The San Francisco call., 1896-10-13
PALMER AND BUCKNER.
They Make Rigorous Denunctations o.
the Chicago Ptatform.

They Make Rigorous Dentnctations of
the Chicago Platform.
DETROIT, MICH, Oct. IL. = Generals
Palmer and Buckner delivered addresses
before an audience of 2500 persons at the
Auditorium here this afternoon. Both
speakers were warmly welcomed, General
Buckner being received with great enthu-
siasm. Each candidate spoke for about
an hour and was frequently interrupted
by applause. General Palmer was the first
speaker. He said in opening that he had
been used to attacking Presidential can
didates, but he was now compelled to be
decorous and decent. He said that he and
his partner represented in some degree
restored union, ald that the prin-
ciples they represented were those for
restored nationality and patriotism. He
said that whatever the result of the
impending election, from this time
forth National ambition will be open to
men of the North, the South. the East and
the West, and that hereafter the young
men will have chance in National poll
tics. His party was the representative OF
pure Democratic opinions. The conven-
tion at Chicago which called itself Demo-
cratic had no other claim than that it
claimed to be Democratic. 1t had been
controlled by influences entirely strange
to the Democratic party, he said, and he
charged that there had been distinct
understanding among the leaders of the
Chicago convention that the Populist and
Free Silver parties would nominate Mr..
Bryan. The mention of Mr.. Bryan's
name brought forth applause and cheers
from the free silver contingent III the
audience.
General Palmer then discussed the
l. Il Io
whole theory upon which free coinage
rests is an experiment. He himself did
not know whether the free coinage of sill
yer would raise the commercial value of
the bullion in dollar to CO. 20, 80, 80 or
100 cents-neither did Mr.. Bryan and his
followers; and he asserted that free COIN
age would be Il ruthless experiment upon
the business of the country. He did
know, however, that the silver dollar
could not be made worth the present gold
dollar. He declared that there was no
want of money in this country, and at tn e
present time money was the cheapest he
had ever known it to be. Business men
were not buying it, however, as they
cannot invest it profitably, and lenders
cannot afford to take risk under existing
political conditions.
In closing he said the Chicago conven-
ton had no right to declare that to be
Democratic which is not Democratic, and
said he would prefer a sensible monarchy
to the rule of the trainers of the Chicago
platform.
When General Buckner was introduced
many in the audience rose to their feet
and cheered. He discussed the principles
of the different parties, and declared that
the principles of Jefferson are the
principles the National Democracy is ad-
vocating, and these principles cannot be
changed without the fall of this Govern
ment. He defended the right of the Gov
ernment TO enforce its laws, and said it
was because the Government did not en-
force the laws relating to the Southern
States that the latter seeded.
He charged the Republican party with
issuing the fiat paper money which, he
claimed, is the cause of all the present
trouble. He declared that the delegates
to the Chicago convention had been in
structed to adopt Democratic PLATFORM
but they had trampled down the princi-
pies of Democracy and left not plank,
and in lieu of such they had adopted a
set of Populistic principles which the
Democratic party have been ombating
for 100 years. He attacked the Federal
interference and Government injunction
planks and applauded the courts for en-
Joining Debs and his followers, and Presi-
dent Cleveland for sending troops into
Chicago. He then went into a discussion
of the money question, followed closely on
the line OF argument used by General
Palmer.
Not more than 1000 persons were pres
ent at the close of the meeting.