The record-union., 1896-07-10

honesty Of those who differed with him.
He had always treated the free coinage
men respectfully and would do so TO-
day. He did not believe they could ig-
more the financial system. 1t fiattered
American pride to say this nation was
big enough to stand alone. But if we
carried this out to it's legitimate con-
clusion we might as well do away with
all international commercial treaties
He further thought it unwise to de-
pend upon a single standard. The plat
form should have stopped at demand
ing the reconciliation of silver. IN
stead of that, the platform made the
threat that Democratic loyalty hangs
upon the single ratio of 16 to !. He saw
before him distinguished free coinage
Senators who had introduced bills ad-
vocating other ratios. The platform
said the gold policy was the policy of
England. 1t forgot to say that there
was a French policy also, German pol
icy, Spanish policy-that in fact. It
was the policy of the world as repre-
sented by the States of the Latin Union.
He took it for granted that this con-
yentiOn was in favor of maintaining
the silver dollar ON parity with every
word about this Everything was
risked on free coinage. Could the
American people, no matter how brave
they might be, make copper or lead the
equal of gold 1t was a question, as he
had said, of economics, and therefore
in the opinion of the minority the SAT-
est course was to advocate interna-
tional monometallism, and stop there.
The criticism was made that the mi
nority's plank was similar to that of
the Republican party. He did not think
it much the worse for that. The Mon
roe plank, the Cuban, the pension and
the civil service planks were all equally
like the Republican planks. He did not
like many of the planks in the Demo-
cratic platform, and he thought if the
wise counsels of the Senator from Ar
kansas Gones) had prevailed it would
have been different. Therefore. when
that Senator said the platform said
what it meant and meant what it
said, he would like someone to explain
what was meant by the plank
about the issue of paper money
in the future. Was this an attempt at
this late day to commit the Democratic
party to the suicidal policy of issuing
paper money?
Further, he did not believe it wise to
introduce new tests of Democracy.
What was the necessity of making an
income tax a test of Democratic faith?
Had it come to this" he asked, that
the followers of Tilden, who all his life
opposed this income tax, We're now re-
quired as test of their Democracy to
express their belief in the constitutions
ality of an income tax? Is it wise?' he
asked, ito attack the Supreme Court
Of your country? (Cheers) Will some
one tell me what that clause means in
this platform? If you mean what you
say. and say what you mean, that
plank means-if it means anything
that it is the duty of Congress to re-
construct the Supreme Court of the
United States. I will not follow any
(Cheers) Then he asked if they had
not trouble enough without putting in
all these unnecessary and foolish things.
What more have you done? You
have for the first time assailed in
Democratic platform the doctrine of our
fathers, of life tenure for our Judges
How foolish to insert that plank"
Still more foolish was the condemna-
ton, he said, of the issue Of bonds.
That meant the repeal Of the Resump-
ton Act and repudiation. (Cheers)
The statement implied that not even
Congress had the power to do this. The
statement was too broad. 1t must be
a surprise to somet'of his Democratic
friends in the Senate who had intro
duced bills to authorize the issue of
bonds for the Nicarag qua Canal and
other purposes. daughter and ap-
plause) He summarized the results
which would have followed if the Pres
ident had not made use of the author
ity conferred upon him and issued
bonds.
Speaking of the deficit of $4,000. 600
which had arisen because a tariff bill
passed by the Democratic party had
rot as yet" (as he said with empha-
s1s) yielded enough revenue for the ne
cessities of the Government he said.
this was foolish issue to have raised.
1t put the Democratic party on the de-
fensive in every school district in the
country. The burden imposed upon the
Eastern States by this silver plank was
all they could reasonably be expected
to carry, without imposing on them all
the additional issues He did not be-
lieve in driving men out of the Demo.
cratic party (cheers) to make room for
lot of Republicans and Wings and
Populists who have never voted the
Democratic ticket in their lives. loud
cheering)
Il tell YOU" he added, impress sivelv.
mo matter who your candidate may be.
with one exception. your Populist
friends will nominate their own tickets.
and your forces will be divided Cloud
applause) voice back in the hall
cried No
Turning in that direction, Hill said.
with bitter intona ton, My friend says
No " Then raising his voice to it's
full pitch, he asked, who is there to
speak for the Populists in a Demo-
cratic Contention?" Cheers renewed
again and again)
The Senator brought his speech to d
close by a recapitulation of the defects
he found in the platform, and sai6 that
there was still time to remedy them in
part.
As he returned to his delegation he
was cheered as no other speaker had
been since the opening of the conven-
ton.