The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1896-10-08
STRONG WORDS FOR SILVER.
A GREAT SPEECH.
Nominee Claude K1tch1n's First.

Nominee Claude K1tch1n's FIRST.
On Thursday night of last week Mr..
Claude Kitchin, nominee from Halifax
county for State Senate, addressed the
"Zeb Vance" club in Temperance Hall.
1t was known that this was to be Mr..
Kitchin's first political speech, and a
large crowd of his friends and admir-
ers turned out to hear this eloquent
young champion of free silver. The
hall was filled.
Mr.. A. Mcdowell, president OF the
club, called the meeting to order and
in a few brief remarks introduced Mr..
Kitchin.
The speaker, as he stepped upon the
rostrum and made the first political
bow of his life, looked qnite youthful
and handsome, but before he had spok-
Ell many sentences no one thought OF
his youth but all soon Became deeply
impressed with his profound knowledge
of matters political that engage the at
tention Of the people throughout this
country to-day, and especially the f.
nancial question.
Mr.. Kitchin's opening sentences
were expressive of the occasion that
brought him before SO many of his
friends for the first time In Il political
capacity.
He said "Ladies and gentleman, it
is with pleasure and pride that stand
before YOU for the first time as | do To-
night, in the home of my childhood
and whole life thus far and among peo-
pie whom / Ioye more than any people
on EARTH" Mr. Kltchin said that he
stood before his audience as he did be-
cause the Chicago platform is what it
is.
He said that the Democratic party
has stood for free and unlimited col;'-
age Of silver l6 to for twenty years
It's record shows it except Cleveland 5
congress OF 1898. Secretaries Carlisle,
Smith and Herbert were for free silver
until they received Cabinet appoint
ments and then they changed.
The Democratic party in Congress
voted for silver in 1873, 1877 and 1885.
IN 1890 the Democratic party in Con-
gress registered the largest vote for sill
yer that was ever registered Oh any fl
nancial question. Ransom and Car
Isle stood for silver in the senate. In
the House lip Democrats voted for it
and p against Is, but every Southern
Democrat voted for it.
Mr.. Kitchin said that the Demo-
cratic party's position on silver IN 1890
put it in power.
In 1894 because Cleyeland's admin
'e.retion had swept silver legislation
from the statute books the Democratic
party had in Congress smaller mem
bership than it ever had had before.
Mr.. Kitchin scored a good hit when
he declared in eloquent terms that the
Democratic party is now in unison
with the great and lamented Zeb
Vance. At the name of Vance he was
cheered.
"Dare anyone stand beside the grave
Of Vance," said he, "and say, There
lies a consplrator?' Dare any one
stand beside the grave Of Vance and
say, There lies traitor?' Dare any
one stand beside the grave of Vance
and say, There hes an anarchist 1
an proud to stand by such an anar-
chist as Zeb Vance," In thus sum-
ming up the history of the party Mr.
kitchin SAID, eff the past history of
the party is right we can demand your
vote if 1t is not right, we cannot"
He urged that all would lay aside all
In this campaign and learn
The bare facts and act upon them.
AS to the amount OF gold in use as
coin he said that if the banks in the
cities of of New York and Boston were
to call in their loans 1t would take all
The gold in the United States and En-
gland to pay those loans, and then
here would be a deficit of a hundred
million dollars. 1t the mortgages on
,he farms in the United States had to
De paid In gold it would take all the
gold in the world to pay them, and 1t
would lack five hundred million dollars
being enough to pay them. All the
lebts in the United States that are
payable in gold would take four times
IS much as every grain of gold that
has been dug from the earth in four
hundred years, and then lack more
gold than Is in circulation in all the