Birmingham state herald., 1896-07-12


 debtors when the act of 1873 was passed, but now insist that we must protect the creditor. He says he also wants to amend this law and provide that if we fail to maintain a parity within year | that we will then suspend the coinage of | silver. We reply that when we advo- cate a thing which we believe will be successful, we are not compelled to raise a doubt as to our own sincerity by trying to show what we will do if we can. ask him If he will apply his logic to us, why he does not apply it to himself He says that he wants this country to try to secure an international agree ment. Why doesn't he tell us what he is going to do if they fail to secure an in ternational agreement?
 There is more reason for him to do that than for us to fail to maintain the pari- ty. They have tried for thirty years to secure an international agreement, and those are waiting for it most patiently who don't want it at all Cheers and laughter long continued)
 | Now, my friends, let me come to the | great paramount issue. If they ask us | here why it is that we say more on the | money question than we say on the tariff | question, I reply that if protection has l slain it's thousands, the gold standard | has slain its tens of thousands. If they | ask us why we did not embody all these lllHSS III OuT pldtIOIIfl WHICH we Dell6N6, | we reply to them that when we have re- l stored the money of the constitution all other necessary reforms will be possible, | and that until that is done there is no | reform that can be accomplished (Cheers.) Why is 1t that within three months such a change has come over the sentiments of this country?
 Poking Fun at Mckinley. Three months ago, when it was con- fidently asserted that those who believed in the gold standard would frame our platform and nominate our candidates, even the advocates of the gold standard did not think that we could elect pres ident; but they had good reason for the suspicion, because there is scarcely state here today asking for the gold standard that is not within the absolute control of the republican party. Loud cheeringO But note the change. MT. Me- Kinley was nominated at St. Louis upon
 platform declaring for the maintenance of the gold standard until 1t should be changed into bimetallism by interna-
 tional agreement. MT. Mckinley was the most popular man among the republican party and everybody three months ago
 in the republican party prophesied his election. How is it today? Why that man who used to boast that he looked like Napoleon daughter and cheers), that
 man shudders today when he thinks that he was nominated on the anniversary of the battle of Waterloo.
 Not only that, but as he listens he can hear with ever increasing distinctness the sound of the waves as they beat up- on the lonely shores of St. Helena. (Cheers) Why this change? An! my friends it is evident to every one who will look at the matter. It is no private character, however pure; personal pop ularity, however great, that can protect from the ayeng.ng wrath of an indig- nant people the man who will neither de- clare that he is in favor of foisting the gold standard upon this people, or who is willing to surrender the right of self government and place legislative con trol in the hands of foreign potentates
 and powers. (Cheers)
 Sniffs Victory in the Air.
 We go forth confident that we shall win. Why? Because upon the para mount issue in this campaign there is not spot of ground upon which the en- emy will dare to challenge battle. Why, if they tell us that the gold standard is good thing we point to their plat form and tell them that their platform pledges the party to get rid of a gold standard and substitute bimetallism. (Applause.) If the gold standard is
 good thing, why try to get rid of it?
 Naughter and continued applause) If the gold standard, and | might call your attention to the fact that some of the very people who are in this convention today, and who tell you that we ought to declare In favor of international bi-i
 metallism and thereby declare that the gold standard is wrong, and that the. principle of bimetallism is better, these very people four months ago were open and avowed advocates of the gold stand ard and telling us that we could not leg islate two metals together even with all the world. (Renewed applause, and cheers) I want to suggest this truth, that if sthe gold standard is a good thing we ought to declare in favor of its retention and not in favor of abandoning 1t; and-if the gold standard is bad thing why should we wait until some other nations are willing to help us let go? (Applause.) Here is the line of battle. We care not upon which issue they force the fight. We are prepared to meet them on other issues, or both. If they tell us that the gold standard is the standard of civili- zation we reply to them that this, the most enlightened of all the nations of the earth, has never declared for a gold standard, and both the parties this year are declaring against 1t. (Applause) If the gold standard is the standard of civilization, why, my friends, should we | not have 1t? So if they come to meet us l on that we can present the history of | our nation. More than that, we can tell | them thisf that tbey will search the pages of history in,vain to find a single | instance in which the common people of any land have ever declared themselves l in favor of gold standard. (Applause) They can find where the holders of fixed | euvoof fyv1a bavo haau Mir Carffala uafd