The evening bulletin. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1887-1905, 1896-08-22

With the inspiring strains Of that ma
tional song still ringing who can doubt
the issue of this campaigns applause
Stripped of all verbal disguise, it Is an Is
sue of common honesty, an issue between
the honest discharge and the dishonest
Reputation of public and private obliga-
tions. 1t Is "a question as to whether the
powers of this government shall be used
TO protect honest industry or to tempt the
citizen to dishonesty. On this question,
honest men can not differ. 1t is one OF
morals and of justice. 1t involves the OK
istence of social order. 1t is the contest
for civilization itself. A Democratic con-
vention may ronounce the Democratic
faith but the Democracy remains faithful
to Democratic principles.
Democratic leaders may betray con-
vention to the Populists, but they cannot
seduce the footsteps of Democratic voters
from the pathway of honor and justice.
A candidate bearing the mandate of a
Democratic convention may in this hall
open canvass leveled against the founda-
tions of social order, and he beholds the
Democratic masses confronting him or
ganized for defense. Fellow Democrats,
let us not disguise from ourselves the fact
that we bear in this contest a serious, and
grave and solemn duty We must raise
our hands against the nominee of our
party, and we must do 1t to preserve the
future of that party itself. We must OPP
pose IDe nOnllDee Oh UDe CnlCdGO COnNGn-
ton, and we know full well that the sue
cess of our opposition will mean our ex-
clusion from public life, but we will be
consoled and gratiflcd by the reflection
that it will prove that the American peo-
pie cannot be divided into parties on "a
question of simple morals or of common
honesty. We would look in vain through
the speech delivered here one week ago to
find a true statement of the issue involved
in this canvass. Indeed, i believe il is
doubtful if the candidate himself quite
understands the nature of the faith which
he protested.
say this not in criticism of his ability
but in justice to his morality. | believe
that if he, himself, understood the inevita-
BILE consequences of the doctrines which he
breaches that his own hands would be the
very first to tear down the platform on
which he stands. We must all remember
that lurid rhetoric which glowed as fierce
ly in the western skies as that sunlight
which through the past week fOretold the
torrid heat of the ensuing day, and here
upon this platform we find that same rheto-
ric as mild rs insipid as the waters of a
stagnant pool. He is a candidate who was
swept into the nomination by a wave of
popular enthusiasm awakened by appeals
TO prejudice and greed. He is n candidate
who, declaring that this was revolution
airy movement, no sooner found himself
face To face with the American feeling
than he realized that this soil is not pro-
pitious to revolution; that the people of
this country will not change the insitu.
tions which have stood the tests and expe-
riences of century for institutions based
upon the fantastic dreams of Populist agi-
tators; that the American nation will
never consent to substitute for the repub-
lie of Washington, or jefferson and of
Jackson for the republic of an Altgeld,
Tillman or % Bryan.
Whatever change may have come over
his manner as IA candidate, however much
the vchcmence of his eloquence may have
been received, two things for which he
stands remain unaltered On this plat
form he defended the most revolutionary
plank of the Chicago convention in
speeches vehement but not less earnest
than that in which he supported their
adoption. On this platform he defended
the Populistic program of overthrowing
the integrity of the supreme court. Ii
there be any fruit which has grown for
the benefit of all mankind out of the es
Enlistment of our republic, it has been
the demonstration that it is possible by the
organization of an independent tribunal
to safeguard the rights of every citizen
and protect those natural privileges
against any invasion from whatever
source or however powerful might be the
antagOnizing elements.
The very existence Of that power pre-
supposcs the existence of an independent
tribunal, yet we have this Populist CON
vcntiOn, because Populist measure was
condemned rs unconstitutional, propos-
ing, not To amend the constitution in the
ordinary way prescribed by that instru-
mcnt itself, but proposing to hack the
court SO that it will pronounce those laws
to be constitutional which the constitu-
ton itself condemns, u proposal to make
the courts of law Instruments of lawless-
ness; TO violate that sacred pact between
the states on which the security of this
nation rests; to profane the temple
erected for its protection by the hands of
false priests who, though sworn to bent
1t, will be appointed to destroy it.
In the time to which / must confine
myself tonight / can do nothing but ex-
anime that one question which Mr.. Bryan
himself declares TO be the Overshadowing
Issue OF this campaign. l am a little puZ-
zled when read this speech 10 decide Just
what Mr.. Bryan himself imagines will be
the fruit of change in the standard of
value throughout this country. / do not
believe that any man can follow wholly
with the speech; because If he dissents
from one set Of conclusions, he has got to
read but few paragraphs and he will
find another If Mr.. Bryan could show
me that by any means known To heaven
or on earth wages could be increased, l
will be ready TO support him. because
know of no test of prosperity absolutely
infallible except the rate of wages paid to
laborers.
When we come to find how Mr.. Bryan
expects to increase the wages of labor we
find ourselves lost in maze of contradio.
tion. No man can tell huNy, where, or
when the wages of the workingmen are
TO be increased; but any one who exam
ines the scheme can see that the inevita-
BILE tendency, the inevitable CONSEQUENCE
OF debasement in the standard of value
must be reduction in the rate of wages