New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-09-11
MIR. REEDS CLOSING SPEECH
THE FREE-SILVER CRAZE AN OLD DIS
EASE. HE SAYS
But 1T is IN A MII.DER FORM-REAsONs WHY IT
ALWAYS PAYS THE UNITED STATES
TO RE HONEST.

Portland Me. Sept 10.-Thomas B. Reed
closed the campaign in this district at inn
mense meeting il the City Hall this evening
Mr. Reeds voice was i'm excellent form. and ne
held the audience Interested until the end OF
his speech He said in part:
Human nature in the United States Is much
the same from time to time, except that IL
grows steadily better and if you will notice.
think YOU will before | get through Wlti
what have to say that we have IN mucn
milder form than twenty years ago very much
the same character of attack upon the institu
tions of the country. Ge ltlemen with VlVld
Imagination and with certain lack of hxity or
principles invited us many times INTO tne
fOwery paths of dishOnor, and We have never
yet followed them.
Thirty wears ago :he ,,Lestion came up what
should we do with the 'onds which represented
the expenditures we mad made. Ihefe were
those who up among us and declared that IN
asmuch as many people had paid only nall the
real price of the bonds our time of trouhie we
should somehow endeavDr to adjust our currency
so these men would reeve only what they palu.
II was tempting We then not as rlch as
We are now We were staggering under Our
debt Its size seemed To be enormous ana almost
beyond comprehension But the p'"rie Oh ,in,' ,mS
country stood steadfast They said. These men
paid in some form iDr The bonds. but Wheh theS
paid for them this courtry was IN imminent
Of ruin. and. had we lost. Who would nave iepa''i
them for the money which they aicT we diu
not forget that we paid for the risk and that tne
risk undertaken. Those VINO pouSH' .ii' M
bonds of the States upOa the other side oa' r'Sl!
mill. We had "A greater eXainpl" tnat 'lli' ~
fore us The bonds mat carried this infant coun
Try through the War Of the Revolution S'ilp't
sank out OF sight No. we SAID we VII. me- me-
our obligations. We will pay no attention l" any
suggestions to the rDntrary." And TINS country
under the leadership of Grant. passed on 10 PROS
perity. - ,.,or,
| remember another time when was before
an audience like this in this place we had gone g
on in our career Of prosperity from 1913 10 l.'''
enterprises had spread all over the couil'iS,
/ n, az
than were ever built all the world over since tne
beginning Of time. We Outstrpped our own
pace and In 1913 there came crash men we
attempted to get out of trouble and II was
a very serious trouble. because we had cur
rency that had It's foundation in the falth ol the
people i'm the payment by the foNerhIneht'
but unfortunately in the payment some tliie
or other We had every temptation theh 10
listen to the men who said to us: Issue more
greenbacks. let is have larger currency ana
then we will go forward The temptation was
great We were suffering from the slow depre-
citation which resulted from lifting the green
back from 10 cents on "A dollar to lOV cents on
a dollar. 1t would have been a great blessing
to some of us who were carrying debts at the
time if there could have been an issue and
stop. a great comfort to some OF us, but we re-
sisted the temptation. We said: When the
United States says this is dollar and they are
big enough to make it dollar. just that mo-
ment it ought to be dollar. and shall be.
And what reward? 1t was fourteen
wears Of the most magnificent prosperity that
the shone upon. From 1919 to lN?Z
the United States grew in wealth. dignity AMI
honor. say to you that If ever nation could
seq from its own experience ;hat IL pays TO be
honest il is the United States of America.
Now we are faced by the same question in
mildar form because we have said TO you his
world is growing steadily better. Even when
we are threatened with disease. it is in gentle
form. The experience of the world has proven
To us beyond peradventure that the attempt TO
issue Government money every time speru-
lative period has set in and burst means de-
struction and ruin. out of which there is no way
exccDt bankruptcy. Now have got to learn
that it is not wise to lower the currency one
half In order to exc out speculation. thnk
we shall learn II.
NJ Reed then went on 10 show how nation
ought above all things. to keep its credit good,
and how individuals would gain nothing in the
end by paying their debts in cheaper money