Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1896-10-14
WHEELING REGISTER WEDNESDAY. OCTOBER A. 1896.

pal and interest, is not in violation Of
the public faith nor in derogat;on Of
the rights Of the public credit. Me-
Kinley did not think then that the pay
ment of government bonds in silver
meant reputation.
Mr.. Thompson spoke Of the efforts to
corrupt the voters of the State, and of
intimidation by employers, then paid
his respects to the gold Democrats, and
closed with a prediction of the success
of the silver ticket which called forth
enthusiastic applause.
Chairman Mahood then introduced
Gen. Watts. At the mention of his
name there was loud cheering. and
when he arose some person in the au-
d.ence called for three cheers for
Watts, which were given with a viii.
Gen. Watts, in spite of his recent illness,
and the tax upon his strength caused
by his recent speeches, made a very
vigorous speech, which was punctuated
with applause.
He opened by calling attention to thu
gravity Of the questions of the cam
paign. He pointed out the fact that
this is the first year any party has dared
to declare for the single standard. All
the leading Republicans heretofore were
bimeatalliSts. Gen. Watts showed The
inconsistency of Senator Elkins' pres
ent attitude on the money question by
quoting from his gold speech in the
Parkersburg Convention this year. and
contrasting it with excellent free silver
speech made before the State League Of
Republican Clubs in Fairmont two years
ago.
Gen. Watts asserted that the people
made the issue in the present campaign,
not the parties or the politicians. The
81. LOUIS Convention, which was really
IN IaVor OF silver, was captured by the
gold bugs Several prominent leaders
walked out of that convention. and
there are thousands Of Republicans
throughout the country who are follow
ing in their footsteps.
Prior TO 1873, the basic money of the
country was both gold and silver. For
twenty years We had prosperous times.
Following the act demonetizing silver
came a panic. In 1878 Mr. Bland intro.
duced' bill providing fcA Tree and I'M
limited coinage, for which Mckinley
voted. The Allison amendment was
placed on it in the Senate. President
Hayes vetoed it. and Mckinley voted
to pass it over his Veto If the country
did not need silver, why was the Bland
Allison act passed. and why was the
sherman act passed in 1890?
Gen. Watts took a silver dollar out of
his pocket for the purpose Of illustrating
his argument He admitted that the
bullion in it was worth only 53 cents,
and asked why it was worth 100 cents.
If it is because 10000 900 of people are
behind it, will not the same reason
Inaintain the "alue of the silver dollar
coined when Bryan is President?
The speaker showed the reason why
the wealthy are for the sing.e standard,
and remarked that one man had told
him he was for Bryan because Wall
street is against him. Gen. Watts gave
some interesting, Startling facts, SHOW
ing the unfair distrlbu IN of the wealth
of the country, ami reasons why the
money lending class is eXerting every
effort to defeat the free silver can6i-
date.
Gen. Watts spoke about twenty-five
minutes, ana u-u not enter INTO dis
cussion of the silver question on ac-
count of his health. When the cheers
which followed his concluding remarks
had died out, Hon. John o. Pendleton
was introduced, and made a short but
really excellent speech. He argued that
the gold production does not keep pace
with the increase in population; that
declaration for gold by the United States
would lead TO a similar declaration by
the few remaining silver nations, until
the world will be on a gold standard;
that then the yellow metal will grow
dearer and harder to secure, and the
condition of the masses grow steadily
worse.
Mr.. Pendleton eulOgized Bryan and
Watts, and created great enthusiasm.
He then closed with a remark that the
hour was late. but the audience insisted
that ne continue, and he spoke about
twenty minutes. 1t was nearly eleven
o'clock when the meeting closed.