Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-04-14

1
| aggressors. not Colorado, nor the West;
| not the debtor class. May I not suggest
| that Il was the creditor class that led the
assault to make silver debts payable IN
| silver mines TO the detriment OF the
| Australian and South African gold mines
| OF Great Britain. and TO the heaping up OF
burden on taxpayers. debtors, and the
f tSat IN ISIS sss ,e helped partially
| to restore silver In the Bland-Allison act
OF 1878. and have tried for twenty-five
years for its full restoration? Neither
| my distinguished friend nor any one else
can demand more firmly than l that the
| honor and credit OF this country be re-
epected with scrupulouS fidelity TO the
| pllghted words" but when read the
| plighted words Cold and silver" In the
| Constitution OF the land which ] have
sworn 10 support, and read the word
coin" In the public contracts which l
am honor bound 10 observe, may not
believe mine own eyes and declare that
"scrupulous fidelity" would say and pay
gold and silver and coin" which Is
| unfortunately either. as promised, and
not construe the words gold" and "sil-
yer" or the word coin" as meaning gold
| only.
Virginia made the Spanish silver dollar
| her standard OF value as long ago as 1915,
| and the United States made the Ameri-
| can silver dollar It's unit Of coinage In
| 17s3. Every silver dollar OF to-day IL
| ago. and we are not so incumbered with
/ surplusage of dollars of any kind In
any part of the land that / have visited
as to need use OF articles OF law to get
| rid Of them.
our friend says that for the solution of
this question, I'VE turn to Jefferson TOR
nelp and guidance" BE 1T so, Let me
quote Jefferson, which he did not do;
When Hamilton drew his famous report
on the mint a hundred years ago he de-
! clared that ITO annul the use Of either OF
the metals is to abridge the quantity OF
the circulating medium, and Is liable 10
all the objections which arise from
comparison of the benefits of a --
with the evils Of a scanty circulation"
II was then that Jefferson wrote to him:
II concur with you that the unit should
stand on both metals" and II that means
II should stand on one my notions OF
Jefferson and the multiplication table
are alike at fault Washington signed the
bill for both metals. Daniel Webster de-
gold and silver were the money Of the
| Constitution, and that we had no right 10
cisplace either metal. / arrange Washing
! ton and Hamilton and Webster with JEFF
ferson, and am content But i am not
going to stay at odds with our distin-
guished friend at the grave OF Jefferson.
There was one thing that Jefferson said
about money which We Will concur In.
and that is that one warm thought is
worth more than money" and giving him
the warm thoughts that one upon his ma
tive heath should feel for an honored
guest. i would venture 10 say TO him,
as Falstaff said TO Prince Henry. mo
more OF that, Hal: an thou lowest me-"
Indeed We VIII have here to-day the
free coinage OF warm thoughts on the
double standard of Massachusetts and
Virginia, and | am willing to amplify the
code OF our Democratic comrade, Tim
Campbell, OF New York, and say for to-
day, at least, Neither money nor the
Constitution ought TO come between
friends"
A CHILD OF NATURE.
He was a child of nature. this glorious
Jefferson. with all his polish and all his
culture and all his wisdom. and he was
on the peoples side of all questions An
honest son of Mother Earth: a man with
mans faults. but no Pharisee. no Mug
wump. for he had fewer faults and lesser
faults than most men, and he had noble
and human-life and God-like virtues He
studied men, he studied nature, and he
drew from them more than ne ever drew
from books, and gave back from them
more than all the books could give
Yonder at Keswick was he born. These
mountains. these fields. these forests,
these murmuring streams. the birds, the
focks, the herds, and above them the
azure heavens and the stars-thcse were
his first and his lifelong teachers. And
in the free air of this beautiful country
side nature whispered to his spirit. and
from her pure, free prOmptings he be-
came that which was most Of all in his
history-a Democrat.
And above all the many Jeffersons we
see the scholar, the writer, the achitect,
the scientist, the inventor the linguist
greater than them all-Jefferson the
Democrat-from the ground up. every inch
a Democrat, and he vas over feet tall.
He was the greatest Democrat that ever
lived. He infected the popuace with the
epidemic Of free thought. He set the woods
on fire with Democratic doctrines. He
gave the people the rugged maxims hewn
from life which kindled their thoughts
and winged their arrows.
Napoleon looked at the Orient and said,
There lies a giant asleep; let him sleep"
Jefferson saw the American people like
a giant asleep. and he said. Rouse up
and quit yourselves Ike men," Up rose
Democracy, and the sovereign people
strobe the land in triumph.
HIS CIVIC COURAGE.
The glory Of man, said Solomon, Is
strength. and jefferson was strong. Strong
physically-see him .'Ven In his old age
dashng at n gallOp on his faVorite horse
over these rocky mountain roads Strong
intellectually-behold his works. Strong
morally-see his instructive leap to the
right side Of all questions and his infiexi-
BILE adherence thereto. He was strong and
all powerful in courage; yea, in civic cour-
age, the rarest OF all kinds Of bravery.
All nations are brave In their own way:
Massive battalions, thousands strong, VIII
lldfGn 10 Ntdln fnllSl HdSHlIB DdyOntlN
and screaming sheels-not a man drop
ping out of his place. But the courage that
faces the sheer Of fashion, the scorn OF
power, the scowl of altered friendship,
1.-THE proud mans contumely, and the
insolence OF ofiice"-this is the courage
that belongs alone TO souls touched TO
fine issues" This Jefferson had-the SUI
perb, quiet. patient, daring, courage, that
looks public opinion In the eye and dares
confront II and affront II, and not finch
the encounter.
When ne stood for independence they
said rebel" When he demanded justice
they said communist" When he stood for
religious freedom they cried out "infdel."
When he aroused the people against mon
archy and concentrated power they said
"demagogue" But the common people
heard him gladly-they knew their ears
and with acclaim they said, "Ail hail our
friend"
He sent the y rays OF his respondent
intellect through the cloaks and skins OF
falsehood, penetrating 10 and revealing
the very cloisters. recesses, and hiding
places Of truth. He stripped from false
teachers the shams and shows and trum-
peries OF Drentensions When he came 20
be inaugurated he wore a dress Oh plan
cloth. and he rode on horseback 10 the
CAPITOL without a single guard or even
servant in his train, dsmcunted without
assistance, and hltched the bride of his
horse to the palisades. This was no effec-
tation. 1t was the natural act of Il natu-
raj man, who felt that he was one OF the
people, taking charge OF their AFFAIRS for
their behoof and In their name. His heart
was his trancendent noblest quality. Mu-
sic and pathos and sweetness and light
and love were In that great heart. 1t was
that that stimulated MS intellect 10 Its
supreme endeavors. IL was that that
tuned his character to It's harmonious
impulse. IL was that that tied him to
the people with liak as strong as that
which bonds the land and sea together
keen thy heart with all diligence. for
out OF It are the issues OF the life." said
IL ls. In u hart hn "a