The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-08-27

real reasons that are behind the gold
standard and to submit those rea-
sons to candid people. When they tell
me free coinage of silver will be good
for them, I say: Now, your chance has
come. For twenty years, according to
their story, they have been legislating
for us at their own expense and I feel
now the time has come to give them
something good in return for all that
we have received from them (Cheers
and Iaughter.) I say our time has
come. they tell US free coinage Of sill
yer would be good for them Well, tell
them now they have got to accept that
blessing and if it hurts US, we will have
to bear 1t with fortitude. a voice;
I'VE connot be any worse.') The ar
gument that my friend suggests that
we cannot be any worse is the argu-
ment that is being considered by the
American people. Our opponents have
prophesied and have Iegislated and az
result of that legislation nothing
good that they promised has come and
evil has followed in the wake of every
act they have inaugurated evil to the
people for whom they professed to act
and good for the people who secured
the legislation. The platform on which
I stand declares against the issuance
of bonds in time of peace and de-
nounces trafficking with syndicates to
purchase their support of the federal
treasury.
That plank was not put in there to
catch the votes of men who belong to
syndicates. We expected they would
oppose our platform, but we believed
for every Democrat who has profited
by the financial policy of the govern
ment and who will desert the party
because of our denunciation of that
policy, we shall receive votes Of ten
honest Republicans who love their
country better than party. We have
not lost faith in the desire of the peo-
pie of this country for good govern
ment and we believe Republicans who
do not want the continuation of our
present financial policy will be as will
ling to leave their party as gold Demo-
Gratis Will be to desert their party in
this campaign. If those few men who
pride themselves on being more truly
business men than the people who
produce the wealth Of the country say
that they must protect their business
by defeating the ticket nominated al
Chicago, we shall appeal to millions Of
business men who will make business
of politics this year and who Will de-
clare that the government Of the peO-
pie, by the people and for the people
shall not perish from the earth. cloud
cheers.) Nc *, I want to suggest two
or three qJts-sions, for you to think
ABOUT. can DllN Suggest .LDGLl.
have not time to enter into elaborate
argument. I suggest these two cues
tons; First, is the gold standard a
good thing? (Shouts of NO, nO.') II
the gold standard is a good thing why
has no political party in the history OF
the United States ever declared for the
gold standard in its platform? Now
that is a question worth thinking
about. My friends, the fact that 40
party in this great nation has ever in a
national platform declared a preference
for the gold standard is complete proof
that the people Of the United States, ir-
respective of party, are opposed to the
gold standard. Cloud cheers)
If the gold standard is q bad thing,
then want to ask another question
and that is why we must submit to it
until some foreign nation comes and
rescues uH from its evils. If this ma
ton is not great enough to legislate for
it's own people on every question what
claim can you make to independent
government. Shouts OF ''None'D. A
nation that controls our financial poll
else is more of an oppreSsOr than a M
ton WE,c stands over US with army
or navy 20 defeat our political rights.
It has been said by others land l re-
peat as my own OpiniOn) I would rath-
er have foreign general in command
of our army; l would rather have q
foreign admiral in command of our
navy than to have the treasury of the
United States run upon the European
plan CApplause). If we had a for
eign general at the head Of our army,
we could in "a hours in any trouble en-
list enough, American citizens to over
power our army with it's foreign gem
eral. (Applause). If we have a foreign
admiral at the head of our navy and a
time should ever come when it injured
US, we could equip a navy that could
conquer our own navy with any foreign
assistance that it might secure
(Cheers). But if you put man al the
head of the treasury department who
believes this nation must bow to the
dictation of some foreign nation and
will submit its financial policy to the
decision of aliens you have man who
exercises a disastrous influence not only
on the WOrkingmen, but on all the peO-
pie Of this land and makes of them
vassals instead of free men and cifi-
zens. When we declare against foreign
interference in domestic affairs of this
nation, we do not give just offense to
any foreign nations. I would despise
an Englishman, or a German or a
Frenchman or citizen of any land who
tried to have his government submit to
the dictatton Of any other country and
I know that every fairninded foreign
er in his own land will but respect us
when we rise in the dignity of citizen
ship and demand the right to govern
ourselves. If bi-metallisTn is a good
thing, how are you going to secure it,
(NOices: vote for it"). Just in one
way, you have got to secure it through
the aid Of those who want it and not
through aid of those who do not wantit
(Cries of That is right'). If you want
bi-metallism, you must act with those
who favor bimetallism and not with
those who oppose it. We believe in the
immediate restoration of bimetallism.
that is in the immediate opening Of our
minis to the free and unlimited coin
age of silver at the present legal ratio
l6 to /; and we do not believe in waiting
for one year, or one month, or one day
or one hour or one moment, to ask
what other nations think about the
proposition. cloud cheers). We be
lieve this policy will maintain the par
ity between gold and silver at the ratio
q n cllnrnln Z L.