The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1896-10-24

their business with. For nearly 100 years
we had experience of that money, and it
is a curious coincidence that when we had
it wheat averaged 81 25 bushel Cap
plause.
''Now, in 1873, when silver was worth
more than gold, the Republican party de-
cided that you should have no more silver
for legal tender ca voice "They
fixed it !")
~ am farmer, and have kepta strict
account Of the earnings of my farm since
1862 While l may be considered an
amateur farmer, | assure you that until
1878 succeeded in making farming pay.
They may say German is not a fair sample
of farmer. He's too much of politician
to be good farmer. daughter Iplead
guilty, but l answer that l have secured
the services of the best farmer in the state,
and he has failed to make my farm pay.
{ Loud applause. The change, there
fore came upon us after they struck down
silver.
BACK TO THE OLD ROAD.
'Now, we want to 60 back to the old
read, and when we proclaim ourselves for
the coinage of the constitution they call us
Anarchists. (Laughter.)
''My friends, the first time | began to
believe there was conspiracy existing to
control the financial policy of the nation
the first time | recognized the hand of
England in this eonspiracy-was when
the movement was on for the repeal of
the Sherman law.
Democrats did not think much of the
Sherman law. At the most we regarded
it as cowardly makeshift, and many of
us were for its immediate repeal, but we
wished to repeal it and then do something
for silver.
"You remember that period of panic
when the Barings failed, when there was
paralysis at home and abroad? Then it
was the bankers that crowded the halls of
Congress, shouting, Repeal the Sherman
law. They wanted it done at once.
They were the most impatient lot of fell
lows ever saw. Laughter. The Demo-
Gratis in Congress opposed unconditional
repeal They quoted Baron Rothschilds,
who, though England's representative at
the Berlin Conference, said My gov.
ernment is for the gold standard, but l
want to say, if this conference adjourns
without arranging to utilize silver, you will
have the greatest panic the world ever
saw. 1t was vain to plead for silver in
that fight for the repeal of the Sherman
law. The administration, Cleveland and
Carlisle, and the mighty press of the East,
were against the friends of bimetallism.
As chairman of the Senate committee, |
said with two-thirds of my party loyal to
silver and, with many Republicans in the
same boat, let US see what we can do for
silver. Don't hurry let us consult and
do the best we can.
BY NATURE A CONSERVATIVE.
| am by nature a conservative, and
then, as always, [ desired to take con-
and what | thought to be wise
course, which might lead to an ultimate
solution of the difficulty. Morgan, Black
burn, Harris of Tennessee, all these ardent
friends Of silver, men who were regarded
as extremists, were willing to consider a
reasonable compromise. All these men
who are now called Anarchists and repudi-
ators were ready then to compromise.
They said ''We will agree that all past
obligations Of the government are paid in
gold, provided the law that jackson ap-
proved is put back on the statute books.
But they were not the enemies of com
promise. The banks and the administra-
ton kept up their pressure l and others
tried still to secure some understanding by
which there should be some condition to
the repeal; but it was all in vain
Merchants from all over the country
were pressed by the banks to demand
of Congress repeal, and unconditional
repeal. l was charged with delaying it,
and the people were misled, and were
told that | was an enemy of their bust
ness interests and responsible for all the
depression. At last repeal came, and you
know the results Then came the tariff
struggle. Every Democrat was pledged
to tariff reform, but the government didn' t
have any funds to meet its current ex-
penses, and while | recognized the fact
that many Democrats favored free trade,
1 recognized, also, that the government
had to have sufficient revenue to meet its
demands, that we have to pay as we go,
and in this instance, too, thought it bet
ter to pursue and advise my fellow Demo-
Gratis to pursue course which might secure
for the government, at least enough revenue
to run the country
''Here again l was charged with delay
ing legislation and Jbstructing progress.
Laughter.
"Well, we finally got bill through,
and then came the bond issues and the OPP
portunity of the banks to get in their work
with their gold. (Applause No farmer
could buy those bonds You couldn' sell
enough wheat in a year to buy one of
them. Who bought them? The banks,
and they bought them with the gold that
they drew from the United States Treas
ury with their greenbaeks. applause. J
Two hundred and sixty two millions of
those bonds have been issued in two years
Where are they? In Europe or in New
York, in the hands of the gold hoarders.
$ EXTRAORDINARY MESSAGE.
"Then came Cleveland's most extraor-
dinagy message, advising that these bonds
be payable in gold, not in coin No
Congress had ever dared to attempt to
make such provision, and Congress in
this case, too, refused to consider such a
1t said s'The word gold
shall never enter into the obligations of
the United States They said let them
take their bonds. They have already ex-
acted SIS, 900, 900 and more from the
nation in these bond deals. Shylock, ycu
shall have your pound of flesh, but not a
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