The herald., 1896-07-17

make its own laws for its own people?
| (Wild applause, and cries Of Hit them
again!")
In speaking with emphasis upon the
subject, beg of you not to think that
we who believe in the free coinage of
silver at 16 to 1 lack charity for those
who died with u.s. 1t is not campaign
! In which we should use bitter words.
have every respect for the opinion of
| those who differ from us. There are
men, there are great men, there are good
men who do not agree to the restora-
tion of silver. Let us not speak of them
in terms of denunciation. Aye, my
| friends. my heart is sad because of the
news received this afternoon that one
of the illustrious of the Democrats of
the east who differed from us honestly
upon this great question, has suddenly
passed away. and know that when 1
| announce to this great audience that ex-
Governor William f. Russell was this
| afternoon suddenly touched by the fin
ger of death, you will agree with me
in leaping across the differences that
separate us. and bowling with reverence
| and respect over his lifeless body. Let
us not speak harshly of those who differ
with us. Let us remember that they,
too, are attempting to serve their coun-
try according to their Judgment, but let
this be fight of principles. not of men.
Let 1t be a contest, struggle, If you
VIII, over a great issue, and not bitter
warfare between contending persons.
But, my friends. while we have all
charity for those who differ from us, and
while we concede to them the right to
wage this war as best they can and by
every honoroble means secure that
legislation they think to be best, 1 beg
to impress upon you that you have an
equal right with the people of any Sec
tion of this land, to make your influence
felt in dealing with the destinies of this
| republic. We have our homes and our
families to consider and they have none
to protect them but us, and if we fail in
our duty their interests must be neg
lected. l believe to the very bottom of
my heart, and the belief touches every
| fibre of my being, that until we restore
silver to its equal place by the side of
gold, to the place it occupied for so
many years, so many centuries and so
many ages, there can be no lasting pros
perity brought back to the homes of
those who toll. Deafening applause.)
They tell us that they want conf
dence restored. We reply that conf
dence must have a substantial basis
upon which to rest. Great applause)
AND that so long as you legslate value
out of property there is nothing substan-
tial upon which confidence can rest.
(Applause.) If they tell us they want an
honest dollar, we tell them that we vie
with them in our desire for an honest
dollar, but when we attempt to define
an honest dollar we beg them to give us
dollar which is as kind to the man who
produces wealth as to the man who
holds fixed investments, a dollar that
smiles upon man who owes debt lust
as much as it does upon the man who
holds mortgage. (Great applause)
Il am not treading in new paths nor
trespassing upon dangerous grounds
when 1 tell you that a dollar that rises
in value is dangerous dollar; a dollar
which reaps where it does not SOW.
which gives to it's possessor an unearned
increment, which is taken out of the
sweat and blood of those who toll. and if
man who owns a dollar desires that
sort ofdollar, he forgets the equalities
of the case. There is no reason why the
producers of wealth should bow down
and worship a dollar destroying them
and their chances for existence
But I want to appeal to you to study
this question for yourselves. 1 want
to suggest two things for you to think
about. They tell you that the gold stand
ard Is the standard of civiliza ton. If
they tell you that, let me suggest an an
swer that is complete. If the gold stand
ard is the standard of civilization, why
is it that the United States, the leader
in the civilization of the world, has
never declared for the gold standard?
(Great cheering and continued ap-
plause.) If the gold standard is the
standard of civilization why is it that
no national party in the history of the
United States has ever declared that the
gold standard is a good thing? Cap
plause.
A voice: "The Republican party did"
Mr.. Bryan: you say the Republican
party? No. it did not; the Republican
party declared that the gold standard
should be maintained until something
could be substituted for it. (Great ap-
plause) Then whatwas that something?
1t was bimetallism, and they pledged
themselves to get rid of the gold stand
ard and substitute bmetallism as bet
ter thing than the gold standard (Ap-
plause and laughter)
III the gold standard is good thing
why should we try to get rid of it?
daughter and applause.) If it is a bad
thing why should we keep it for sin
gle moment? applause and cries of
Good, good; God bless you, Bryan.O
If, my friends, they dare upon any
stump, upon any platform, or in any
state TO advocate the gold standard as
good thing, we point to the Republican
platform as conclusive evidence that the
principle of bimetallsm is better than
the principle involved in the gold stand
ard. And if they admit that the double
standard is better than a single stand
ard, a single gold standard, and tell us
that this nation is unable to sustain it
without the aid of and consent of other
nations, we hurl back defiance at them
and tell them that this nation is great
enough to legislate for its own people
without waiting for the aid or consent
of any other nation on earth. ((Cheers
and applause.) Which course will they
take? They dare not take either course.
They dare not meet the issue on the