The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1897-01-16
welcome such democrat back into the

welcome such a democrat back into the
fold. ~ !.
The same fight which. Andrew Jackson
Waged against the national banks is still
on. The retirement Of the greenbacks
was a step towards banks control OF the
currency When money was needed by
the people he protested against a cash
balance" in the treasury of $225,ooo, 900,
$50 600, 900 of which was in greenbacks
or treasury notes.
He criticised the republican policy OF
higher tariffs, and said:
while the republicans have not yet
had an opportunity to write their policies
upon the statute books, they have pro-
| ceeded far enough to discover that the
mere encouragement of republican sue
cess does not restore prosperity. 1t the
| advocates of free silver had won, every
| bank and business failure would have
been attributed to their success, and the
gold standard papers would have been
loud in their wailing. But the republic
an organ, although compelled to chronl-
Gle an increasing number of business tall
ures over the corresponding period OF
last year, never connect these failures
with republican success"
He referred to the mortality rate
among banking institutions. One bank
had announced as the cause OF its failure
inability to realize 6H upon assets. p"
This notice, he said, was confession OF
the argument made during the campaign
by the advocates of free coinage that the
gold standard was destroying the value
of assets. With money rising in value
and property falling i'll value hard times
must continue That this was not due to
local causes is evident from the fact that
the same complaint comes from other
nations. The press dispatches state that
the holiday trade: in Germany was dis
appointment to the merchants.
%The fact that Senator Wolcott Of COL
oralo has been sent abroad by the presi-
dent-elect as an ambassador most extra
ordinary, to bring Europe to binletallism
is an. evidence,'' said he, that the gold
standard is still concealing its blessing
from the American people. If the gold
standard is the standard of civilization,
why should we risk return tx, barbar-
ism by chasing after international bimet-
allisn? Ii Senator Wolcott succeeds in
stirring up silver agitation in England,
he will be accused of disturbing business
and destroying confidence in that great
center of financial confidence, London
If his errand proves fruitless one, it
will only give additional evidence that
the United States must act alone
He closed with an exhortation to keep
up the fight for silver, in the course of
which he said: "No newspaper can long
exist without readers, and unless the adj
vocates of free silver are willing to sup
port newspapers which represent their
ideas they must expect to be without
newspapers" and he urged silver clubs
to support newspapers which champion
the cause OF bi1netallis1n
1OlloWiAlS MIL La yclAi >cliAS NoFNAAoA
Altgeld, to whom had been assigned the
subject, Character and Mission of a mi
4,1otity Party Then came r. M. Ridge1y,
slate postmaster at Springhclds 1ll:, who
WIS recently removed by Cleveland for
offensive partisanship."o He seemed
we'll in touch with his subject, for the
reason, as he alleged, that he had lately
been up against it"
John w. Tomli,1son, OF Alabama, was
the last speaker on the regular list and
he delivered an eloquent address upon
Memories of Heroic Conduct. After
MIR. Tonllnson came a number OF local
members OF the silver democracy who
spoke, some briefly, some at considerable
length.
ALTGELD'S TALK.
Governor Altgeld declared that the
three democratic conventions preceding
that of 1896 had been dominated largely
by corporation interests and that the
nominations had been practically don1in
ated by the corporations. The conven
ton of last year was, he declared, the
first instance in which the people had
broken away from these influences and
made start for themselves. He pre-
dicted a brilliant future for the silver
party, and, in closing, paid an eloquent
tribute to MIR. Bryan, who had, he said,
made the most phenomenal campaign in
political history.