, 1896-10-05
the dollars he gets from the mint build

the dollars he gets from the mint built
a wall from sea to sea and mountains
high: and you and I cannot take one OF
the shining disks unless WI render the
full equivalent in toll or the result OF
toll. And | want to call the attention
Of my friends in Albany county, as you
have had before no doubt. thai. in the
rising prices of commodities which our
friends the democrats once more
pledge, that the last commodity that
rises to meet the fall of the dollar n
the only commodity the laboring man
has to sell, and that is his labor. CAP
plause.)
POSITION OF PARTIES.
| do not desire to enter upon thu
question as to what would be the result
of the democratic idea of free coinage
without legislation to protect the equal
ity of the metals. We know that IL
could result in but IL thing. and that
is silver monometallism pure and sim
pie. I repeat 1t: 1t could end in bu,
enc thing. and that is silver monomet.
allism. There may be those who desire
that end. doubt 1t; because while true
bimetallism means general prosperity
and equalization of prices. a broader
foundation for our commerce, silver
monometallism means a sinking of the
manhood of the nation that has 1t My
silver democratic friends say. I'VE
mean no such a thing as that" Well,
listen to your high priest at Centralia,
Illinois, the other day. He said in so
many words, THE democratic party
stands as a party of silver monometal-
lism." The republican party, he said,
stands for gold monometallism. He is
right as to the policy of the democratic
party. AS usual, he is wrong as to the
policy and principle of the republican
PARTY. The republican party stands
and I challenge you to find an utter
ance in its platform to the contrary
stands for true bimetallism. Many Of
my republican friends who voted with
me in favor of the free coinage of sill
YER, are astonished when they find from
a careful reading of the St. Louis plat
form that it pronounces more strongly
for silver than any other platform since
its existence. (Applause.) For the first
time the republican party has pledged
itself to work for the restoration of BIZ
| mnta11iSm MANY Of INV inr,rnrntio
friends really believe that the repub,i-
cans at St. Louis declared for a perma,
nent gold standard. Such Is not the
case. They have declared that under
present conditions they are opposed to
the Independent free coinage of silver
by this nation alone. They have de-.
clared for the reconciliation Of silver
with the aid and assistance of the lead
ing commercial nations of the world,
and they have pledged, if the republl,
can party is restored to power, to bring
about and further so far as in them lies,
a conference called for that purpose,
and l want you to remember my
friends, that this is the promise of a
party that makes its promises to keep
them. Now why is that not the better
way? Why should we assume alone, a
burden that Mr.. Bryan himself says 10
an experiment, if by any means we can
shift a portion of the burden to the
shoulders of other nations? | believe
this nation could, under favorable trade
| aNn1ittDr, ,-Io, ,re.r -, -,
ances, under "a protective tariff, wise
in its conception and general and fair
in its application, under reciprocity
agreements with other countries-I say
l believe we could maintain silver coin,
age. But with all those conditions abb
sent and against us, I believe the wreck
and ruin that would be wrought would
be such as to make our present condi,
tbon supremely happy beside that
which would follow such a step. CAD.
plause.)
AN ILLUSTRATION.
1t may be that an illustration could
be given OF the difference between the
two part!os on this proposition. AS an
illustration. l Will give you an incl
dent that will Illustrate the difference
between the parties on all propositions.
Some time before the Chicago ON
vention or the st. Louis convention,
the democratic nominee for the presi-
dency. and Mr.. Mason, had a Joint de-
bate at a Chatauqua meeting in Iowa.
The silver question was the question
under discussion. Each was support
ing his then view of the subject, and
each. as 1t happened, supported the
view afterward taken by the respective
parties in their national conventions;
and a little item In the debate calls to
my mind the cen occurring to me
now. Scene. the United States mint at
Philadelphia, the present democratic
nominee at the door of the mint. There
approaches him q German, laden down
with his wagons full of silver bullion.
Mr.. Bryan says: How do you do sir;