St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1896-08-07
REPUBLICAN RALLY.
Congressman rlccall Dives a Ringing Speech
Monday Night.-r1alor Bowman Announces
that lie VIII Vote for lcKlnIey.

The largest republican rally yet held
took place in Music hall Monday evening
and Congressman Mccall from Massa-
chusetts was the attraction. The hall
was filled with most enthusiastic
audience. On the stage were a large
number OF prominent republicans. The
st. Johnsbury band rendered several
selections. The meeting was called to
order by E. T. lde. president of the Nc
Kinley & Hobart club, who made few
remarks referring to the Importance Of
the coming campaign. He spoke OF that
old veteran, Gen. Daniel Sickes, New
York democrat whom Tammany hall
has long loved to honor, and how he
would this year vote for Mckinley and
sound money. He spoke of some nearer
home who would do the same and then
introduced Major Bowman. a democrat
well-known to all.
Major Bowman said that the audience
would doubtless be surprised to see an
old line democrat like himself standing
on republican plat orm. He was sur
prisel himself and, like the fellow who
proposed to his best girl, it took an
"all-iired lot of sweating to do it," Up
to the time Of he Chicago convention he
had feelings in sympathy with the silver.
ties, but the proceedings of that gather
ing and the platform adopted, disgusted
him; yes, made him mad. An old time
democrat came to him after the conven-
ton and asked, where are we att"
What are we going to do?' Hefelt that a
crisis was at hand and that the country
must not fall into the hands of the anar-
chists. Every democrat should take a
stand for sound money and right prin-
ciples of government. To do this Mr..
Bowman said he should, if he lived until
November, vote for Major Mckinley.
He regretted that he had to part from
company he had kept so long, but 81
have not left you, you have left me-" Mr..
Bowman was loudly applauded.
Judge w. P. Smith, in introducing the
speaker of the evening, spoke of the
especial duty Vermont has to perform in
this campaign. She must not be content
to simply go republican at the September
election, but she must go 50 by an
unusually large majority. The stability
and prosperity of the country must be
preserved, and Vermont, who fires the
first gun, must have it well loaded.
Loud applause greeted Congressman
Mccall as he stepped to the front of the
platform. The people of this town, he
said must understand the seriousness oI
the issues of this campaign to come out
on such hot evening as this to listen to
their discussion. We have many brave
democrats who are going to stand uI
for the honor of their country this year
men like Palmer, Sickles and like the one
who has spoken to you tonight. They
are going to vote in this campaign iol
the man who represents principles
William Mckinley. If Bryan's party
has its way the United States supreme
court will no longer be the conservative
body it is today and that would be one
of the most disastrous things that coud
happen to our country. This is one o
the issues of this campaign but the most
important is the free coinage OF silver al
the ratio of 16 to | without the consent
Of any other nation. The advocates O
free coinage claim this country is great
enough to manage its own financial
system without the help OF other nations
1t is great country, we all know, but IT
is not yet great enough to do such i'm
possible things as to make water run uI
hill or to change the system of gravita
ton, and to attempt the Tree coinage o
silver at the ratio Of 16 to 1, without the
consent of any other nation is about or
the same principle.
Mr.. Mccall gave an interesting and
clear account of the history OF the two
metals and showed that it was beyond
the power of government to have the
free and unlimited coinage OF both metals
Gold would never keep company will
silver. Bi-metallism at the ratio of 16 tc
l is absolutely preposterous andi Bryan
is elected to do this he will have some
thing impossible to accomplish. Th'
gold standard is practically in use in al
the civilized countries of the world.
we want to cut ourselves off from the
great commercial centers of the worlt
we can do so by adopting the free coin
age of silver.
The slverites speak about the great
crime secretly committed in 1870. They
say we walked up suddenly one morning
and found silver demonetized. The ac
was debated at great length with not ;
bit Of secrecy. Men who said it was sc
cretly done even made speeches agains
the act. They say that silver has no
gone down but gold has gone up. Ii
countries and therefore the demand fo
it was decreased. Nevertheless produc
tion went on increasing. In 1898 tn
increase had reached $50 per cent anc
silver had ceased to be a precious metal
When they speak of low prices they d'
not take into account the improves
methods of construction. A days worI
in 1898 receives more gold than it did il
1878 and more can be purchased wit
this gold. Do we want the money c
20 years or more ago or do we want t.
be up to date with the civilized world
Gold is the coin which has always bes
kept its value.
They say the establishment of lre