Omaha daily bee., 1896-10-13

PALMER ON a CHEAP DOLLAR.


Points out Few of the Evils that
Would Accrue from Free CoInngc.
DETROIT, Mich, Oct. 1.-Two candidates
Of the national democratic party appeared
this afternoon before an audience which
entirely filled the auditorium When they
entered the hall, escorted by several promi-
nent democrats. the audience rose and
choered Hon. Don NJ. Dickinson presented
Postmaster John j. Enright as chairman Of
the meeting as a "stalwart democrat from
Detroit. who fired the first gun at Chicago's
conspiracy" After a brief address. Mr..
Enright presented General Palmer who was
enthusiastically received.
General Palmer was cheered repeatedly
by those present, most of whom arose to
their feet He said he would not discuss
the attacks made against the right of the
United States to enforce its own laws, but
would talk about the currency question.
MI BRYAN proposes said he, Ito add to
the currency already in circulation by the
coinage of silver. Unless the free silver
men can make a dollar, under their free
coinage act, of equal acceptability with our
present money. all the other money will dis
appear and you will have as currency only
the money provided by free coinage. What
ever free coinage fails to add to the AZ cents
that the standard silver dollar IS now worth
above it's bullion value VIII be public loss
on our $3.50, 0000 0OO our present circulation
Mr. Bryan claims that under free coinage
silver and gold will meet at some point
and that will be the standard. but nobody
has ever been able to say where that point
is. People talk about a 53-Cent dollar. !
do not know whether il would be a 53-ceul
dollar or a G0-Cent dollar, and | know as
much about IL as anybody else. Now, what
would be the value OF the silver dollar when
not maintained by the pledge OF the gov
ernment? The government has undertaken
to redeem these silver dollars at full value,
and | have right to demand that the gov
ernment keep good faith with me In this
silver dollar: and the government will do
IT, unless 1t is deprived of the power to do
1t. (Applause.) If free silver prevails, gold
will be a commodity which will have to be
bought and borrowed and 1t will be hard
to get; but If we had this question settled,
money would soon come from its hiding
place Men who have money are just as
eager to use 1t as you are to sell what you
have to get 1t. When the American pCo-
pie declare, as they will at the next cleo
ton that public and private debts shall
be paid in the money OF the contract you
will find money plentiful
In conclusion, speaking of party authority,
General Palmer congratulated himself upon
being a free resident of a free country, and
as such free TO do his own voting In the
fear of God. For himself he would prefer
to live under a righteous monarchy than to
submit to such principles as those declared
by the Chicago convention. After three
hearty cheers for General Palmer, General
Buckner was presented The great majority
OF the delegates to the Chicago convention,
he asserted had been instructed by their
county and state conventions to frame the
platform In accordance with well defined
democratic principles but they had been
misled into adopting a set of populistic prln-
ciples which the democratic party had
fought against for a century While his
associate and himself did not expect to be
installed at the national capital they did
believe they would be instrumental in saw
ing the life of the democratic party and
they believed It would forever survive even
the stabs Of its friends.