Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1896-07-22


government justly upon the backs OF
the people. 1 am in favor OF an income
tax. When I find man who Is not
willing to pay his share of the burden
of the government which protects him.
l find man who is unworthy to ENJOY
the blessings of government like ours.
He says that we are opposing the
national bank currency. 1t is true. Ii
you will read what Thomas Benton
said you will find that he said that in
searching history he could find but one
parallel to Anorew Jackson. That
was Cicero, who destroyed the conspir
acy of CatiliEe to save Rome He dld
for Rome what Jnckson did when he
destroyed the bank conspiracy and
saved America.
I'VE saw in our platform that we be
lieve the right to coin money and issue
money is function of government. We
believe it. We believe it is part OF
sovereignty and can no more with
safety be delegated to private lndl-
viiuals than we could afford to dele
gate to private individuals the power
= to make penal statutes or levy laws Tor
taxation.
.Mr. Jefferson, who was once regard
ed as good democratic authority, seems
to have q different opinion from the
gentleman who addressed US on the
part of the minority
..Those who arr. opposed To this prop
position tell us that the issue OF paper
money is a function of the bank, and
that the government ought to go out
of the banking business. l stand with
Jefferson rather than with them in
holding. as he did that the issue OF
money is a function of the government,
and that the banks ought to go out OF
| the government business.
TENURE OF OFFICE.
| "They complain about that plank
which declares against the life tenure
| in office. They have tried to strain it
to mean that which it does not mean
What we oppose in that plank is the
| life tennre that is being built at Wash
ington, which excludes from participa
ton in the benefits the humber mem
bers of our society. | cannot dwell on
| this longer in my limited time.
''Let me call attention to two or three
great things. The gentleman from
New York says that he will propose an
amendment providing that this change
in our law shall not affect contracts al.
ready made. Let me remind him that
! there is no intention of affecting those
contracts which, according to the pres
ent laws, are made payable in gold
But if he means to say that we cannot
change our monetary system without
protecting those who have loaned
money before the change was made,
want to ask him where, in law or in
morals, he can find authority for not
protecting the debtors when the act Of
1873 was passed, when he now insists
that we must protect the creditor.
HE says he also wants to amend this
law and provide that if we fail to
maintain a parity within a year we
will then suspend the coinage of silver
We reply that when we advocate a
thing which we believe will be success
full, we are not compelled to raise a
doubt as to our own sincerity by try
ing to show what we will do if we can
i QUESTION OF PARITY.
Il ask him, if he will apply his logic
to us, why he does not apply it to him
self. He says that he wants this coun
try to try to secure an international
agreement. Why doesn't ne tell us
what he is going to do if they fail to
secure an international agreement
,, There is more reason for him to dc
that than for US to fail to maintain the
parity. They have tried for thirty
years-for thirty years-tO secure an
international agreement, and those
who are waiting for it most patiently
don't want it at all
Now, my friends, let me come to
the great paramount issue. If they
ask US here why it is that we say more
on the money question than we say
upon the tariff question, | reply that
| r1rofootinv hoe S1aip ifc fhnnCu n Ia
the gold standard has slain its tens Of
thousands. If they ask us why we
did not embody all these things in our
platform which we believe, we reply to
them that when we have restored the
money of the constitution, all Other
necessary reforms will be possible, and
, that until that is done there is no re
form that can be accomplished.
CHANGED IN THREE MONTHS.
"Why is it that within three months
such a change has come over the senti
ments of this country? Three months
ago, when it was confidently asserted
that those who believe in the golC
standard would frame our platform
and nominate another candidate, eyer
the advocates of the gold standard die
not think that We could elect a Presi
dent, but they had good reason for thu
!, suspicion, because there is scarcely q
!, State here today asking the GOLD
: standard that is not within the ab
solute control OF the republican party
But note the change. Mr.. Mcnin
!, ley was nominated at st. Louis on ;
platform that declared for the main
I tenance of the gold standard until i
should be changed into b:metalism b!
an international agreement. Mr.. Nc
, ,rla ho nnnnlar wa,
among the republicans, and every bod.
: three months age in the republican
: party prophesied his election.
IL "How is it to day? Why, that mai
: who used to boast that he looked lik
? Napoleon-that man shoulders to-da
when he thinks tina he was nominal e,
on the anniversary of the battle O
. Waterloo. Not only that, but as h
listens he can hear with eyer increas
ing distinctness the sound of the wave
!, , as they beat upon the lonely shores O
> st. Helena.
"Why this change? All, my friends
is not the change evident to any on
. who will look at the NATTER 1t is u
private character. however pure; n
personal popularity. however grea
! that can protect from the avenein
: wrath of an indignant people the ma
:. who will either declare that he is /
= favor of fastening the gold standar
: upon this people, or who is willing t
: surrender the right of self governmen
e and place legislative control in tn
= hands of foreign potentates and Pow
= ers.
. CONFIDENT OF SUCCESS.
I'VE go forth confident that we sha
win. Why? Because upon the pari
e mount issue in this campaign there
IS not spot OF ground upon which tn
enemy will dare to challenge battle
If Why, if they tell us that the gol
/ standard is a good thing, we point t
n their platform and tell them that the
II platform pledges the party to get ri
e of a gold standard and substitut
!, bimetallisln. If the gold standard is
good thing. why try to get rid of il?
20 II might call your attention. to iii
; fact that some of the very people wh
are in this Convention to day, an
Is who tell you that we ought to declar
J. in favor of international bimetallisn
q and thereby declare that the gol
D. standard is wrong and the principle {
Is himptallism ia hattor-theSe very ne,