Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-06-20

with the minority in apparent defeat
than to be wrong with
The Majority in Apparent Triumph.
We hold that in the great work of So
cial evolution in this country monetary
reforms stand as the first requisite. No
policy, however promising of good re-
suits, can take its place. Continuation
during the next four years of the present
financial system will bring down upon
the American people that cloud of inn
pending evil to avert which it would be
the first thought of statesmen and the
first prayer of patriots Our very instt-
ttions are at stake. Today, with the
rapidly increasing population, with wide-
ly swelling demands, the basis or our
money Is relatively contracting and the
people are passing into servitude all
the more dangerous because 1t is not
physically apparent. The nation itself
is not losing the sturdy courage which
could make it defiant in the face OF In
justice and internal wrong. From the
farmer and the tradesman to the gov
ernment there Is apparent the shrinkage
of giving offense lest the vengeance of
some offended financial power should de-
scend. The business man submits some
portion of judgment and his will and the
nation submits some portion of its inter-
nal right lest some mighty foreign cred
itor shall make destructive demands.
Where will all this end ii the people de-
cline to assert themselves? Where will
1t end If the older parties, in their deter
mination to maintain themselves in pow
er for powers sake alone, shall refuse to
recognize the right and the hope of hu-
manity? This country cannot much
longer exist free and independent against
all the rest of the world, nor can its peo-
pie much longer be free in the noblest
sense of the term If the United States,
debtor nation, shall follow policy die
tated by creditor nations. We produce
| all the necessaries of life. Other nations
consume our product In the race for
existence 1t is a constant struggle be-
tween producer and consumer.
Our Present System of Money
deliberately submits to the desire and
the profit of creditor nations, leaving us
In the mass and as individuals prey to
the gathering and the cheapening daily OF
the old world. AS the debt of creditors
| abroad increases on the masses OF the
nation the price of human production on
the farm and in the workshop Is decreas-
ing rapidly, and with rapidity exacting
more and more toll from our citizenS TO
meet the given demand and holding over
their heads a threat when conhscation TO
meet their obligations will leave them
bare and defenseless. The only remedy
Is to stop falling prices-the deadliest
curse of national life. Prices will never
cease falling under the single gold stand
ard The restoration OF bimetallism by
| this country will double the basis of our
| stock of primary money of the world,
will stop falling prices and steadily efe-
vate them until they will regain thelr
| normal relation to the volume OF debts
and credits in the world Bimetailism
| will help to bring about the great hope
| of every social reformer, every believer
| in the advancement of the race. who real
| ICES that the instability of prices has been
| the deadly foe of our toilers and the
servant of the foreign interest gatherer.
m. I;e... rxril1 hn1r RI
when a certain expenditure of human
| toll will produce a certain financial re-
| suit Who among the great masses or
| our people in the United States but feeiS
| that his lot would be made better, ms
aspiration take new wings, II he could
| know in the performance of his labor
what would be the price of his product?
Is not this purpose worth the attention
of the people as individuals and worth
the attention of political conventions to
| be held in this year, 1896? is not this SO
| great an end that all who believe In the
| possibility of attaining it by the means
| proposed can yield something OF their
| partisanship both in conventions and at
| the polls?
| the remaining conventions will have the
| courage and the generosity to unite for
| this purpose that we have dared to offer
| our views to the people of the United
| States; and because in the past there
| has lacked rallying point for the mass
| es who hold as we do, this belief. we ven
| ture to act, trusting 1t will be received in
| the same spirit of conciliation, conces-
| sion and hope with which we put IL
forth. We have endeavored in plain
| way to set the matter before our FELLOW
| citizens. We invoke the union OF all men
and all parties who believe that the timd
| has come for the triumph of justice. 1t
| is an hour when the people may speak
| for themselves as individuals ana
| through conventions yet to be held 1t
| is the right of every citizen to indicate
| his preference. With this in view we Of
| fer to the forthcoming conventions and
| to the people the name of man for the
| presidency of the United States whose
| life in public and private represents those
| distinguished virtues which adorn to-
| days and the deeds of the earlier time
| of this republic, a return to which virtue
| is required for the prosperity and con-
| tentment of the people and the perpet-
| uity and commanding example OF free
| institutions. That name is
Henry M. Teller,
| a man of the people and for the people.
| He is of no section. His experience and
| service, his devotion to the common JUS
| tice and the common cause of his fellow
| citizens has been as wide as the country.
| We believe that the people of the United
| States have him in their hearts as he
| had their interest in his purpose through
| Ill the WORK Ol All exdlleQ llIc. II Is lOL
merely as the exponent of money reform
| that we present this man to the people.
| 1t is true that he has waged mighty
| war for the restoration of the money of
| the constitution, and his name has been
| identified as that of no other living man
with this great cause. But had his SER
| vices been less conspicuous and less no.
| tced in this direction the people would
! still have recognized in him for other
| labor statesman of the purest type. His
only poverty has been that of purse. In
| all things else-in the generosities of man
! to man, in kindliness of deeds for his
! fellows and in the study and doings of a
mighty career-he has been one of the
most opulent American citizens of any
| age.
| In submitting this name to the people
| we remind them that just a generation
| ago. from the heart Of the boundless west
| and touched by the finger of God, came
| the emancipation. who was powerful in
| the work of deIiverance. BY his wisdom
| was courage providentially directed, mil
| lions set free and the nation kept in its
| holy union. If others shall see his oppor-
| tunity as we see 1t, If our fellow citizens
| shall see this duty as we see it, that SUBJ
| lime history may be repeated and another
I