The Portland daily press., 1896-08-19

secured order and plunged at once into
his subect-his reply to Mr.. Bryan's
speech. He held his audience from the
first, speaking in his clear, resonant
voice, which reached everyone of his aud
itors. Mr.. Cochran said:
Mr.. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen
Fellow Democrats All: With the in
spring strains of that national song still
ringing in our ears, who can doubt the
Issue of this campaign. applause.
That the issue has been well stated by
your presiding officer, stripped, as he
says, of all ye,bal disguise, it is an issue
o. common honesty, an issue between
the honest discharge and dishonest rep
udiation of public and private obligations.
1t is the question as to whether the pow
ers of this government shall be used to
protect honesty and industry, or 20 temp,
the citizen to dishonesty.
On This question honest men cannot
differ. It is one of morals and Of justice.
1t involves the existence of social order.
1t is contest for civilization itself. A
democratic convention may renounoe
Democrats faith, but Democracy remains
faithful to Democratic principles. Gap
plause.)
Democratic leaders may betray ths con-
vention to Populists, but they cannot Sc
duce' the footsteps of the Democratic
voters from the pathway of honor and
Justice (Applause.) A candidate, bear
ing the mandate of a Democratic con-
vention may, in this hall, open canvas
levellsd against the foundations of So
oial order, and he beholds the Demo-
cratic masses confronting him, organs
lied for defence (Applause.)
We would look in vain through the
speech delivered here one week ago to
ind true statement of the issue invol-
we'd in this canvass. (Laughter.) But
Aere was one statement in that speech
Which was very free from ambiguity.
pregnant with hope and confidence to
the lovers of order. He professed IN
questioned belief in the honesty of the
american N sses and he quoted A bra
ham lincoln in support of the faith that
was In him.
Well, do not believe that the faith of
Abraham Lincoln WAS ever more signif1-
cantly Justified than in the appearance
which MIR. Bryan presented upon this
platform, in this changes that have come
over the spirit and tone Of Populistic
eloq1ence since the Chicago convention.
We ell must remem Der that the lurid
rhetoric which glowed as fiercely i'll the
western skies as that sunlight, which
through the past week foretold the torrid
heat Of the ensuing day, and here upon
this platform we find that same rhetoric
as mild, as insipid as the waters Of a
stagnant pool.
= he is q candidate who was swept into
the nomination by q wave Of popular en-
thusiesm, awakened by appeals 20
prejudice and greed. He is candidate
who Oh his trip home, and In the initial
steps of his trip eastward, declared that
this was revUlu tionary movement, but
who no sooner found himself face to face
with American feeling, than he realized
that the inevitable tendency, the ineyita-
BILE consequence OF debasement IN the
standard Of value, must be a reduction
In the rate of wages, and that is the con-
spiraey which the PopuliSt is engaged
in.
Bryan tells US that he wants to cheap
en- the dollar, that he wants TO increase
the volume of money. The volume OF
money plays but small part, even In the
ordinary transactions of life. 1t is not
the volume of money, bur the activity OF
money that counts. Money never can
circulate freely and actively unless there
pe absolute confidence insits value. II a
mar doubts whether money in his pocket
WIN 10 as valuable tomorrow as il is to-
day, he will deo.ine to exchange his COM
modify against it. and this Populist ag-
ltatlon, threatening the integrity of
mat TINS soil WAS not propitious to rev.
olutlon; that thu people Of the country
VIII reIuse to change the institutions
"hlcl nave stood the tests of century
Dhsru upon the fantagtio dreams of Pop
ulist agitators; that the American nation
VIII never consent to substitute for she
Tepubii2 of Washington. Of Jefferson and
OF jackson tire republic Of an Altgeld.
Tflinan or Bryan. applause }.