The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-09-29
J. S. HOPKINS, REPUBLICAN,
Stands Up for Silver at Horton-W.
W. Price, Republican Representa-
tive, Acts as Chairman of the
Bryan Meeting.
Horton, Sept. %.

horton, sept. 20.
To the Editor of the State Journal:
JnO. S Hopkins of HOltOn spoke to
the people of this place at the opera
house Saturday night.
The house was damned to overlooking
with cheering, enthusiastic crowd
Extra chairs were placed, vet hun
dreds had to stand.
1t was the most convincing and vote
making exposition of the silver cause
yet made in Horton.
Additional interest was taken in the
speech because Mr. Hopkins has been
a lifelong Republican, standing high in
the councils of his party, and because
ne IS somewhat identified with our peo-
pie being a director of the First Ma
tional bank and the father Of its presi-
dent.
Mr.. Hopkins spoke for two hours and
twenty minutes. He had the mint re-
ports, statistics, etc, and gave the au-
thOrtty for every statement made. He
also had maps and illustrations to i'm
press facts and dates.
The speaker was introduced bv w. w
Price, present Republican member Of
the legislature, and was greeted with
a storm of applause.
He read the platforms of the Repub-
lican party since 1873, and quoted from
speeches Of prominent Republicans and
Democrats, beginning with the early
speeches, when they prophesied disas-
trOuS consequences if silver was dis
credited, and later speeches to show
that the disaster had overtaken US. He
then took up the law and followed sill
yer and gold step by step from 1892 and
showed cOncluSiVely that the silver dol
lar was the unit Of value and remained
absolutely unchanged from 1892 to 1873.
He showed that in 1867 Senator Sher-
man made a trip to London and Paris
and upon his return introduced a bill in
the senate denOnetizing silver. This
bill was exposed by Senator Morgan of
New York and it was withdrawn. But
in 1873 at the instance of Mr.. Sherman.
coinage of the standard silver dollar
and changed the unit of value from
silver to gold.
Where was the party or the conven-
ton that asked it? Was there public
agitation and petition for the moment
Gus change.
He then reviewed the entire period
since the establishment of the colonies.
He contended that legislation fixed
the price of money and referred to the
act of 1874, in which England fixed the
price of an ounce of gold at SO, 19 shil-
IingS and 9 pence (S1S.45), and kept it
there. He also quoted the price of sill
yer during the period preceding 1873,
and then noted its rapid fall since.
He showed by the reports of the di-
rector of the minis that silver and gold
did circulate together. He answered
the question how the people would be
benefited by free coinage.
In answer to the assumption that our
dollar would decline to the price of bull
rise TO the price of the dollar, and in
stanced the fact that in $780, when the
senate passed the free coinage act
(zilled in the house,, silver at once
jumped from 1895 pence to 545s pence
CS1-20) in Liverpool
He then exhibited a detailed state
ment of the Indebtedness in this cOun-
try, showing a stupendous aggregate of
AZ billions. He declared the utter inn
possibility Of ever paying this debt I'M
der a gold standard He also showed
that our present silver dollar was kept
at par (nOt because this government is
behind it, for it is nOt,) but by the
mighty influence of the creditor class,
for it would be suicidal for them to dis
credit the dollar they would be paid in.
But the speaker warned his hearers
that as soon as their present wishes
were accomplished and gold was made
the sole debt paying money we would
then see the total abasement of silver
and in truth a so cent dollar, and our
condition would then be that of India,
Egypt and other countries under the