The Columbus journal., 1896-09-16

Der of judges and pack the court to get
a decision to please them. (Applause.)
MY friends. our fathers who framed
this government divided its great pow
ers between three great departments
the legislative, executive and the judicial.
1t sought to make these independent,
the n of the other. SO that neither
might overshadow or destroy the other.
| The Supreme court. the most dignifed
| judicial body in the world, was appointed
to interpret the laws and the cOnstitu-
ton. II when that court pronounced
Il decree as to the powers of Congress
or as to any other constitutional ques-
ton, there is but one right method if We
disagree. and that is the method pointed
out by the constitutional amend it to
conform with our views. That is the pO-
sition today.
"You are to answer. then, my fellow
citizens. in all the gravity Of Il great
crisis. whether you will sustain a party
who propose to destroy the balance which
our fathers instituted in our system of
government. and whenever a tumultuOus
Congress disagrees with the Supreme
court and Il SUbservlent President IS in
the white house. that the judgment of
the court shall be recOnsidered and re-
verscd by increasing h number of
Judges and packing the our with men
who will decide as Congress wants them
TO-. (Applause.) l cannOt exaggerate the
gravity and the importance and the dan
ger of this assault upon our constitution
al form of government.
Il DO not intend to spend any time in
the discussion of the tariff question. That
debate has been won, and need not be
prOtracted. 1t might run on eternally
upon theoretical lines. We had had some
experiences, but they were historical and
remote. and not very instructive to this
--~o-~ Nv ,,oolnl -o o--o-:r-~ 20
our own. n We have had it. 1t has
been a hard lesson, but a very c~Onvinc-
ing one. and everybody was in the school
house when it was given him. A panic in
1888 of most extraordinary character has
been succeeded by a gradual drying up,
less and less, until universal business dis
traction and anxiety prevails over all of
our community. / do not believe there
has been a time, except, perhaps, in the
very heat of some active panic, when
universal fear and anxiety and watchful-
ness, even to the point of desperation,
has characterized this great metropolis
as it docs today. (Applause.) Men have
been afraid to go away for 4 vacation.
They have felt that they must every day
IN this burning heat come to the city and
watch their business. That is the situa-
ton.
What has brought it about? Gentle
men. who is there to defend the Wilson
tariff bill? Who says it is 4 good tariff
measure: a voice: "Nobody.'D I don't
believe Z candidate can be found to say
that it is. Mr.. Cleveland %repudiated
it. 1t was SO bad that he could not
attach his official signature to it, and it
became a law without it. He said it
was full of incOngruities and inequali-
ties. What has been the result of that
measure: 1t has failed to produce rev.
enue enough. supplemented by our inter-
nal taxes. to maintain the government.
There has been an annual deficit an
preaching S5O,OOO,OOO every year, and
the national treasury has been contin- !
ually ip q stste 9f emharrassment. Our
manufacturers. left without adequate
protection, have been successfully and |
gradually closing up and putting out |
their fires. But not only has this nro-
duced such an effect. but it has practi-
cally contributed to the financial depres-
sion that we are in The maintenance |
of the gold reserve up to 500, OOO, 600
by the government for the redemption |
of our notes was essential to confidence
in the stability of our finances. When
the government reserve runs down peo- |
pie begin at once to say: We may come
to a silver basis if gold is going out
The reserve is generally down and this |
fear is greatly increased, but how can
you keep q gold reserve of 500. GOO, 600 |
when you have not got 500, OOO.O 600 in
the treasury all told? How can Won |
maintain this gold reserve for redemp-
ton Of notes when you have an annual
and continuous deficit and your income |
not equaling your deficit? So that, nv |
friends. this tariff bill has not only con-
tributed, by increasing importations. BY |
taking away the needful support for our
" manufacturers, but It has contrib |
in the way Of increasing the silver
scare to bring us into the present condi- |
ton Of distrust and dismay which now |
prevails. (A~pplause.)
But I do not intend to follow that
question further. l am quite as rluch
opposed to c~heapening the American
am to cheapening our dollars. ZAP
plause}. l am quite as strongly in favor
Of keeping days work at home as I am
gold dollars. (Applausel.
MY friends. as q Republican, I am
proud of many things. but l can sum up
as the highest satisfaction l have had
in the party and its career that the
business. (Applause). In con-
with this financial matter. do we
all realize how important the choice of
4 president is? Dc you know that. as
the law is now. without the passage of
any free coinage of silver at all. it is
IN the power OF the PRESIDENT OF the
United States to bring the business of |
the country 10 a silver basis: All he
has 10 do is TO let the gold reserve go.
TO pay out silver when men ask for
gold. and We are there already. 1t is
only because the presidents of the
States that we have had. and the
one We have now. have regarded it
under the law as his public duty to
maintain the gold basis, maintaining