The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1896-10-08
one, and that one changed his mind ?
cloud applause.)

VI nave said before, / say again,
that if, by the suffrage Of my country
men | am placed in that position
which is the highest position within
the gift of the people of the world,
every law shall be enforced against
the great as well as against the small.
(Long applause.) II is not a fear of
lawlessness, my friends. Think of
men who have transgressed the law
being afraid that there will be a lax
enforcement of the law. Think of
men who have considered themselves
greater than the Government, who
are afraid that the Government will
not be great enough.
~ know why these men are afraid
to have the Chicago ticket elected.
1t is because these great trusts, these
great corporations, these great COM
binations, this aggregated wealth is
enjoying unjust privileges. (Tremen-
dous applause)
"They know that the Attorney Gen
eral, whom l will appoint if elected,
will not stand there to defend the
great corporations when he ought to
enforce the law. Great applause. }
They remind me of the man in court,
the prisoner, who seemed uneasy, and
the Judge assured him that he need
not worry, that he would get justice
IN that court, and he said: Great
heavens Judge, that is what am
afraid Of Laughter.) They say that
we are trying to destroy our institu-
tions.
81 want for very few moments to
call your attention to the present
financial system and then explain to
you what we desire to substitute in
the place of this financial system.
"If our present financial system is
good it ought to be kept. There is
nothing too good for the American
people (Applause), and if this is good
we ought to keep it. Now, is it good ?
That is the question. (Cries of "No.")
"If it is bad, then we ought to
abandon it, because the American
people are good enough to have the
best, my friends. (Applause)
"Now, the present financial system
is based on gold. The present fnan
cial system contemplates the retire
ment of greenbacks and Treasury
notes and the substitution of bank
paper for gold. The present financial
system contemplates the retirement of
all legal tenders.
"The present financial system,
when run to its logical conclusion,
contemplates gold only as the legal
tender money of this country and
bank paper only as the paper money
of this country. The financial policy
under which we are now suffering,
therefore, contemplates condition in
which few men will control the
primary money. National banks will
control the primary money. National
banks will control the paper money,
and the people will have nothing to
say. (Applause.)
II believe this Government has a
right to use its silver dollars just as it
uses its gold dollars. (Applause.) But
our opponents have gone on differ
ent basis and they have taxed the
people of this country to pay interest
of $s6a, 900, 900 of bonds in order to
buy gold. (Applause.) (Cries Of
"Electioneerlng!'D Well, 90 not use
harsh terms, my friends. If you knew
what great restraint it required on my
part to speak within the limits o.
Parliamentary language Laughter anC
applause) then you would understand.
Mr.. Bryan then reiterated his form
er assertions about gold being taker
from the Treasury with which to buy
the bonds, and added =
"And within a short time some o
the very bonds which were sent across
the ocean at I.o41 in order to bring
gold here came back and were palC
for in gold at about I.2o. So tina
more gold went abroad than we go
here. That is hnanciering. Uaughte
and applause.) But this was not thu
worst thing about the Rothschild
contract. That was bad enough, bu
it was not the worst thing. The wors
thing about that contract was that th
Government hired these people to d,
the best they could do to protect tn,
Government. daughter and applause
"We found it better plan tha
that. The Administration paid then
high price to try to get gold to com
to this country. We have got neN
device. We adopt free coinage plat
form and nominate free coinag
candidate and then they bring gol
here mighty quick, daughter and al
plause, loud and long.) Ifthe Chicag
convention does nothing more it Gel
tainly protects the Government an
helps the Treasury for long tim