Evening star., 1896-10-24
DANIEL WEBSTER'S WORDS
A Speech by the Great Orator Applicable
to Present Conditions.
How He Inveighed Agafnst Unpatri.
ottc Efforts to Array Glass
Against Glass.

|
application to the present situation of a
speech delivered by Daniel Webster over
sixty years ago. during a discussion in
Congress Of the currency question. The
debate was on the policy to be followed by
the government respecting the withdrawal
OF the public deposits from the Bank of
the United States. Mr.. Burke SAYS that
| Mr.. Webster's words Sin their profound
| soleninity and prophetic spirit, as il were,
| may be regarded as voice from the
| tomb" He quotes Mr.. Websters intro
ductory and concluding remarks as fol-
| lows:
Webster's Speech.
| SIR agree with those who think there
Is severe pressure in the money marxet
and very serious embarrassment In all
| branches OF industry. 1 think this ia not
local. out general; at least over every part
Oh the country where the cause has vet
pesun to operate. and sure to become not
| ohiy general, but universal as the operation
| OF the cause shall spread
| II evidence be wanting in addition to all
told US by those who know, the high rate
OF interest-now at II per cent or higher
where 1t hardly brought 6 per cent last
| September; the depression of all stocks
| some ~. some 20. some 30 per cent: the
l
abundantly sufficient to show the existence
of pressure!
| But. sir, labor. the most extensive of all
| mtefests-American manual labor-feels or
| VIII IeeI, the shock more sensibly far more
sensibly, than capital or property of any
| kiho! PUBLIC works have peen stopped or
| must stop! Great private underta takines
| employing many hands have ceased, and
! others must cease. A great lowering of
me rates or wages. as well as depression
OF property, is the inevitable consequence
| OF causes now in full operation!" .
As to the concluding paragraphs of the
speech, which i am about to represent, l
desire to remark, Incidentally that they
| nave Deen quoted time and again." but
never with such intensified reasons for
| their reiteration as exist at this very mo-
| ment:
| Sir! There is another subject on which
| wish to raise my voice. There is a topic
| which l perceive Is to become the general
| war-cry OF party, on which take the lib
| erty TO warn the country against delusion.
Sir. the cry is raised that this is question
| between the poor and the rich!
/ Il know sir, it has been proclaimed that
| one thing was certain, that there was al
| ways hatred On the part Of the poor to-
ward the rich. and that this hatred would
down Of the bank.
| Sir. will not be silent at the threat Of
| such detestable fraud on public opinion.
II but ten men. or one man in the nation
against this attempted imposition.
| Mr.. President, this is an eventful mo-
| ment. On the great questions which oc-
| cupy us. we all look for some decisive
| movement of public opinion, to be intelli-
| gent and unbiased the true manifestation
| Of the public will.
| Il desire to prepare the country for an
other appeal. which 1 perceive is about to
| be made to popular prejudice; another at
| tempt to obscure all distinct views of public
| good; all patriotism and all enlightened
| self-interest, by loud cries against false
| danger, and exciting one class against an
| other. l am not mistaken in the omen.
| see the magazine whence the weapons of
this warfare are to be drawn. 1 hear al
| ready the hammering Of arms preparatory
to the combat. They may be such arms,
I perhaps, as reason and justice and honest
| patriotism cannot resist.
Every effort at resistance may be feeble
| and powerless. but for one, shall make an
| effort, to be begun now, and to be carried
on and continued with untiring zeal till the
| end of the contest.
Sir, see in those vehicles which carry to
| the people sentiments from high places
| plain declarations that the present contro-
| versy is but strife between enc part Of the
| community and another! I hear 1t boasted
as the unfailing security: the solid ground
| never to be shaken-on which recent meas
ures rest; that the poor, naturally, hate
| the rich.
1 know that under the cover Of the roofs
| of the Capitol, within the last twenty-four
| hours, among men sent here to devise
| means for the public safety, and the public
good, it has been vaunted forth as matter
| of boast and triumph that one cause exist.
ed powerful enough to support everything
and defend everything, and that was "the
| natural hatred of the poor to the RICH"
| Sir! pronounce the author of such senti-
ments to be guilty OF attempting q detest-
able fraud on the community; a double
| fraud; fraud to cheat men out Of their
property and out OF the earnings Of their
l mt nF fhatv
| understandings.
The natural hatred of the poor 20 richf
Sir! II shall only be when am drawn to
| the verge OF oblivion; when snail cease to
| nave respect or affection for anything on
earth. that l will believe the people of tn.
United States capable Of being deluded
ca1oied and driven about In herds by such
| abominable frauds as this!
II they sink to that point; IL they So far
cease to be men, thinking men, intelligent
men, as to yield to such pretenses and
ciamor. they will be slaves already: slave,
10 tnelr own passions. slaves to the fraud
ana knaVery of pretended friends They
VIII deserve to be blotted out Of all records
| of freedom. '
They ought not to dishonor the cause Of
sen-soVernment by attempting any longer
20 exercise 1t. They ought to keep their un-
| worthy hands of from the cause of replh-
| lcan liberty. IL they are capable of being
! the victims OF articles SO shallow of tricks
80 slale. 80 tnreadbare. so often practioed,
| SO much worn out, on serfs and slaves
The natural hatred of the poor against
the rich!
The danger Of moneyed aristocracy-
| power as great and dangerous as that
| resisted by the revolution; a call to a new
| declaration Of independenceV'
Sir, admonish the people against ont
| cries like these! 1 admonish every indus
tr1ous laborer In the country to be on his
| guard against such delusion. 1 tell him the
| attempt to play off his passions against his
| interests and to prevail en- him in the name
| or liberty to destroy all the fruits of liberty
| In the name Of patriotism; to injure and
| affifct HIS country, and in the name of his
| own Independence to destroy that very in
| dependence and make him q beggar and a
| slave!
| Has he dollar?
He is advised to that which will DESTROY
half it's value!
| Has he hands to labor?
Let him rather fold them and sit stiu
than be pushed on by fraud and artifice to
| support measures which will render his
| labor useless and hopeless!
Sir. the very man. Of all others, who
| has the deepest interest in a sound cur
reRcy. and suffers the most from mtschiey-
Gus legislation In money matters Is the
| man who earns his daily bread by his daily
| toll
deprecated currency, sudden changes
| OF prices, paper money, falling between
| morning and noon, and falling still lower
1 h0f frpynn md ,i<yI,f