The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-10-02
MR., pHLEGAR SPEAKS.
Hurls Free Coinage Doctrines With Tell
ing Blows


ing Blows.
Hon. A. a. Phlegar, of Christiansburg,
spoke at the city hall last night to large
audience on the issues involved in the
present campaign. The speaker was in.
PRODUCED by Roy B. Smith, chairman of
the executive committee, in short
speech, which was to. the point and we'll
chosen.
Mr.. Phlegar is u most finished speaker,
and throughout his speech held the indi-
vidual attention Of his audience, which
was magnificent one, composed of men
who went there not through idle curiosi-
ty, but to hear the real issues discussed
by one whom they all knew, ana whom
they felt would be fully able to cope with
the vital issues of the campaign. His
hearers were not in the least disappointed.
He began the discussion OF the issues
by referring to the free coinage of silver
as the overshadowing question of the
campaign. The money, he said, is to the
country what the life blood is to the hui
man body. He went into an exhaustive
discussion of the financial issues and
delivered telling blows against the advo-
Gates of the gold standard. He gave
clear cut, concise history of our monetary
system, and told how the silver dollar,
the monetary unit of value, III an evil
hour was cut down and the gold standard
substituted in its stead. lie said that it
should not have been changed, and then
went into full discussion to show why
it should not have been. He referred to
the imperfections of A1cKinley's letter of
acceptance, and dwelt particularly on his
statement that the Republican party
would keep the 50, 200, 000,O of money
in the United States in circulation, and
then showed by the report of the Score
tary of the Treasury that there is only
81, 500, 900, 900 in circulation, 500, 600, 900
less than the Republican candidate would
have us believe we have. Some one in
the audience interrupted by asking if
So, 900, 900 of that was not interest, to
which he replied that that amount was
the minimum which Mark Hanna had
declared that he would accept as Il cam
paign contribution out of the rich corpo-
rations and trusts. Mr.. Phlegar spoke of
the arguments of the Republicans who
claim that farmers will get more for their
products and the wages of the laborer
will not be increased, as being used as
stock argument in the cities of the Union,
but they don't have to use it in the coun-
try among the farmers, as they know it
would turn every farmers vote in this
country in the Bryan column.
He then spoke of the condition of the
farmers anu Cl6cUlNcly answered. NIL
Carlisle when he said that every silver
country in the world has no gold, but
that every gold standard country uses
both gold and silver, by showing that
silver is n necessity, as the former can get
along without the use of gold, but the
latter cannot survive without the use of
silver. He exposed many of the fallacies
of the gold standard arguments, but was
compelled to bring his speech to n close
on account of his throat giving out, rs it
was barely possible for him to speak.
The large audience insisted that he should
keep on, but his physical condition would
not admit of it.
AS Mr.. Phlegar tnok his seat there were
loud cries for Glasgow, who, after some
time, came forward and said that he had
come there to hear the issues discussed,
which had been SO ably presented by Mr..
Phlegar, and that he had done the same
thing the night before and was rewarded
by being called Populist. Mr.. Glasgow
spoke for half hour and held the closest
attention of his audience, He came out
unreservedly and endorsed every plank in
the Chicago platform, ripped Ingalls, ar
gument to pieces, and referred to poor
Gov. O'Ferrall. Mr.. Glasgow was forced
to speak longer than he desired by the
audience, who showed by their demeanol
that they had come there 20 hear the
issues discussed.
1t was announced that there would b(
a Democratic speaking in the opera house
on Saturday night.