The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1896-09-12
TELLER TALKS ON SILVER
FIRST SPEECH IN ILLINOIS AT HIS
OLD HOME.
British Commission Found Bad Con-
dition of Things i'm All Gold
Standard Countries.


ry M. Teller delivered his first speech
in this place today. The crowd that
assembled was variously estimated at
from 1000 to 5000. This is the former
home of Senator Teller. He leaves here
tomorrow morning for Chicago, where
he will spend the day with the execu-
tive committee of the democratic party.
He will then go to Grand Rapids,
Mich, where he is announced to speak
en- Wednesday next.
Senator's TeIIer's Address.
Senator Teller was greeted with
warm cheers upon MS appearance. He
said in part: 81 have been a student of
financial questions ever since L have
been in public life, and that is almost
within a few weeks of 20 years. 1 be-
lieve, and l think the history of this
country will sustain me in the asser-
tion that the most important question
that the people of any country are
called upon to investigate and pass
upon is, what shall be the monetary
system of that country? 1 believe that
the question the American people are
called upon now to settle is of more
Importance to them than any other
question that has ever been submitted
to Americans for their consideration
and determination. l do not believe,
however, much as there was at stake,
so much human suffering and so much
woe could have come to the American
people if we had been divided and
there had ben two republics establish
ed on this continent instead of one,
as will come to us if this local ques-
ton now submitted to you shall be
wrongfully decided, and we shall enter
| upon a monetary system which will
probably last for all time; or at least
there is danger that it may, one that is
| absolutely unjust and threatening, in
my judgment, not only to the prosper
| ity of the people and the perpetuity of
| free government here, but free govern
ment in all other countries. Because
1t must be true that, if this great re-
public shall fail to discharge the duties
incumbent on a republic, and should
go down in disaster and distress, there
would be no further effort made among
men for the uplifting and the sustain
| ing of humanity.
There would be, in my judgment,
with our destruction, the end Of free
government throughout the world.
Not to BE Settled Inv VituperntiOn.
TT is a question not to be deter
mined by personal attacks upon those
who advocate it, not by slurs, not by
SANDER, not by abuse. The American
people are too great and too wise and
too good to settle an important ques-
ton like this upon such points as
have named. We must settle down in
this campaign to argument and rea-
son. Why, in the name of heaven,
should I come here to talk to you now,
unless 1 have an interest in your well
fare and in the welfare of the Ameri-
can people? What interest have [ in
this country that you have not got?
Somebody, some newspaper. may tell
you that I am an agent of the great
silver producing people of this coun-
try; that I am directly and personally
interested in the production of silver
Some of you have been my neighbors
many of you knew me more than a
generation ago. You knew me in my
youth and in my early professional
life
Where TeIIer's Interest Is.
Il believe in the years that 1 lived in
your community 1 established some
thing of a chracter for decency and
truth 1 have endeavored in all my
life, public and private, to deserve this
commentator of my fellow citizens
because / was honest and truthful and
outspoken in my opinions concerning
public matters, and let me say. / have
no more interest in this question than
you have. I have never mined an ounce
OF silver in my life. l own no silver
property. Almost all my fortune, be
il little or great, is involved and IN
vested in gold mining in my state.
II have been connected with gold
mining for 35 years, and if / had any
personal interest 1t would be in the
appreciation of gold. 1 believe 1 need
spend no time discussing the question
that the financial condition of this
country is not good l believe you
will take notice of the fact that ir
every part of this land, after 81 years
of absolute peace, with no foreign com
plications and with no domestic diff
culties, we are in greater distress thar
we have ever been in the history of this
land; that there are moro IDLE men
more houseless and more homeless mer
more men traversing the country anC
begging for opportunities to labor thar
at any other time in our history.
rs not that a fact? Is it not tru,
that this condition existing here exist.
in every country under the sun tina
has attempted to maintain a golC
standard? 1t is our opponents whC
propose a system of finance that haC
only the support, up to 1871. of two ma
tions, only two-one the great creditor
nation of the world, Great Britain
and the other the poverty-stricken anC