator John Sherman, the venerable
statesman advanced TO the front Of the
stage amid loud applause and the band
struck up The Star Spangled Banner"
Mr.. Sherman stood calmly surveying
the crowd until the band ceased playing.
He prefaced his speech by saying that
inasmuch as he wished to discuss ques-
tons Of importance to every citizen in
the United States as well as Ohio, he
would read his speech in order TO be eX-
act in his statements.
Continuing he said:
Mr.. Chairman and Fellow Ctizens-A
citizen Of Ohio has been selected by the
republican national convention as their
candidate for president Of the United
States and we are here to ratify and sup
port his nomination. We took pride in
William Mckinley not only for the honor
conferred on Ohio by the convention. but
because we know him to be fitted for
that great Office We know that since
his bOyhoOd his life has been pure and
stainless. that as a soldier in the Union
army he was brave and loyal that as
a member of congress for mani years he
exhibited the highest mental traits and
rendered great service to his country. and
that as governor of Ohio he proved his
capacity to perform difficult executive
duties, and he has the highest claim on
Us that during all his active life he has
been faithful and able republican.
thoroughly in sympathy with the princi-
pies of the republican party. That party
uoes not rest its claim to your confidence
merely on the merits of its candidates.
but upon the soundneSS of its public
policy. its measures and its aims. 1t is
the distinguished figure of our republican
government that every question affecting
the people of the United States must ulti-
mately be determined by them at the
ballot box. Every legal voter has an
equal voice in deciding it, however diff
cult may he the problem. 1t so happens
that in this presidential election there
will be submitted TO your judgment two
such questions. one of which is whether
any holder of silver bullion may present
it at the minis and have it coined for
his benefit and without cost to him into
silver dollars. each of the weight of
4l2 ID grains of standard silver. nine
tenthS fine. and may tender them for any
debt. public or private The other ques-
ton is whether in levying duties or taxes
on imported goods we should only con-
slider the revenue required or whether
when raising the needed revenue we
should seek to protect and encourage do
nestle industries. The one is called rev.
enue tariff and the other a protective
tariff. Both the silver and tariff are
vital questions of domestic policy of equal
Importance. but | propose on this occa-
sion to contine my remarks mainly to
what is known as the free coinage of sill
yer ut the ratio of 16 parts of silver to
of gold. This issue is thrust upon us
by the democratic party. or rather by
the populist branch of the democracy,
Gold and silver coins are recognized by
all commercial nations of the world as
the best standard of value as the basis
of every article that is bought or sold.
These two metals not only measure all
other things but they measure each other.
Their relative value constantly changes.
Twenty-three years ago sixteen ounces
of silver were worth more than one ounce |
of gold. Now thirty-two ounces of sill |
Yer can he bought by one ounce of gold. |
This tluctuation of value can not be pre- |
vented by law. 1t is beyond the reach |
of legislation. 1t is caused by the chang |
ing demands for an increasing supply of |
these metals from the mines. Both are |
necessary rs money, silver TO supply the |
iaily wants of life and gold to measure |
he larger transactions of business. es |
lecially in exchanges with foreign ma
ions. How to maintain the parity of |
he two meals ut Il fixed ratio has been.
: and always will be difficult problem
not only in the United States hut in the
civilized world 1t was one of the first
questions to occupy the attention among |
statesmen after the adoption of the cou-
'utuuon and is now one of the most
pressing after 100 years of national
;rowth. In 1892 silver and gold were
made the common standards of value in
he United States ut the ratio of IL to l.
Iut this was because then the actual
market value of fifteen ounces of silver
vas equal to the market value of one
'unce of gold. The greatest care was
AIKEN 10 ascertain this ratio by Thomas
Jefferson. then secretary of state. and
Hamilton, then secretary of