Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-07-14
THE RICHMo-D DIspATCT-TUEsDAY JULY a. 1885, :

and substitute bimetallism. II the gold
standard Is a good thing. why try TO get
rid OF IL?
II might call your attention to the fact
that some OF the very people who are In
this convention to-day, and who tell you
that we ought to declare IN favor OF
international bimetallism. and thereby
declare that the gold standard is wrong
and the principle OF bimetallism is better
these very people four months ago were
open and avowed advocates OF the gold
standard. and telling US that We could
not legisate two metals together. even
with all the world.
IL want to suggest this truth. that II
the gold standard is a good thing we
ought TO declare in favor of its retention.
and not I'm favor Of abandoning il, and
II the gold standard is n bad thing. why
should we wait until some other naHons
are willing TO help us to let go?
THE LINE OF BATTLE.
Here IL the line OF battle: We care not
upon which issue they force the fight.
We are prepared to meet them on either
issue or on both. IL they tell Us that
the gold standard is the standard OF
civilization, we reply to them that this,
the most enlightened of all The nations
Of the earth, has never declared for
gold standard, and both The parties tits
year are declaring against II.
"If the gold standard Is the standard
Of civilization. why. my friends, should
we not have IL? So. If they come 10 meet
us on that, we can present the history Of
our nation. More than that, We can te1
them this, that they Will search the
pages of history in vain 10 iind a single
instance In which the common people OF
any land have ever declared themselves
in favor Of a gold standard. They can
find where the holders OF fixed invest
ments have.
mir. Carlisle said in 1873 that this was
n struggle between the IDLE holders Of
idle capital and the struggling masses
who produce the wealth, and pay the
taxes Of the country. ard, my friends. II
is simply question that we shall decide
upon which side shall the Democratic
party fight? Upon the side OF me idle
holders OF idle capital, or upon the side of
the struggling masses? That Is the
question that the party must answer first.
and then it must be answered w each In
dividual hereafter.
"The sympathies OF the Democratic
marty. as described by the platform are
on the side Of the struggling masses VINO
have ever been the foundation Of the
Democratic party. There are two IDEAS OF
government. There are those VINO be-
lieve that II you just legislate to make
the well-to-do prosperous, their prosperity
will leak through on those below. 1he
Democratic idea has been that IT you
Iegjslate 10 make the masses prosperous
their prosperity will find it's way up
through every class, and rest upon II.
CITIES REST ON PRAIRIES.
"You come to US and tell us that the
In, faxgr the gold
standard. / tell you that the great cities
rest upon these broad and fertile prairies.
purn down your cities and leave our
farms and your cities Will spring up
again as IL by magic; but destroy our
farms and the grass will grow In the
streets OF every city In this country.
my friends, we shall declare that this
nation is able to legislate for It's own
people on every question, without wait
ing for the aid or consent OF any other
nation on earth, and upon that issue we
expect TO carry every single state in TINS
Union. shall not Islander the ialr
state of Massachusetts. nor New YORK
by saving that when It's citizens are con-
fronted with the proposition. Is this ma
ton able to attend to its own business =
7 will not Islander either one by saying
that the people of those States Will de-
clare our helpless impotency as hatloh
TO attend to our own DuSintSS'
ISSUE or 1776 OVER AGAIN.
eft Is the issue Of 1776 over again. Our
ancestors were the 100000 who had the
courage to declare their political indie
incidence Of every other nation upon
earth. Shall we, their descendants, when
we have grown to 100000, declare that
we are less independent than our fore
fathers? No. my friends, il will never be
the Judgment of this people.
Therefore, we care not upon what
lines the battle is fought. If they say
bimetallism is good. but we cannot have
1t until some nation helps US, We reply
that. instead of having a gold standard
because England has, we shall restore
bimetalllsm and then let England have
bimetalism because the United States
has.
'If they dare to come out and in the
open defend the gold standard as good
thing we shall fight them to the utter
most Having behind us the producing
masses of this nation and the world;
having behind us the commercial inte-
rests. and the laboring interests, and all
the toiling masses we shall answer their
demands for a gold standard by saying
TO them You shall not press down upon
the brow Of labor this crown of thorns.
You shall not cruelty mankind upon
cross Of gold