Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-08-20
BlMErALLIC BRANCH FORMED.

Omcers Elected and Names Secured to the
Member ship Roll.
The committee on permanent or
ganization of the Rock Island county
branch of the American Bimetallic
league then reported through DR.. j.
W. Morgan, pre- senting the following
list OF officers:
President-E. H. Guyer.
Vice President-Michael O'Connor.
Secretary--E. NJ. Thompson.
Treasurer-J. II. Morrison.
Mr.. Guyer was introduced by DR..
Morgan as the permanent president
Of the club, and he, referring to the
cam paign as one of study and educa-
ton, appointed Messrs. E. b. Kreis
and c. .. Linn to circulate papers
for the roll of membership through
the audience. and many names were
thus secured.
President Guyer then introduced
Gen. A. j. Stree,er, of New Windsor,
who referred to his own efforts and
struggles in behalf of labor. Born
in poverty, he had tried to do right.
and had been energetic and industri-
Gus for the right. He had given his
life for the education of the indus
trial classes. He was happy to
know that the republican party had
Endorsed what he had done, and he
expected the democrats to do the
same. With these conditions estab-
lished he felt good reason to rejoice.
He followed with discussion Of the
money question and the oppres sion
of labor and agriculture as the result
OF the contraction of the currency.
From these burdens if we do not vote
for relief we will never get it.
MIR. Ladd's Address.
c. X. Ladd, of Kewanee, was intro
duced by Mr.. Guyer. He said:
There are times when men forget in
dividuality, and like the drops in the
ocean. mass to sweep all before them.
One of these times is now. Demo-
Gratis, republicans, populists, and all
classes of people are forgetting party
LINES and getting together with one
end in view-to overcome oppression
which has been steadily sending
them down to poverty and destitu-
ton. The conditions now are like
they were in 1860. 1t has been the
desire of some men to live without
labor; and nature is the same now as
it was a thousand years ago.
"He who goes out in the morning
to follow the pillow has little time to
study economics. but the fellow who
works one hour week has
or nd 70
you and the worst of it. II
the profits Of labor were Justly di-
| vided the working man would have
enough left for the rainy day SO that
| the poor house would not take him.
The great parties have been led by
Influential men for personal motives.
The ideas which were inculcated by
| Thomas Jefferson are the ones which
we want to stand by. The men
whose hands are calloused can not be
guided by any principles but those
of Jefferson. But the republicans
say they belong to the common herd.
But the man who is guilty of such
an assertion-and there are plenty
OF them. among the republicans-is
unworthy the recognition or sympa-
thy or support OF an American citi-
zen. With The bankers and money
lenders against you, with your boss
in the shop against you threatening
to discharge you if you express your
sentiments, the free silver idea has
sprung up in the fields and prairies,
the residents of which are raising up
and crying for enamel patton. The
republican party today openly avows
its hatred Of the free coinage OF sill
YER"
Mr.. Ladd went on to say tina,
he who had silver could take i,
to the mint previous to 1873 and
have it coined into 1OO-cent dollars.
In that year the government changed
its financial policy; then is when the
great crime of decentralization was
perpe rated on the American people.
Why did they demonetize silver when
it was not before the people? Said he:
Il have yet to meet a republican who
can answer that question. I can
give you reason. Selfish England
with Germany had demonetized sill
| yer and France WAS forced to follow
suit. i believe, as was recently said
by an eminent divine, that old Eng.
land sent over here her millions OF
gold and purchased legislation such
as would conform with her financial
policy. That is what brought abou,
the demonstration act in 1873"
The republican party in order to
keep you still has said from time to
time that it was in favor of the re.
monetization of silver. But in St
Louis that party said it was opposed
to bimelallism unless by int.rna
tional agreement. The democrats
said that they were GU. and out soy
independent bimetalIism-what the
industrial classes want. Now work
irgmen, which party has at heart
our interests?"
People Against the Machine.
Now, the speaker held, lit i.
the people against tn ma.
chine. There was never such =
gathering of people before as that a,
the Chicago convention. They came
from the prairies of the west, from
the cotton fields OF the south and
| frovp tho