Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1896-07-09

ScculluS bcll pTdlsc3 dud you du uOt
willing to admit it Internationally and
without reserve. Of course, am not
one of those born leaders of men, as
are my distinguished competitors, all
of whom / freely admit are Julius
Caesars, Napoleon Bonapartes and
Oliver Cromwells in embryo, if not in
disguise. Idare not make comparison
in these high qualities with any of
them. / would not be so presumptu-
GUS as to do that. know in the pub
lie eye would be instantly dwarfed
should presume to stand up by the
side of Julius Caesar Ball, or either of
the others. In Mr.. Bali recognize a
man of superior parts and confess that
he and all my opponents are men of
great reserve power; and freely ac-
knowledge that during the last two or
three years of terrific party strife they
have been remarkably successful in
their efforts to reserve their powers.
They have not wasted them in the
fight for free silver coinage. They
have been remarkably prudent and
have husbanded their resources we'll,
indeed.
AS for myself, while not pretending
to competition with these warriors in
buckram, can at least lay claim to
having done some service in organic
ing the scattered and disconsolate
hosts of Democracy and arraying them
for that mighty struggle which has
just resulted in one of the most mem
orable and important party triumphs
in all our history. was, as you
know, one of the first and most
persistent advocates of the movement
which eliminated in the Pertle Springs
convention of 1895. After the conven-
ton was called I was, / believe, the
first man to suggest that the conven-
ton should increase the State COM
mittee so as to bring the majority of
that body into harmony with the
dominant sentiment of the State, and
I advocated it to the utmost of my
power until it was accomplished. I'M
der the authority of resolution
adopted by the Pertle Springs conven-
tion, was appointed by Mr.. Bland as
one of the delegates to represent this
State at the Democratic bimetallic
conference called to meet at Washing
ton in 1895. At my own expense
went there and contributed all 1 could
to the success of that conference,
which resulted in the organization of
a central committee composed of SEN
ator Harris, of Tennessee, as chair
man, and six other leading Democrats
of the United States, among them be-
ing the Governor of our State. To this
body was committed the work of or
ganizing the free coinage Democrats
of the nation. This committee after
wards met at Memphis and appointed
local organizers for every State and
Territory in the union. I was appoint
ed organizer for Missouri, and at
once entered actively upon the work
committed to my hands. From the
day OF my appointment until the ad-
journmento of Sedalia convention, l was
constantly in the thickest of the fight.
I wrote thousands of letters to Demo-
Gratis all over the State urging them to
active organization. / wrote weekly
articles for the papers, and arranged
to have them printed in large num-
Der of country papers, with the object
in view of stimulating hope and arous-
ing our friends to active work. At my
own expense bought and distributed
a large number of "Coin's Financial
School, in both German and English,
and also largely at my own expense /
had Senator Vests great silver speech
printed in German and largely distrib-
uted among our fellow citizens of that
nationality. was also the first to ad-
vocate in the public press that Mis-
souri, should send solid silver dele
cation to Chicago. This did in the
KansasCity papers on the day the State
committee called the Sedalia conven-
ton. The opposition papers attacked
me bitterly for making such a propo-
sition. They referred to It sneeringly
as "The Stephens Plan," and cried
out bitterly against 1t. Nevertheless
it was adopted. All these things and
others have done in the discharge OF
my duty as the appointed organizer
of the silver forces of Missouri. OF
course everyone knows tnat | have
worked in conjunction with Governor
Stone, Mr.. Bland and others. I lay no
claim to any monopoly Of the credit
due to those who organized the Mis-
souri, Democracy and put it in form to
lead the great revolution which has
been wrought In the last II months.
But all these gentlemen with whom
Ihave co-operated know that do not
Ioverstate the work have performed
as my part Of the great struggle.
| And now In conclusion desire to
say that IL the Democracy OF this
grand old State shall place it's standard
in my hands win undertake to effect
the most thorough organization the
party in this State has ever had, and
under the national Leadership OF oul
Igreat eommoner, "Silver Dick" Bland
or of some other great advocate OF oul
cause, we viii win the greatest victor,
the party has won in this State fol
many years; and il ! am elected Gov
ernor. I pledge you win strive with
the single object of trying to make thu
best chief magistrate Missouri hai
ever had-at least viii strive TO ds
!, 1.-THE best / can.