The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1896-07-09

| Let me remind him that there is no in
tention of affecting these contracts,
which, according to the present laws,
are made payable in gold But if he
means to say that we can not change
our monetary system without protecting
| those who have loaned money before
| the change was made, | want to ask him
where, i'll law or morals, he can find au-
| thority for not protecting debtors when
the act of 1873 was passed but now in
sists that we must protect the creditors.
He says he also wants to amend this
I law and provide that if we fail to main
tain the parity within Il year. that we
| will then suspend coinage of silver.
I'VE reply that when we advocate a
thing which we believe to be successful,
we are not compelled to raise Il doubt as
what we will do if we can.
Il ask him if he will apply his logic
to us, why does he not apply it to him
self. He says he wants this country
to try to secure an international agree
ment. Why doesn't he tell what he is
going to do if they fail to secure inter-
national agreement? There is more
reason for him to do that than for us
to fail to maintain parity. They have
tried for thirty years to secure interna-
tional agreement and they are waiting
for it most impatiently and don't want
it at all. CHEERS and laughter. long con-
tinued)
"Now, my friends. let me come to the
great paramount issue. If they ask us
here why we say more on the money
question than we say on the tariff. L re-
ply, if protection has slain its thousands,
the gold standard has slain its tens of
thousands.
"If they ask us why we do not embody
all those things in our platform which
we believe. we reply that when we have
restored the money of the constitution
all other necessary reforms will he pos
sible and that until that is done there
| is no reform that can be accomplished.
| (Cheers)
"Why is it that within three months
such q change has come over the senti-
ments of this country? Three months
ago, when it was confidently asserted
| that those who believed in the gold
| standard would frame our platform and
| nominate our candidate, even advocates
of the gold standard did not think that
we could elect a president; but they had
} good reason for suspicion, because there
| is scarcely state here today asking for
the gold standard that is not within alb
solute control of the Republican party.
| loud cheering)
But note the change. Mckinley was
nominated upon platform that declared
| for the maintenance of the gold standard
until it should be changed into bi-metal-
! lism by international agreement. Mr.
Mckinley was the most popular man
among the Republican party and every
body three months ago in the Republi-
can party prophesied his election. How
| is it today? Why. that man who used
to boast that he looked like Napoleon
daughter and cheers, that man shud-
ders today when he thinks he was nom
mated on the anniversary of the battle
of Waterloo"
| At the coincidence of McKinley's nom
ination and the fate of Napoleon at Wa
| terloo, the silver men showed their appre-
citation of the point by yielding an uproar
which for twenty or thirty seconds pre-
vented the speaker from proceeding. AT
length, when things Gained down a tri-
| fe, he resumed as follows:
Not only that, but, as, he listens. he
can hear with ever-increasing distinct