The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1896-10-14
FIRST MEETING OF THE CONGRESS.
SIGNAL CANDIDATES.
They Talk to the People of Albany on
the Issues of the Day. Crowd
Good HUNDRED, and Both
Sides Pleased With It's
Respective Cham
piOn.

nees for congress, held the first of the
series of joint debates that have been
agreed upon by them in Albany Friday
night From the Herald the following
account of the discussion is taken:
The crowd was good humored and
gave respectful attention to both speak
ers. Their sallies of wit were thorough
ly enjoyed, and their eloquent utterances
literally applauded. The larger part of
the crowd Vas certainly with judge
Griggs, though Mr.. Sibley bad a good
sprinkling of friends in the audience.
MR.. sIBLEY OPENS.
Mr. Sibley opened the ball with a
statement of the terms of the debate,
winch were that he should open in one
hour and fifteen minutes; Judge Griggs
should then have one hour and half
and he would close in fifteen minutes
He then pitched into the issues of the
day with the air of man who had the
entire subject mastered and wanted to
tell it to people who were thirsting af
ter knowledge.
The financial question was recognized
as the leading issue, and he declared
himself in favor of gold and silver and
paper money in sufficient quantities to
facilitate he exchange of the products
or labor, both physical and mental. The
1Tee coinage of silver is simply a step in
the right direction, not enough in itself
TO relieve the people. Those who op-
pose this are men who have money to
lend, and 1t is to their interest TO have
money scarce.
he gave very fair historical review of
the work of congress- in creating the sill
yer and gold standards of value and of
financial legislation generally by the
United States government.
Much of his argument was to show
that the stamp of the government gave
to silver and gold its money power and |
that the fat of the government would |
make anything that it stamped and call |
cd dollar worth 100 cents. To his |
query, If any man in the audience had |
ever seen dollar that was stamped bv |
the government that wouldn't paw 100 |
cents worth of debts, Judge kober,s |
replied that the ''trade dollar" had not
possessed that virtue The cheering |
that greeted this statement by Judge |
Roberts seemed to discomfort The SD eak- |
Ell for an instant, but he quickly rallied |
and explained that the reason The trade |
dollar would not do this was that it was !
not full legal tender
He argued to show hat the GOLD |
standard was in the interest of England. |
because that country owned the gold |
mines Of the world and Nth their prod |
uct as the sole money OF redemption |
she could buy the products of American |
labor at cheaper price than f silver |
were also recognized as as a standard |
money metal.
He cOntended that free coinage would |
stimulate American industry and help to
make the country prosperous.
The question of who should issue pa
per money, he said, was a point upon
which himself and Judge Griggs differ
ed. The judge wanted il done by state
banks, in which he differed from his
pMty's platform; he wanted it issued by
the general government, and not by
either state Or national banks.
The money could be distributed among
the people through the legitimate ex
penses of the government.
The Tom Reed congress had expended
billion of dollars, and the Charley Crisp
congress had expended even more than
that. (CIries of "hurrah TOR Charley.m
ment should issue greenbacks with full
legal tender qualities to meet it's ex-
penses, and if it was desired to still keep
up the tariff duties the income derived
from that source should be used to pay
off the bonds now outstanding
The only difference between the demo
cratic and republican party in 1892 was
the tariff question. The populists alone
had declared for the free coinage of sill
yer. If the people now favored that
policy they should support the uopulst
party which had pressed the question to
the front.
JeffersoA and Jackson and Lincoln
had each been leader of third party,
and Tom Watson was now the leader of
another. He paid high tribute to Wat
son, and declared the populsts could
not support Sewall because he does not
represent the principles of the platform
upon which lie was nominated. (Mr.
watson S name was literally cheered.)
He sad when the democrats met in
Chicago they first SAID prayer, then
stole tie populist Platform. The popu-
lists inESt Louis had first said prayer,
then stole the democratic presidential
candidate.
He said Bryan could be elected with
the Id OF the populists, but not without
1t, and argued that The democrats should
support Watson in return Of populist
support of Bryan.
Mr.. Sibley received liberal round of
applause when he finished speaking.
JUDGE GRIGGs TAKES A HAND.
When Judge Griggs assembled the
speakers stand he was greeted with
cheers.
He began by saying that the populistic
idea of government seemed to be that il