The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1896-09-04
DAVID ovEEMYER.s SPEECH.


1t is to be doubted whether any
Republican speaking against it, will
80 clearly and cOnclusively demon
strate the inherent weakness of the
silver cause as did David Overmyer
speaking for it at the Opera House
last Saturday afternoon. Mr.. Over
myers business in life Is to make the
worse appear the better reason. He
is pleasing and powerful orator and
a most accomplished casuist and
pleader. And so when he failed, as
he did fail utterly, to present single
convincing argument why this coun-
try should embark on the experiment
of free coinage, it is simply because
there is no such argument ts be pre-
sented. No amount of Oratorical skill
can avail man if he starts out to
demonstrate the proposition that the
moon is made of green cheese.
Mr.. Overmyer is lawyer and he
has learned we'll the maxim of that
"lawless science" which Gays: "If
the law and the evidence are both
against you, abuse the other Side!"
"Knaves", "thieves", TRAITORS, Gun
fumigated scoundrels who violate
every law human and divine", were
some of the endearing terms with
which he characterized the farmers
and merchants and lahOring men who
venture to protest against a policy
which they believe will bring upon
them ruin and disaster.
Mr.. Overmyer has spoken to Popu-
list audiences long enough to find out
that the surest way to gain their ap-
plsuse is to attack the rich and exag-
gerste the poverty of the poor, and so
he spent nearly fifteen minutes talk
ing about the "bitter and hopeless
bondage" into which the money
sharks" had brought the people.
Coming at last to the real question
at issue, he began with the false
statement that England abandoned
the free coinage of silver in 1916 at
the behest of the money changers.
The truth of history is that the action
was taken at the demand of the husi-
ness men of England, and for the
reason that they wanted sound and
staple currency which free coinage of
both metals for 47O years had failed
to give them.
This false statement was followed
by another, declaring that the aban-
dOnment of free coinage was done in
the United States "sneakingly and
surreptitiOusly". AS matter of fact
free coinage was abandoned by the
United States in 1858 by Democrat
ic Congress three years before the
Republican party was born. But
that the act of '73, to which Mr..
Overmyer doubtless referred, was
passed "sneakingly and surreptitious-
ly," has been so often and so publicly
disprOven that we were surprised to
hear a man of David Overmyer's
standing repeat the stale and musty
falsehood.
Confidence rests upon CASH., said
Mr.. Overmyer. "You can never
have confidence until you have more
metal money!. Well, in 1910, in the
good old Democratic days that Mr..
Overmyer wants "restored", the to-
tai amount of metal money in the
United States was $50, 200, 900. In 1895
the total amount of metal money was
81 ,260, 97S, 506. That is to say, we
have Is times as much metal money
now as we had in 1910, while we only
have four times as many people.
Either there is hitch somewhere in
David's logic or else the lack of con-
fidence in 1910 must have been some
thing awful.
money has got so fine haired",
says Mr.. Overmyer. "that it won't |
work" Gold is worth more to hoard |
than it is to invest". Since when? |
Since the Democratic party came in
to po1Oer! David failed to tell US
that. During two years of Harrison's
administration 10000, 900 in gold, or
Its equivalent, was taken from the
banks and invested in manufacturing
Gold wasn't "too fine
haired to work. when the Republi-
IAN party was in power. 1t was not
Until the Democratic party came,
with its free trade and its threat of