Birmingham state herald., 1896-10-11
VALIANT WORK AT BANGOR
Hon. Oscar Underwood and Captain KoIb Made Vote-Winning Speeches to an EnthuSi-
 astic Audience = Outlines.


 Bangor, Oct. 10.-(Special Correspon- dence. .)-Captain Kolb and Hon. O. w. Underwood spoke to a large crowd here yesterday. The Bryan, Sewall and Un- derwood club of this precinct, now num- bering 92 met half an hour before the speakers arrived and prepared to receive them. Fully 300 people, with flags and banners filled the court house to its ut termost capacity when Captain Kolb and MT Underwood came.
 MT. Underwood was introduced to the crowd and began speaking at 2 o'clock. He said
 MT. Chairman Ladies and my Fellow
 Countrymen:
 "The issue before the people today is whether the combined trusts shall rule this country or the people. The queS- tion is not whether Dr. Grove or myself is the better able to serve the people. He has been nominated by the middle-ofthe road populists and believes as I do about the silver question, but it is a question of principles we are voting for and the lines are closely drawn. MT. Aldrich, the republican nominee, has withdrawn from the race and all his following will sup port the boltocratic nominee. The enemy are uniting. Then, why, my fellow-coun- trymen, should not we. In congress I cast my vote for the free and unlimited
 
 again l pledge myself to you to cast it for free silver again." (Great cheer ing)
 MT. Underwood spoke of the true "hon- est money and showed that the gold standard Is dishonest system. If you are raising cotton" said he, "and give your note for $100, which becomes due after money has increased in scarcity and consequently in value so that your cotton, which you must exchange for tn h nta xxyfn A.,lxy 1.,4tv, half the money it formerly would. Do you call it an honest system which com pels you to pay that debt with two bales of cotton which under the impression you had when making the note you ex- pected to pay with one.
 Now they tell you that these falling prices are due to over production but we can prove affrmatively that this is not true by figures which nobody can deny, because they are the agricultural report during Cleveland's administration, which If biased a all would be biased the other way. l will give you these figures on the crops which are shipped abroad, and con- sequently the only kinds of product you can measure by gold. l will tell you what that report says of wheat and cotton during Cleveland's administration. In 1882 wheat was at SS cents per bushel, and the crop of the world was 504, ,000, 900 bush els. In 1893 it was al 54 cents per bushel, and the crop of the world was 396, 900 bushels. In 1872 the price of cotton was 22 cents per pound, and the crop of the world was 6,500000 bales, and in 1886 the price was 9 and a fraction cents per pound, and the crop of the world was 9,000,000 bales. There's an increase of only 2,500,000 bales with an increase in population during those fourteen years who must consume 1t, and decrease in prices over half More than that, the surplus in 1872 was 2,500, 900 bales and the surplus in 1886 was only 1,600,000 bales. The demand, you see, increased as the supply increased. but the price fell as money grew scarcer and dearer."
 He spoke of Captain Kolb and others as mighty chieftians leading their troops to fill the vacancy left by the democratic de- serters, and at the close of his speech the audience cheered loudly.
 Captain Kolb said: Tn taking the posi- tion do in politics I haven't changed from my original position. There is no one would be as glad to see vice presi- dent today as Thomas Watson but am here today, my fellow countrymen, to tell you that every vote cast for any but Bry- an and Sewall is vote to the interests of Mckinley. I have done my uttermost to secure fusion between the democrats and popultes in this state. but the lead CTS of both sides seem uncompromisingly against it, and refused to entertain any proposition of the kind, and because they refuse I don't propose to cast my vote against the interest of free silver or use my influence in such suicidal policy.
 My friends, MT. Underwood has al- ready explained to you in an excellent way the benefits of free silver, and 1t is unnecessary for me to say more of 1t.
 The democrats as party have adop ted free silver and lost some of their fol- lowers by doing so, and just here l want to congratulate you democrats on getting rid of Tom Jones. Great cheering) I told a gold bug friend of mine not long ago I was very sorry for two mistakes irs my political life. We'll said he, 'Kolb, I'm glad to hear you admit your mis- takes Yes I answered, I made them in not copyrighting my opera house and East Lake conventions Tom Jones came right along in my footsteps and repro duced them.' Daughter and prolonged cheers)
 Now, my friends, the enemy are con- centrating (Tom Jones admitted to me he was practically working in the interest of McKinley), and unless we stand firm and lock shields we are beaten"
 Captain Kolb then read aloud letter he had received from national populist headquarters, in which the writer said: God bless you for your noble work"
 There, you see, my, friends, some one says to me God bless you whether these little ddle-of-the-road populist papers do or not If they don't indorse me the national party does"
 As Captain Kolb closed his speech he was surrounded by crowd of question: ers and the indica tions are that the pop ulists will vote for Bryan and Sewall here. Many who were strong Bryan and Wat son men have decided to unite with their neighbors for free silver and leave party ism until a future time.