The herald., 1896-09-09
those assembled there turned the,r

those assembled there turned their
backs upon the party with which they
had been associated. know something
of the strength of party ties and be-
cause was in a position where looked
forward to possibility of like action on
my own part, l can appreciate the depth
OF the conviction that led them to place
the interests of their country above the
welfare of their party. More than a
year ago, when we were engaged in
struggle to bring the Democratic party
to an endorsement of free coinage, the
question was put to me whether in case
of failure I would support the Demo-
cratic nominee if he were gold stand
ard advocate running upon gold
standard platform. I never believed
that such action was probable In the
Democratic party then, but when thos,
who questioned me were not content
with probabilities and asked again
whether, in that event, would support
the nominee, I said, as you will remem-
ber, that under no circumstances would
my vote be given to a man who would.
in the executive office, use his influence
to fasten the gold standard upon the
American people. l stood where the
members of that silver convention stood
and like them would rather have the ap-
proval of my conscience than the appro-
val of all the world.
My convictions upon this subject are
not shallow convictions I may be in
error-none of us can claim infailibility
but l believe the gold standard is a
conspiracy against the human race.
ioin tba
whose purpose it is to facten that upon
the American people than to enlist in an
army that was marching to attack my
home and destroy my family. I say
therefore that 1 can appreciate the
spirit which animated those who have
just rendered me this second nomina-
tion. I pledge them that IL elected, they
shall never have cause to accuse me of
being false to that platform. My friends,
when I declared that ! would not sup
port a gold standard candidate 1 was
standing upon the record of the Demo-
cratic party. I was defending it's prin-
ciples as well as the interests of the
country at large. And when the Repub-
licans who assembled in the silver con-
venton at st. Louis refused to worship
set up. they were defending the history
of the Republican party. The Republic
can platform in 1883 denounced theDen-
ocratic administration for having at
tempted to degrade silver. And in 1891
on the 18th day of February, in Memoir
ial hall at Toledo at the Lincoln day
banquet, the present candidate for pres
ident upon the Republican ticket used
the words which l shall now read to
you. l found those words published in
Toledo paper ard they have been pub
lished SO long without correction that we
may safely assume that they We're cor
rectly reported. If he hereafter denies
the correctness of this report. I shall
hasten to do him justice by retracting
these words-these are the words which
he is said to have used
During all of Grover Cleveland's
years at the head of the government he
was dishonoring one of our precious
metals, one of our own great products,
discrediting silver and enhancing the
price of gold. He endeavored even be-
fore his Inauguration to office to stop
the coinage of silver dollars and after
wards, and to the end of his adminis-