Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1896-09-15

Der of Judges and pack the court to get
Il decision to please them. (ApplauseJ
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 one of the other so that neither
might overshadow or destroy the other:
The Supreme court, the most dignihed
judicial body in the world, was appointed
TO interpret the laws and the cOnstitu-
ton, and when that court pronounced
Il decree ns 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 coRstitution-to amend 1t TO
conform with our views. That is the po-
sition today.
"You are to answer, then, my fellow
citizens, in all the gravity of a great
crisis, whether you will sustain party
who propose to destroy the balance which
our fathers instituted in our system of
government, and whenever a tumultuous
Congress disagrers with the Supreme
court and a subservient President is in
the white house, that the judgment OF
versed by increasing the number of
judges and packing the court with men
who will decide as Congress wants them
to- (Applause.) | cannot eXaggerate the
gravity and the Importance and the dan
ger of this assault upon our constitution
al form of government.
II 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
generation. We needed an experience of
our own, and we have had it. 1t has
been hard lesson, but q very convinc-
ing one. and everybody was in the school
house when it was given him. a panic in
1893 of most extraordinary character has
been succeeded by 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 q 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 does today. (Applause.) Men have
been afraid to go away for 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
tuIlh w no says IL fS " SOou
measure? ca voice: "Nobody."O | don't
believe candidate can be found to say
that it is. Mr.. Cleveland repudiatcd
il. 1t was so bad that he could not
attach his official signature to it, and it
became q law without it, He said il
was full of incongruities and ineauai-
ties. What has been the result of that
measure? 1t has failed TO produce rev.
enue enough, supplemented by our inter-
30. .Aas. H..
There has been an annual deficit APP
preaching S50,000,000 every year, and
the national treasury has been contin-
ualy in n state of embarrassment. Our
manufacturers, left without adequate
protection, have been successfully and
gradually closing up and putting out
their fires. But not only has this pro-
duced such an effect, but 1t has practi-
cally contributed to the financial dcpres-
sion that we arc in. The maintenance
of the gold reserve up to 100000, 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 silver basis if gold is going out
The reserve is generally down and this
fear is greatly increased, but how can
you keep gold reserve of 100000. 600
Wnen you nave iiOt SOt In
the treasury all told? How can you
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, my
friends. this tariff bill has not only con-
tributed, by increasing impOrtations, by
taking away the needful support for our
own manufacturers, bur II has contrib
uted in the way of increasing the silver
scare to bring us into the present condi-
ton of distrust and dismay which now
prevails. (Applause)
"But l do not intend to follow that
question further. / am quite as much
opposed to cheapening the American
am to cheapening our dollars. TAP
plause). am quite as strongly in favor
of keeping days work at home as / am
gold dollars (Applause)
my friends, as a Republican, / am
proud of many things, but can sum up
as the highest satisfaction i have had
in the party and its career that the
prospect of Republican success never did
disturb business. (Applause). In con-
nection with this financial matter, DO we
all realize how important the choice of
a president is? Do 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 to a silver basis? All he
has to do is to let the gold reserve go,
TO pay out silver when men ask for
gold, and we are there already. II is
United 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