The San Francisco call., 1896-08-09

I and Hobart He held up Mexico, India
and other silver countries as examples of
what the silver standard had done for the
people. He showed that wherever silver
was the current and standard coinage the
people were degraded and most of them
lived in poverty and misery.
"The silver party" he said, SIS COM
posed of three kinds of people. First,
demagogues, who have been kicked out of
both the other parties and who have
taken up this fad with view to securing
office. Second, bankrupts, who hope to
get cheap money with which to pay their
debts, and third, people who were like the
preacher who told his congregation that
he was to talk Co them about things that
neither he nor they nor any one else knew
anything about" (Laughter.)
In introducing the next speaker the
chairman said: ''We are especially favored
this evening with the presence of an editor
of great metropolitan paper, who daily
breaches through its editorial columns the
principles of our great party. 1 take great
pleasure in introducing to you Charles M.
Shortridge."
Mr. Shortridge, whose appearance was
greeted with applause, spoke as follows:
Mr.. President, Ladies and Gentlemen: Even
those who occupy the sky parlor desire to
ask If they have ever listened to two more
beautiful and eloquent addresses than were
delivered by that orator, Barnes, and that
grand patriot Judge Carpenter. 1t reminded
me of the days when they visited us in the
Garden City and there helped to rouse the
spirit of Republicanism and to carry the ban
ner of Blaine to victory against the hosts of
the Democracy. have been talking to young
Mr.. Stratton, to Mr.. Bromwen and Mr..
Gaskill, to General Barnes and to Judge
Carpenter and to our loved and distinguished
Senator, and have been trying as all of you
have no doubt have been trying to get real
definition, genuine definition of Democracy.
l have finally hit upon one word. thoughtat
one time when a distinguished orator told ne
he could write book in four words that he
was exaggerating, but he said he would teach
a lady to walk so as to catch and hold her
beau by the use of four words. They were
these: "Chin close to neck" That is the
direction for acquiring graceful walk.
Now If you want one word to describe the
Democratic party, get the cathode ray and
turn it on its record and you will find the
word "Nit" [Laughter.l That is the record
of the Democratic party for good. Nit. For
the last four years it has been Nit and would
advise all of the Republicans and all of the
Democrats who have been wise enough to
come into the fold, when these orators come
and tell you OF the crown OF thorns that is to
be pressed down On the brow of labor and of
the cross of gold upon which the American
people are to be crueifed, that they turn the
cathode ray on them and simply say ''Nit."
am absolutely sincere. Did you in all your
lifetime General Barnes or Judge Carpenter
(turning to each as he addressed him)? Did
you ever hear of such an administration as the
Democrats have given us for the past four
years? Why, who ever heard of banks burst
ing in this country at one time from Maine to
California? Who ever heard of everybody
being out of work from one end OF the country
to the other during the same period of timer
Who in this audience can find parallel to
these years or depressionf
remember at the time the Alliance visited
us at the Garden City during the last CAM
paign we were unable to convince Sam Rucker,
who became the Mayor of San Jose, that he
was wrong in not supporting the protection
ticket, but the other day when was in San
Jose Sam came to me and said sI have got
this thing all figured out now. When Cleye-
land was made the candidate of the Demo-
cratic party the last time everybody wanted
tariff reform, and I whooped il up for tariff
reform Cleveland got in and he gave us
tariff reform. l did not know what 1 was
bowling about. We got tariff reform, and now
most of US wish we hadn't Now they tell us
to vote for free silver, but / guess we don't
want it.
1.-The Democrats of the East rise up and tell
those of the West tina; they must work and
vote for free silver. Why, schoolboy might
as well try 70 instruct his grandfather on how
to run Government. The West was for free
silver long before the East ever gave 1t
thought. l have learned lesson and I know
what the Mckinley bin and Bill Mckinley did
for this country and don't want tariff reform
and propose to vote this time for something
7 do know ab0ntD hat ia tha avvaur he hasf
Democrats feel to-day. They want to vote for
what is good for the country and for something
about which they are posted.
The speaker related an amusing anec-
dote about how he had inadvertently been
asked to speak at Auburn at a Republican
ratification meeting, when the invitation
was really intended for his brother,
Samuel M. Shortridge, and solemnly de-
clared it was not the first time ne had
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