The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-10-25


been compelled to say to my fellow-citizens,
Lend me your ears daughter and ap-
plause.)
This campaign is one of the most peculiar
that has ever been conducted in American
politics. There is nothing peculiar about
Whatever there is of peculiarly or gro
tesqueness relates to the condl tion of the
now, as always in it's history stands for
the public faith and credit, for the integrity
of the national administration and for the
integrity and honesty of our public finances.
The Democratic party is in a singular state
or disorganization and disruption. Its con-
vention has been seized by those who
We're not the old and trusted leaders
of the party, but men who have re-
ers have been swept to one side and new
men have taken the direction of the party.
and If we may believe the statements or
expressions of Democratic sentiment, those
py nov in s,G control t Of it have turned it
from Democratic principles. (Applause)
The result of this has been a revolt. and
we now have the instructive and reassur-
ing spectacle in this country of Il large
body of influential and conspicuous Dem
ocrats throughout all the country repudi-
ating the platform adopted at Chicago, re-
pUdating its candidates and making plea
independently--at whatever cost it may be
the integrity of the Democratic party and
for the principles of it's old leaders. zap
plauS6.) j say 1t Is a F6aSSurlng spectacle
for my countrymen. Though always a Re-
publican, [ have always held it to be a
tenet of Repubcanism to put country. its
interests, it's integrity and its flag above
Nartisanship. Great applause.)
THE GREAT WORK OF THE PRESS.
1 can hardly be expected at this stage of
the campaign to introduce anything new
into the discussion which has now been
progressing SO long. 1t has been, in a
higher degree than any campaign of which
I have knowledge, an educational cam
paign: and in this work of education the
newspaper press of the country has had
conspicuous and worthy part. Great as
has been the contribution to the country
in past campaigns of the American press,
it has never rendered conspicuous
service as 1t has rendered in this cam
paign. Applause) The issues have been
OF the people with that deliberation and
temperament which is practicable in writ
ing where there Is easy access TO authority
and to data. The voice of the campaign
orator is limited: it depends upon the aid of
the press for any wide or permanent in in
fore in the history of this country, certain
ly mover since the struggle of 1861. has the
great and potent power OF the great news
SO intelligently and so powerfully exerted
in behalf Of true principles in government
and in finance. (Applause) .
Mr. Bryan has attempted to fortify the
positions which he Is defending by quota
tons from prominent ReDuDICdnS. he mas
done me the honor Qaughter) to refer to an
extract in one Of my messages as President.
In 1890 there were great commercial disturb
ances. The failure Of the Barring Brothers
one of the great banking houses OF the
world. had introduced a condition of fear,
approaching that Of panic. Several times
in the first two years of my administration
there seemed to be an urgent need for such
help as the government could give to the
increase of circulating money. More
than once during that time the surplus
which had ACCUMULATED in the treasury
was expended in the purchase of bonds in
order that the money might go into chan
nes of business.
THE SHERMAN BILL
In that year, under pressure from those
who favored a larger use of silver. the
Sherman BILL as it has come to be called,
was passed. To those who were instru-
mental in formulating and passing it, it
seemed to be a necessary compromise with
those who were then pressing the extreme
measure of the free coinage of silver. do
not stop now to discuss the wisdom of that
measure. Looked at from the surroundings
in which it was passed, it seemed to be
necessary and expedient The money issued
under it based upon a gold dollars
worth of silver bullion purchased and de-
(applause)-the law authorizing the pur
chase OF four and a half million ounces of
silver each month, providing for the issue
of what have come to be called treasury
notes, and this bullion held in the treas
ury pledged to their payment; and not
only so. but in the law itself was written
the pledge of the government that it
would maintain these notes at a parity
with gold. (Applause) This was not free
coinage There was here no departure
from the doctrine that all of our dollars
shall be of equal value and that we shall
never coin q dollar of inferior value. (Ap-
plause)
/ expressed the opinion that the issue of
this money at the time 1t was issued and
under the circumstances of threatened
commercial panic that prevailed at that
time. had had a beneficial effect upon
business and upon the markets Gap
(applauSe); but l venture to say that l
cannot see how any advocate of a coinage
ment, the. parity OF which is not to be
maintained in any way, can find any COM
fort in that declaration. (Applause) So
far as this is an attempt to make it ap-
pear that / have ever said anything upon
which an argument for free coinage could
pc pTed!caleo, submit that IL Is without
foundation. (Applause.) 1 have spoken
upon this money question in every, cam
paign in Indiana in which 1t has been in
as nave SAID before you may recall
those utterances, you may search every
speech that have ever made, every mes
sage that l have ever written and l defy
any one to find in any one of them any
thing that is inconsistent with the declar-
alton l make now (applause); and that
declaration is that this country cannot al
ford to issue deprecated money, and that
the errand Of a deprecated dollar is one
workingmen of this country (Great APP
plause.)
ALWAYS OPPOSED FREE COINAGE
| quoted the other day from a speech
made in 1876. 1t is not, however a question
of consistency; it is a question of princi-
pie but L resent the idea and repudiate it
that any man find in any utterance of
mine anything that in any measure sup
ports the present proposition for the free
coinage of silver at the ratio of is to l.
(Applause) In my messages / distinctly
declared against it. Mr.. Bryan was for two
years during my administration member
of Congress, and he knew and every friend
of free coinage in the House and in the
Senate knew what would have been the
fate of a free-conage bill il it had been
sent to me. (Great appiause.) He has done
me the favor to say that when / wrote my
messages / spoke as a statesman. U4augil-
ter.) l spoke then as distinctly against free
disparagement to suggest that / speak now
as politician. (Laughter.) My friends,
have never adopted that easy code of po-'
Itical moraiS that authorizes one who seeks
an office to affect certain views, and when
he has got the Office to cast them off as q
masker casts off his domino when the dance
is ended. (Applause.)
Mr.. Bryan, OF whom as candidate of
party for the presidency l must speak with
tain Republicans, among whom he classes
me, have been illustrating that marvellous
conception of Robert Louis Stevenson in his
story of DIR. Jekyll and Mr.. HYDE" that
we have had two characters, two voices;
that we are not consistent upon this great