The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-09-05
CAUSE OF QUE TROUBLE.
Mr.. c. 5. Thomas Tells 20 rtland Dem.
0crats About 1t.

Free Silver Orat or From tho West, |
VINO Gave Very Temperate and. Able
Talk ON His Side of the Question.
The Popocratic meeting in City hall
last evening was quite largely attended
and was more than q political meeting
and less like watch meeting than the
previous rally Of this party. There were
not many Ut the old misrepresentation
Democrats on the platform. Ex-Alder-
man Brackett, Major r. P. Beals, Wyer
Greene, Cnpt. Charles H. Chase and one
or two others were lonesome representa-
tives Of the united brotherhood who
graced the platform.
Col. John y. Cobb. who presided, was
frank enough to ray that he knew very
little about the silver question; while
the orator Of the evening, Mr.. Thomas,
knew enough Of his subject to speak
without taking refuge every i've min.
utes insa shriek about the "Crime of
1879" He made an ADLER presentation
Of the case OF the silver mine owners
than has been made BY the aosher Popo-
cratic speakers who have come this
way. sa #
A mighty. though brief shout rsnt the
air al Col. John O. Cobb was intro
duoed rs presiding officer by Chairman
Collins If the city committee. Col. Ooub
said hs had some scruplss about making
a speech. He was in ths nrst place I'M
prepared, and In the second place no had
arranged with the city committee NOT to
make speech. He would say, however.
that something was the matter with this
country. And there Was much distur-
banoe Ia this State Of Maine. Fhe Re-
publicans had their ablsst speakers here;
and the great ovsrshadowing question
they and all others were discussing.
Col Cobb said that no did not under.
stand the qusstion thoroughly. And
that:was no disoredit, for MIR. Read had
said at Old Orchard that he did not I'M
derstand 1t thoroughly, and he had been
70 Congress 30 years..
Col. Cobb said he presumed that there
were Republicans as we'll a. Denaoorats
present.
"Yss, nnd an old Green backsr. too,'
chimed in Uncls Joe Holden frsm the
very front row.
"Yes, and Greenba oksrs. repeated Col.
Cobb. ;" smilingly approvingly on the
sage Of Otisfeld.
The Col. Cobb. went on to make the
point that the Republicans and Demo-
Gratis alike believed In bi-metallism; but
the Republicans wanted to wait for In
ternational cooperation. while the Dem
ocrats believed we could 60 1t alone.
(Applauss.) The great question was
whether this country was hig enough to
try this thing alone. Col. Cobb said he
did not know whether we could or not.
We had never tried II, and 1t was great
question. 1t was said that We ruined
on this continent seven lights Of all the
silver Of the world g production, and 1t
was natural that the people over there
should wish to get the product Ms cheap
~ an possibly.
Col. Cobb then introd uced Mr.. 9. 8.
Thomas Of Colorado whom be spoke of In
very fattoring terms. mt. Thomas said
he was embarrassed BY the compliments
of his Introduction, ana did not feel SO
much at ease AZ he did once In Colorado,
when the chairman introduced him as
follows: Ladies' and gentlemen: With
qualified pleasure l introduce to you
Mr.. G.. S. Thomas. I am glad to say that
hi 10 not half 20 mean a. he looks"
(Lnughter.)
Mr.. Thomas said he considered the
silver question as important to this gem
carlton az the QUESTION of slnvery in
1860. Mr.. Balfour, tho English statesman
| had said that fall in prices, oooasionsd
BY contraction Of the currency. a. the
most benumbing influence that could
fall upon people. Maine's great states-
man. James d. Blaine, (applauss) said
that the establishments Of the gold
standard would mean widespread
calamity.
The speaker said that international
bimetallism was in his opinion bye-and-
bye metallisin. Some had said that an
international bi mstallist as one who was
silver IMAM In Denver and i GOLD man
In New York.
II had been predicted at the Brussol
conference Of 1899 that unless something
should be done for silver q widespread
panic would follow. This panic had al
ready come.
According to atatistics s100 was the
average yearly income Of each member
Of the American farmers family. Upon
this sum taxes. clothing. etc., as we'll hs
food, must be paid for land on what WAS
left the farmer could not riot In album
Dance (Laughter.)
In 1895, according to J. Sterling Nor
ton, an eminent gold Democrat, the farms
Of the United States " ere operated at
loss of $500 per acre. Unless the far MGR
could get higher prices, Bankruptcy
stared him in the face And with that
industry rroatrated the glory of Ameriba