The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-07-09

should be done if parity could not be
maintained on the experiment of I6 to
l. All was risk and experiment
The fact could not be ignored of the
great production of silver in this coun-
try Could the American people, even
II inspired by the spirit of '76 make
smut their eyes to the question of pro-
duct1On of metals? I believe" de-
clared Mr.. Hill, that the course for US
10 take is to declare for international
blmetallism and stop there
ASIDE from the silver question Mr.
Hill went on why had this platform
gone into the greenback question. Why
had 1t gone into the question of banks
and bonds? He had hoped that the
councils of wise, calm, cool headed
men would prevail. What was the ad-
vantage, he asked, of putting in the
platform a pledge for the use of paper
currency? Democratic tradition had
always favored hard money. The sen
ator from Arkansas had declared that
the platform said what it meant, and
meant what it said.
SCORES INCOME TAX IDEA.
He challenged any one who was to
follow him to explain what this plank
meant He denounced the declaration
of a policy for the issue of paper money
as suicidal The income tax plank al
so he scathingly criticised. He stood
amazed he said that the followers of
Samuel J. Tilden who all his life had
opposed it should now seek to commit
their party to this ridiculous scheme
and who to do so were forced to con
denim the supreme court of the United
States.
His keen sarcasm cut like a knife and
set his followers to cheering at every
thrust of his keen blade
I WILL" he said, refuse any such
revolutionary step as that. When has
devotion to an income tax become the
test of Democracy" He attacked also
the plank, which he said for the first
time committed the party to opposition
IN tom .Nf net
the policy of the Democratic fathers.
It was foolish and unnecessary. It was
a revolutionary step in party history.
At this time, he proceeded suggestive
", he could not go further into this
platform. which raised questions for
eign to Democracy, questions on which
the party was divided and many of
them the test of Democracy. He cared
nothing for the section from which a
Democrat came, so long as he was a
Democrat He could take him by the
hand. Why then drive out of the party
Democrats who had grown gray in its
service, to make room for those who
had lost their position in the RepubI
can party. He gave grave warning
just before he concluded.
HILLS QUICK RETORT.
''If this convention after declaring
for free silver" he said, nominate any
candidate but one, your Populistic
friends will nominate a ticket and your
free silver friends will Join hands with
them" mo. no, shouted a delegate
All" replied Mr.. Hill quickly who
is there in this convention to speak for
this wing Of the Republican party?''
REPUBLICAN BOITERS HIT
This keen response caused the gold
men to commence cheering. The
demonstra ton was renewed when, with
an inclination of his head toward the
little cOterie of silver boilers from the
St Louis convention grouped on the
platform, he said: I see on this plat
form a number of distinguished gentle
men who are counseling this policy.
They never voted the Democratic ticket
in their lives"
He concluded with plea for the in
tegrity of the party. I'VE want to
build up the Democratic party" he
said, mot tear it down. We love and
honor the principles of Jefferson and
Jackson, who were for hard money. If
we are true to the old faith; if we stand
by the traditional policy of the Demo
cratic saints of the past, we can win;
if we put them aside we are LOST
The gold delegates climbed upon their
chairs and joined the galleries in their
York champion as he descended from
the platform and resumed his seat in
the New York delegation
Senator Villas of Wisconsin, who had
served in the first Cleveland cabinet
as postmaster general, stepped to the
platform when the Hill enthusiasm had
begun to wane. The senator is familiar
to Washington as one of the spOkesmen
He looks like college professor, with
an iron gray beard and glasses, and he
wore today a formal frOck coat, black
string tie, which carried out the like
ness. It was to protest against a pro-
posed revolution in party faith that the
spoke for the minority, he said, and as
Democrat who had always maintain
ed reasonable obedience to a party
mandate, and for a state of unalter-
ing party stability.
''ArdOr will redress no wrongs, fury
will rage vainly against principles of
finance" was one aphOriSm with which
he strove to stem the silver current.
Villas NOT LISTENED TO.
The speech was crowded with aIlit-
erationS. One which the senator coin
ed was an exhortation to purge the
pose to plunder." Tillman and Hill
had held the assembly quiet except for
the intervals when the crowd vented
it's sentiments. Now that they had
played their parts, delegates and spec
tatOrs began to swarm about. Their
attention was caught when he demand
ed: when did robbery by law come
to be a Democratic dOctrine?" The
seizure of half of the debts of j nation
for the debtors differed only in desree
from the whole, he declared. The doc
trines of the platform were the begin
ming of social anarchy, he believed
Somewhere in this country there
may be some Marat," he shouted with
bitter intensity, some Danton, some
ROD6Sp1eII6, DQl you nave IlOL the p6O-
pie who will follow them" and this
thrust brought inarticulate yells from
the galleries.
CHEERS FOR RUSSELL.
The Bay state delegates stood on
their chairs and sent up three ringing
cheers as Villas descended and there
were cries of Russell, Russell; for the
keen, high strung young statesman
three times governor of Massachusetts
was pushing past the knot of supernu-
Ineraries about the platform steps AS
he came into view New York Joined
Massachusetts in cheers and reinforced
the cheer which the Boston men led.
with an old time Harvard yell and
which played across the floor and up
through the galleries. No other man