The herald., 1896-06-09
coxEY's PopULIsT TALK
The General Addresses Z Larre Audience
at Illinois Hall
dsntally Advocates Fres Silver, the
Initiative and the Referendum

Gen. Jacob S. Coxey, of Commonweal
army fame. addressed a large audience
at Illinois hall, at the corner of Sixth
street and Broadway, last evening.
Every seat in the hall was occupied, and
during the early part of the address,
standing room was at premium. Gen.
Coxey is canvassing the state in the in
terests of the Popullsts, and the greater
part of the gathering was of that faith.
although there were quite a number Of
the representatives of the old parties in
attendance. AS usual at Populist meet
ings, there were quite a number of ladies
in attendance. Gen. Coxey, with his
wife and several of the Populist leaders
occupied seats on the platform. Rev. l.
h. Wright Of Vernondale presided.
After a collection had been taken up
to defray the expenses, and one or two
songs had been given, in regulation Pop
ulist style, Mr.. Wright introduced the
speaker of the evening, Gen. Jacob S.
Coxey. The general is not of an impos-
ing appearance. nor Is he IN any
sense of the word an orator. besides
which he was handicapped last evening
by an annoying cough, which seriously
interfered with his delivery; but he is a
fluent talker, and apparently very
much in earnest, and held the attention
of his audience from the beginning to
the close of his address.
The subject of Gen. Coxey's talk last
evening was the money question ana ms
measure he thought would correct all
existing ills in the body polite. Tne
great financial panic, the general sald'
was caused by a money famine. Tnere
is not enough actual money In the coun-
try to transact the business, ana tne
banks get the benefit of this state Oh
affairs by creating credit or commence
money. in the ratio of nine 10 one. ~
course when the people became alaFmeo
and withdrew their money from tne
banks. the latter could not pay, ana the
panic ensued.
In proof of his assertion, Gen. Coxey
exhibited q specimen OF the yeiioW
back" scrip issued by some OF the manu-
facturers in Ohio to pay off their men un-
til such time as the banks could get IN
their money and pay their depositors.
This, he said, was proof positive tnat
there was not enough money, ana 10
cure this the government should issue
greenbacks. Another thing that was
causing widespread depression was the
inventive genius OF the american peo1
ple. which was throwing thousands OF
people out of employment when there
was no means by which the surplus Ia
bor Of the country could be ABSORBED.
The only thing that could be done was
the enactment Of the non-interest pono
bill. Then bonds could be issued by
states, counties and municipalities, on
which the government could issue money
at the actual cost of the engraving,
which money could be spent In public
improvements, thereby furnishing en-
ployment to the millions of unemployed
throughout the country and causing
general revival of business by creating
a demand for the products of the coun-
try. These bonds could be redeemed by
levying a four per cent tax per annum.
and as the money was collected 1t would
be forwarded to Washington and cred
tied on the bonds, after which they would
be destroyed. At the end of twenty-five
years the bonds would be redeemed IN
full and the people would have received
the benefit of the money. He contrasted
this plan with the present national bank
ing system, and said the people were
now paying interest on their own money,
while the bankers were living on their
debts.
Gen. Coxey advocated the free and un-
limited coinage of silver at the ratio OF
16 to 1, the enactment of the non-interest
bill and the enactment of the initiative
and referendum, which latter he said
would eliminate Doodle from politics and
make the lawmakers of the country
honest men in spite of themselves. for
the reason that they would have nothing
to sell.
The general then described his march
to Washington at the head of his indus
trial army; his reception by the speaker
of the house of representatives and Vice
President Stevenson, his Incarceration In
Jail and the manner in which his army
was dispersed, closing with an appeal
for the support of local reform papers
and his own organ published at Massil-
lon, Ohio.
A violin solo by Mrs. Somano, Mr.. So
mano playing an accompaniment on the
piano, and anotherf collection for ex-
nenses closed the meeting.