The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1897-01-07
INAUGURAL
ADDRESS DELIVERED BY PRESI
DENT J. G. HARMONY,
At the Meeting of the Bimetallic
League Wednesday Night-Pur-
poses of the League and what 1t
VIII Ennfe nd for.

will Contend for.
The inaugural address Of President
John c. Harnony, delivered at the meet
ng of the Bimetallic League Wednesday
night, is appended in its entirety, in ao-
oordanoe with a resolution adopted by the
League:
Gentlemen of the League:
To use the words Of His Eminence,
President Cleveland, at is q condition
which confronts us-not theory" A
condition felt, II not understood,
throughout the length and breadth OF
this nation; a condition more disastrous
han fire. food or famine, and the end
not yet
The gold standard trlumphed at the
ate election. "conflderce" has been re-
S tored, but the condition remains, except
hat there have Deen more business fall
ures; there has been more scaling down
Of wages and more enforced idleness since
the election of Mr.. MoK,nlss and the
riumph Of til so-calleo nvuosp ,.ollar than
before.
There is a cause for this condition.
Such conditions as now distress this
nation can be brought about in three
ways only BY a general failure Of
crops; by prolonged and devastating wars
or by vicious legislation or unwise govern
mental policy. There is no war and prac-
tically we are at peace with all nations
We have had bountiful crops and are
now in the midst of abundance. Our
granaties and store-houses are filled to
over-howing Millions Of sheep, cattle
and swine are ready for slaughter,
awaiting market. So far as food
products are concerned, our land Is
over-nowiDg with 'fatness" Yet, in
the midst Of this abundance, there are,
this night, tens Of thousands Of honest
and intelligent American citizens, cry
ing for something to eat, while hun
dreds Of thousands more do not know
where the next meal is to come from.
Over three millions of workingmen are
out of employment at the present time,
ard daily, this vast army of unem-
ployed is rapidly increasing. Working
men and working women who would
willingly earn "their bread in the sweat
of their brow" If only given a chance to
do so, are either slowly starving or are
unwilling recipients at the hand of
charity.
Labor is willing and anxious to produce
the necessaries and luxuries of life for
those who may need or want them; but
there Is no demand for their labor and
they must snffer. The farmers Me will
ling and anxious to sell the products of
the soil and the farm in order that they
may surround themselves with few
home comforts, and to give their chill.
dren the education which every child
has a right to demand The mapufac-
turer is anxious to supply the farmer
with tools and implements necessary to
a high standard Of farming. So We
have 1.-THE laborer and the manutao-
turer anxious to supply the farmer and
he farmer in turn anxious to feed the
hungry, so that both could be COM
ortable and happy.
But the mills and factories are
closed. The wheels Of commerce are
ogged. Tens of thousands of willing
and intelligent working men trampinR
the streets, while their families are cry
ing for bread. The farmer cannot
either sell his products at all, or get
sufficient price to enable him to get new
tools and new farming implements, or to
nav his debts, and to buy few necessaries
and comforts OF life with which to make
his family happy. There is cause for
his deplorable condition. 1t Is not war;
is not a general failure Of crops. To
what. then, must we attribute the causeS
To a wretched financial policy-a result
which grew out Of our late civil war;
a useless issue OF bonds, paid for by de
precisted currency, d their value doubled
by making them payable in coin and their
value still further increased by striking
down one-half the coin in which they
had been made payable. One class Of
corporations permitted to issue money
and the denial of the same right to
all other classes The rich exempt from
axation which must be Dorne by ro-
duciug classes The money which has
aved the nation and given the people
prosperity funded into Understanding
bonds and destroyed. Currency advanced
on the government debt without stopping
the interest on the bonds. A monetary
5 ystem inaugurated requiring reserves
or the purpose Of making money scarce.
Money boarded so as to compel our peo-
ple to borrow, at home and abroad.
Trusts and mbinations organized foI
purposes of extortion. All this has been
done in the interests OF the classes, with
out any adequate protection to the
masses.
Believing these to be the causes
which have brought about this evil
condition, it shall be the purpose Of
this organization to aid la securing the
repeal of such laws as have robbed the
masses of the "gifts Of God to man,
and in securing, the rights which have