Daily public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1892-191?, 1896-09-19
ANSWERS THAT DIDN'T ANSWER.

Undertakes questions. The Mobile
Register says Of his answers:
Some one remarked not long ago that
if man were to start out to demonstrate
that the moon is made of green cheese
he would have an uphill job Of it; but
wit replied that such would not be the
case il those who heard him we're already
of the opinion that the moon is made Of
that material. Under the hypothesis laid
down by the wit, there were, we doubt
not, some in Saturday nights audience in
Mobile who we're pleased with Mr.. Stall
lings's answer to the questions pro-
pounded by Mr.. Timberake; but those
listeners who were there for information
and expected to obtain it from the
speaker returned home as empty.handed
as they came,
1t is only by violent use of the word
that Mr.. Stallings can be said to have an.
swered the questions. He devoted his
attention to five of the thirteen questions,
and, we must confess, gave no sort Of
satisfactory answer to any one Of them.
He excused himself from answering"
the others by saying that the hour was
late and he would not longer detain the
assembly; but the conclusion is unavoid-
able that having failed to answer any one
of the i've questions he would have failed
as we'll with the other eight.
Mr.. Stallings made good, loud speech
He kept the audience amused. de dis
trActed their attention from the issue by
a kind Of orstorical legerdemain. When.
however, his argument is put in cold
type, and carefully scanned it is found to
be fustian throughout. There is literally
nothing in it.
The first question was one which, il
answered satisfactorily, would have been
sufficient answer to the others, as the
others were simply an elaboration in de-
tail of the first Mr.. Undertake asked,
'Will the free coinage of silver at a ratio
of 10 to increase the rate of wages now
paid the workingmen in the United
StatesH If you say it will, please name
me some free coinage country in which
the workingmen are paid wages as high
as they now receive in the United StatesT'
The question went to the root of the
matter, II free coinage is to win en- its
merits, its whole case must be summed
up in the answer to this question. Con-
gresham Stallngs had the open books Of
the past experience Of our own and other
great countries from which to take the
materials for his reply. He must have
had fresh in his mind the elaborate dis
cussions of the past Eve years bearing
upon this question by the leading men OF
the civilized world. He contented himself
and discouraged his party friends by re
plying, II will answer that question by
asking another: Can my friend name me
a gold standard country where lsborers
get as much wages as our free American
laborers?'
The American laborer is not interested |
In the rate OF wages paid in other gold |
standard countries, but he is most vitality |
interested in the question of his ability |
TO maintain the present rate OF wages,
and the purchasing power of the dollar
In which his wages will be paid In the |
event OF change in America from gold |
to silver standard Of values. Congress-
man Stallings and other Democratic lead.
ers cannot put aside the question by the
Yankee trick Of asking another. The
question lie too big. too far reaching In It's
consequences to be answered by plat.
form jest or put aside with high sound.
ing tribute to the superiority OF Ameri-
can labor
Mr.. StallIngs did not content himself,
however, with rhetoric regarding Ameri-
can labor and with answering one ques-
ton by asking another. He actually at
tempted to make one Of Mr.. Timberhke'S
questions answer another Of Mr.. Timber