The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-08-11
vas received wlth great applause. ana


Countrymen: ! do not consider the en-
thusiasm which has been manifested all
along the rosFhas aught In IL OF personal
nature. II simply proves that respect
which our people feel for those who stand
In positions OF authority, or stand before
the people as candidates for those posi-
tons. We are people who love gov
ernment who recognize it's necessity.
and stand ready to defend It at all
times. And no matter how much we
may differ with those who may for the
time being, under the forms Of law. make.
decide or execute laws. we sustain them
In authority until we can change them
and make them to exceed to our pur-
poses 1t shows the capacity OF our
people for government. We differ
very much. we present our views with
all the ability and all the vigor that wa
have. but yet when II is all gone we
bow TO the VIII OF the majority.
I'VE are entering upon a campaign
which will exceed In interest and inten !.
sity any campaign through which we
have passed. We have reached new
era. We have come upon period when
all war questions are settled, and when
the people come face 20 face with great
face to face with great economic ques-
tions. The great principles OF right and
wrong are easily observed, and that is
why 1t is that the people are competent
10 settle every question that can arise In
a government like ours. No question is
too deep for the American people. and
the 70, 900. 900 people acting as a great jury
must finally decide, and they alone can
II read the other day a little PAM
phlet sent out by some Of the advocates
OF the gold standard money, and 1t con-
tained this paragraph, that all OF the
financiers and capitalists, the only peo-
Pile who are competent to express an
opinion on the subject, are in favor of the
gold standard. 1t first appeared in an
article written by distinguished
Frenchman. and was then reproduced
and scattered over this country as litera-
ture, by the advocates of the gold stand-
ard, and therefore we must suppose that
1t expresses their ideas. that only capi-
talists and financiers are competent to
express an opinion on this subject
my friends, | believe that each man,
whether he " high or low. rich or poor,
Is the best judge OF every proposition
upon himself, and he alone has the right
TO say how his vote shall be cast, and on
which side his influence shall be thrown.
IT is the principle of the broadest DEM
ocracy that these questions must be
settled by the common people, and that
this government has never created par
ticular class TO legislate for others.
I'VE stand upon the declaration con-
tained in that immortal document, PEN
ned by the greatest constructive states
man the world has ever seen. the Declara-
tion OF Independence. That declaration
says: An men are created -eauaL,I
shall challenge you to search the consti-
tuition, founded upon the declaration,
and point 10 a single sentence that gives
To any class OF society superior rishts or
privileges over any other class OF society.
We are not preaching n new doctrine,
we are not preaching a new idea. We
are simply asserting tat the principles
that underlie this government should
apply TO new conditions as they rise, and
that youcan, find out what ought TO be
done by measuring every proposed pub
lie act by the propositions contained in
the Declaration of Independence. and by
the provisions of the constitution which
is based upon that declaration. That il
all we ask.
Being asked to explain sixteen 10 one"
Mr.. Bryan said: sixteen TO one simply
means that, according to law, the debt
paying power OF one ounce of gold. when
coined. shall be equal to the debt-paying
power Of 16 ounces OF silver when coined.
1t simply means that the silver dollar
is Is times as large as the gold dollar.
That is what 16 TO l means. And when
We say that we are in favor of the pres
ent legal ratio of l6 to /. we simply say
that we are in favor Of having the sill
YER dollar remain the same size as IL is
now, and having the gold dollar remain
the same size as IL Is now. That is wha.
We mean. We mean that that Is the
ratio. That has been so since the days
OF Andrew Jackson, that IL shall be the
ratio at which the mints shall be opened
70 the free and unlimited coinage of free
silver. 1t means this, that If you owe a
debt you can go out into the market
and buy silver and have it coined and use
that silver To pay your debts. Already
you can go out into the market and buy
gold and pay your debts after ii is coined,
and when. you have the right to use
either one, If they attempt to corner one
metal you can use the other. Whereas.
If you have out one metal which you can
convert into money, and that metal is
cornered, you are at the mercy of those
who are managing the corner.
The silver mine owners are people
who produce silver, as gold mine
owners are the only people who produce
gold. The silver. when produced is Of no
use to. the man who produces IL, until he
either exchanges II for money or converts
IL into money for his own use, and the
moment he brings that silver from the
mine and converts II into the money.
that money is in use TO buy the COM
modities produced by the tollers OF the
country, and until that money is brought
into existence there Is no money to buy
the things which people produce. There
fore. when we legislate to prevent money
coming into. existence, we legislatc
against the interest OF those who have
muscle TO sell, or produce to sell, and can
not sell them until there is money to buy
them"