The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-04-19
DISSERTATION OF JEFFERSON.

virginia, last MONDAY, ana HOtaDIt IL
was-in a few exceptional instances
a queer lot, that met for the pretended
purpose of doing honor TO revered
and cherished name, and then with
brazen effrontery turned it into gold
bug political meeting. II it had been
possible for the spirit of the sage of
Notwithstanding that he was
present ON that Occasion-tO have
found speech, he would have dismissed
that mob instanter without benedic-
ton. For be it known to uniformed
Democrats, that Jefferson was former
" opposed to all hero worship and
birthday celebrations, and nothing
could have given him greater offense
than a collectionof hypOcrites she'd
ding crocodile tears over his tomb and
uttering sentiments they did not be-
lieve. Ex-Governor Russell Of Massa-
chusetts, was the orator of the day
and seized the opportunity to air his
single gold standard views, even stoop-
ing to the audacity of appealing to JEFF
ferson for support. His mendacity did
not carry him to the extent of quoting
Jefferson, but in substance he dared
to tell his audience that the apostle Of
liberty were he living would act in
unison with Grover Cleveland and his
chosen band Of robbers on the none
tary question. Here is what he said:
zone further question remains, for
whose solution We turn 10 Jefferson
for help and guidance. We are in the
midst of earnest agitation over our
monetary standard. The agitation
crosses party lines and tends to geo.
graphical division. It involves the
welfare of our country and demands
explicit and courageous treatment To
Jefferson it could never be an issue be-
tween Colorado and Wall street, or be-
tween a debtor and a creditor class.
His broad democracy abhorred geo.
graphical and class division. With
true patriotism he would ask where lie
the honor and credit of our common
country, where rest the interests of our
whole people? For one I believe that
our cOuntry's honor demands scrupu-
lous fidelity TO her plighted word, hon
est payment of her obligations, and
that the peoples interest is best served
by strictly upholding here the none
tary standard of the civilized world.
Free coinage of silver, or its compul-
sorry purchase, or any compromise leg
islation by US in that direction in my
judgment is distinctly class legislation,
which would unsettle business, impair
credit, reduce all savings and the value
of all wages, and whose injurious re-
suits no man can measure. We are
still ready, as We always have been,
TO confer with other nations upon any
sound system of international bimetal-
ism. have misunderstood the teach
ings Of Jefferson and the traditions and
principles Of our party if they do not
support this view, and sustain q Dem
ocratic administration IN its resolute
enforcement Of it. With Jefferson
truth never lay in compromise Of prin-
ciple, nor success in evasion of respon-
sibility. Nor will they with u.s. Let
us leave compromise and expediency to
the Republican party, which IS ever
ready to trim and evade, to harmonize
its warning factions. Let us. if need
be through discussion and agitation,
find the truth, bravely assert it, and
trust our cause to the conscience and
patriotism of the people"
The one redeeming feature of that
assemblage OF arrant hypocrites and
liars, was Senator Daniel Of Virginia.
who to the credit Of the state which
gave him birth, and the honor of the
American people. did not let the Massa-
fraud go unrebuked, and this
was done by simply quoting jefferson:
''Our friend says that for the solution
of this question we turn to Jefferson
for help and guidance Be ii so. Let
me quote Jefferson, which he did not
&c. When Hamilton drew as famous
report on the mint a hundred years ago
he declared that to annul the use of
either of the metals Is to abridge the
quantity of the circulating medium 1t
was then that Jefferson wrote to him:
1 concur with you that the unit should
stand on both metals and If that
means that it should stand on one. nv
notions of Jefferson and the multiplica-
ton table are alike at fault. Wash
ington signed the bill for both metals.
Daniel Webster defended it in after /
years, declaring that gold and silver
were the money of the constitution and
that we had no right to displace either
metal. I arraign Washington and
Hamilton and Webster with jefferson,
and am content"
Out of respect for the amenities of |
he occasion the Virginia senator no |
doubt administered as mild a rebuke |
as possible to the favored guest, but
he single quotation was under the |
sufficient. Men who |
ire mean-spirited enough to associate |
Jefferson with the Democratic leaders
IF today are vile enough to dig up his |
bones and sell them TO 4 dime museum |