Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1896-08-13
FREE COINAGE FACTS.
C.. S. barrow, Of Chicago, Speaks
for Silver and Bryan.
I'm Debate with Senator xhurston on the
Money Question the Chicasoan
Gives Utterance tn Some
Terse Truths.

81, gathering of 10000 or $4,000 people
heard q debate between Senator John
NJ Thurston, of Nebraska, who spoke
for gold, Mckinley and protection. and
C. S. barrow, of Chicago, who spoke for
silver and Bryan. In his reply to Sen
ator Thurston on the various points ut
issue Mr.. barrow said:
''In the space of an hour and a quarter I
am very sure that 1 will not be able to
thoroughly and fully discuss the financial
question. I shall attempt to do it as can
didly possible. L. like the eminent SEN
ator, have other interest excepting TIE
truth. No public speaker ever had any
other interest, you know-[laughter and
applausel-no matter whether he holds an
office or does not hold an office. am
afraid I have no such authentic document
to prove my cause as an editorial rom
a Mckinley newspaper, or the testimonial
of a beggar on the street. LApplause.l
But, without these, will attempt to talk
to an intelligent audience in as candid
way as I possibly can, and will ask you
men and women not to determine this
question upon the words you can hear to-
day or upon the words you can hear some
other day, but to take it home with you,
consider IL carefully, thoroughly, non
estly.
cit is an important question; it is i'm
portant to the welfare of every man and
woman and child of the United States. It
is important 10 the welfare of every man,
woman and child in the whole world as
we'll. / do not now mean 10 eXaSEeTdte tUe
Importance of this issue; do not mean
to say it is the only issue before the Amer
lean people and before the world. do not
mean to say even that it is the most fTr.-
portant issue before the American people
/ co not think that the settlement of the
free coinage of silver would ever do for the
American people what ought to be done
I do not believe that this and this alone
would ever lift from the American farmer
that load OF debt and bondage through
which he has passed through the 60 years
gone by. lApplause.l 1 do not believe
that this and this alone would ever give
to labor that which labor never had,
either under democratic administra-
lions or republican administrations, either
in the monarchical countries of Europe or
in free America. This alone would not
give to labor that which it ought to have.
or full product of it's toll. lApplause.1
But it will do something. and it is for rhat
something that l wish to speak about as
sec it and believe 1t.
Chicagoan WAKES Sarcastic.
1.-The able senator has described the con-
ditions of the United States. He says that
we have 'trampS on every hand He de-
plores the distress of the farmer and the
distress of the laborer, but to all of that
say amen. What does the able senator Of
fer you as a solution of the great calaln-
ity in which we suffer to-day? He offers
you four years more Of gold cure admins
.ered by Mckinley instead of Cleveland
and nothing else; Loud applause ana
thing Tor drunkards. but it is a mighty poor
thing Tor the American peopie-not only
for the American people. but for the people
of the whole civilized and unciViliZed world
well-and yet in this crisis, when all
other issues are forgotten, when we have
been called upon to abandon parties. as We
are called upon to vote upon this question
alone, the most they say is, will give
you what you have had. And Mr.. Cleve-
land and all his satellites from Washing
ton to Madison are supporting MIR. NC
Kinley to-uay. Applause and cheers.l
What do we say TO the American peo-
pie? We are told that we ask you to sail
out upon an unknown sea with neither
compass guide, and that we ask you to
try e new experiment different from that
of any other town in the world that we
try experiment and plead upon the
poverty of the people to ask them to let
us do it. My friend, he who understands
this question, and he who seeks to under
stand this question before this campaign is
closed, must learn the lesson that those
who ask for new experiments are the other
side and not US. IApplause.J We turn to
you and we ask you to bring the ship back
TO the mooring of the last 100 years, and
place ii where all the statesmen of Amer
lean have ever placed it, and support the
financial policy which William Mckinley
supported until he became candidate for
the presidency of the United States
ICheers.l
Republican Platform Attacked.
And what do they ask? mean to meas
ure my words and speak by the book, and
ask you at your own leisure and in your
own home 20 decide between us as to whom
is right. In the life of this great republic.
in the Toe years of it's existence, no national
party, either republican democratic,
ever appealed to the American people to
do what these men ask you to do to-day.
Never before, and defy the gentleman or
any other, to show where any national pa1-
ty before in The history of America de-
clared that silver should be stricken down
and that gold and gold alone should be
the money of the people of the United
States. 1t rests upon these men, who set
aside the presidents of 100 years, who set
aside the teachings of all the fathers of the
country-these men who propose to strike
down one-half the peoples money and ad-
vocate openly where before 1t had only been
advocated secretly in the rooms of the con-
spirators-to answer the question why to-
day should depart from all the tradi-
lions of America and destroy silver and tie
fortune to gold alone. Has the gentle
man told US why?
THAT is not all. So outrag eous is this
proposition that the who framed it
did not dare stand by 1t and adopt it. So
outrageous and unheard of is this PROPOSE
ton that in the convention over which the
eminent gentleman presided, and in the
resolutions that were reported to the
American people. they declared their al
legiance to the gold standard, but pledged
their honor-what was left of it-IIaugh-
ter1-that they would all their power
and all their efforts to cause all other ma
tons of the world to adopt silver a. well
as gold. lApplauSe.1 They come before
the intelligent American people and ask
them to help this great party. which was
ha of liberty m