The Butler weekly times., 1896-07-23

aud place legislative control IN the
hands OF foreign potentates and
powers. (Cheers.l
REPUBLICAN PLATFORM ATTACKED.
I'VE go forth confident that we
shall wiz. Why Because upon the
paramount issue in this campaign
there is not a spot Of ground upon
which the enemy will dare to chal
lenge battle Why, if they tell US
that the gold standard is a good
thing, we point to their platform
and tell them that their platform
pledges the party to get rid Of a
gold standard aud substitute bi,
metallism. applause II the gold
standard is a good thing. why try to
get rid Of it! daughter and ap
plause. Ii the gold standard-and
1 might call your attention to the
fact that some Of the very people
who are in this convention today
and who tell you that we ought to
declare in favor of international bi.
metallism, and thereby declare that
the gold standard is wrong. and
that the principle of bimetallism is
better. these very people, four
months ago were open and avowedly
advocates of the gold standard and
telling US that we could not legis
late two metals together. even with
all the world. Renewed applause
and cheers.
want to suggest this truth, that
if the gold standard is good thing,
We ought to declare in favor of its
retention. and not in favor of aband-
oning it: and if the gold standard is
bad thing, why should we wait un
til some other nations are willing to
help US to let go. (Applause.) Here
is the line of battle. We care not
upon which issue they force the
fight. We are prepared to meet
them on either issue or on both. If
they tell us that the gold standard
| is the standard of civilization, we
We reply to them that the most en-
| lightened of all the nations of the
earth, has never declared for gold
standard, and both the parties this
year are declaring against it. Gap
plause) If the gold STANDARD d i. the
standard Of civilization, why my
friends, should we not have it, So
if they come to meet US on that we
can present the history of our nation.
More than that We can tell them
this, that they will search the pages
of history in vain to find single in
stance in which the common people
of any land have ier declared them
selves in favor Of gold standard.
(Applause.)
They can find where the holders
of fixed investments have. Mr.. Car
Isle said ia 1878 that this was a
struggle between the idle holders OF
idle capital aud the struggling mas.
ses who produce the wealth and pay
taxes Of the country, and, my friends
it is simply question that we shall
decide upon which side shall the
Democratic party fsht7 Upon the
side of the idle holders of idle capi.
tai or upon the side of the strug.
Cling masses? That is the question
that the party must answer first and
then it must be answered by each in,
dividual hereafter.
DEMOCRACY FOR THE MASSES
The sympathies of the Democratic
party as described by the platform
are on the side Of the struggling
masses. who have eyer been the
foundation Of the Democratic party
&Applause.) There ale two idea.
Of government There are those who
believe that il you Just leg;siate Il
) make the we'll to do prosperous, tina
their prosperity will leak through OF
those below. The Democratic ide:
has been that If you legislate t.
make the mass prosperous, Their
prosperity will find its way mp ant
through every class and rest upor
it. applause You come to III
and tell Us that the great cities ar,