The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-09-17
most to the point Of violence and yet grace

mostto the point of violence and yet grace
full and fully under control. He said:
Mr.. Chairman, Fellow-Citizens: The gen
tleman who opened the proceedings tonight
announced that this demonstration was
fair sample Of what Minneapolis can do
Tor sound money at short notice. 1t Is
stronger proof of what Minneapolis can do
for sound morals at moments notice. My
friends, when we say that this question of
morals that dominates this campaign, we
do not desire to be understood as casting
any reflection upon those or our fellow-citi-
Zens who have been misled into a riotous
and disorderly attack upon the constitu-
tional methods of government which have
prevailed In this country for over q CEN
tury. We believe that If MR Bryan under
stood precisely the character of the issue
which he represents he would himself be the
most active and perhaps most enthusiastic
OF the opponents, who would be raised up
among the American people against doc
trines which are hostile to the integrity of
American institutions. We stand here to-
night to take counsel with each other in
grave crisis, In my Judgment graver
crisis than that which confronted the peo-
pie of the United States when the gun Of
secession had been trained on the American
flag, and at Fort Sumpter we became con-
vinced that secession had taken the field
and that the American republic must fight
for It's existence.
The struggle of 1861 was a. mere question
as to how far the Jurisdiction of the United
States government should extend. No one
pretended that the government where 1t
existed should not be used and exercised
for the defense of property and for the
encouragement of industry. The Issue
which now confronts us Is not whether
the stars and stripes shall wave over every
foot of territory Of which the Union Is
composed but whether the flag of the
1Yrl< hall 3D.
mon honesty, for the faithful discharge of
public and private obligations wherever 1t
may wave and wherever It's influence may
De felt. Now, this issue has not been made
up by those Democrats who, like myself.
are compelled to defend the ancient prin-
ciples of our party by opposing the nomi-
nee OF our party convention The issue has
been made up by that convention Itself
1t has been rendered to the American peo-
pie; 1t has been declared in platform of
Singular BOldness,
1t has been repeated in a hundred speeches
made throughout this country by the nomi-
nee, and 1t presents to the American people
the naked question as to whether there is
sufficient honesty to maintain the repub-
lie which has been founded on American
patriotism and preserved by American
valor until this day the type of American
virtue everywhere. New, upon this issue
the Democrats who have always been
with the Populistic gentlemen who have
managed to capture their convention, and
we stand before the American people to de
fend our principles by asking them to defeat
the candidate who bears our party name
Dut VINO misrepresents the party faith
Now what is this ancient faith of ours
what does the Democratic party represent?
II were asked to define Democracy /
would say 1t was faith In the speople-faith
In their capacity to manage their own af-
fairs; faith in their business to hold the
scales of administration even between all
members of the community; faith In their
ABILITY to recognize their own true interests
faith In their courage to accent and defend
them whenever they are attacked by what
ever force from without or from whatever
source of disorder from within That has
been the Democratic faith from the begin
ming OF the country. Unless that be De-
mocracy free institutions are impossible
Now In the Chicago convention, throughout
all OF Mr.. Bryan's speeches. we have the
declaration made again and again that the
government OF this country has become cor
rupt; that its monetary system has been
controlled by TIE agents of foreign money
lenders; that the interests of the American
people have BEEN sold by faithless repre-
sentatives to foreign money lenders; that
the monetary affairs of this country have
been dominated by a set of foreign usurers
more rapacious than those whom the Savior
OF mankind scourged from the temple at
Jerusalem, and If tina. statement he true,
then this government of the people is no
longer a government for the people; 1t Is
no longer administered In the interests
OF those who compose the citizenship of
IN country. 1t has been leyeled against
the toll of the laborer and against the in
terests of the producer. 1t Is scheme for
the spoliatlcn Of citiz and should have
been allowed to perish from the face Of the
no n nf ;r;l
lapned it's foundation and threatened the
'ntegrit of Its existence
Is the Republic a Failure.
Now, friends, the question which is pro-
pounded to you by the gentleman who man
aged to capture the Democratic convention
at Chicago is simple question whether or
not the American republic is q failure:
whether the constitution of the United
States shall succeed as the glorious fruit of
human wisdom and human virtue, or
whether 1t Is shameful monument Of
human folly and human depravity; whether
1t should be preserved as a best defense for
human rights or whether 1t should be de-
stroyed as an obstacle to human progress.
We who are Democrats believe that there
was never a time in the history of this
country when the American people would
have submitted to system Of spoliatlon
at the hands of any force whether it be
foreign foe or whether 1t has been by the
representatives who have foresworn their
duty and betrayed their trusts. We believe
that this is the best government; we believe
this Is the fairest land, that it has the most
fertile soil, that its citizenship embraces
the prOudest men and the purest women.
and Its flag floats over the most beautiful
land that the Creator has permitted to ex-
list on the surface of this globe
Mr.. Bryan would have you believe that
we are suffering from various injuries per-
petrated by what he calls the crime of 1873
He declares that the people Of this country
have been outraged by bad legislation. that
the laborer has been despoiled and that the
farmer has been oppressed. Is that state
ment true? / put it to the citizens OF this
town, | put it to the people of the United
States wherever l have met them. is the
American republic engine of oppression
of It's own citizens. (Cries Of .sNoul Is the
American republic which has been saved
upon the field of battle worth preserving
now by the battles of free men? fCrjes Of
'tYes''l
What are those grievances of which Mr.
Bryan complainsi Can anybody make them
out! Cries of (..No.''l Cans anybody under
stand just precisely what it is that he
claims the people of the United States are
suffering from? Cries of '.No,') Can any-
body understand the remedies which he has
suggested? Cries Of ~No'O
IL understand the question he proposes
to enrich the people of the United States
by cutting down the wages of the laborer.
He proposes to the laborers of the United
States that they should engage In strike
friends, this is not my statement it lis
His Own Statement.
In his speech at Madison Square Garden he
mir