Owingsville outlook. [volume] (Owingsville, Ky.) 1879-192?, 1898-02-17

o ate, and in that connection to max
Il such comments as deem necessar
d and proper under the circum
stances.
1t is To be observed that in tn
arraiSnment which precedes tn
resolution, there is no charge tha
| have ever disobeyed the express
cd will of the people of Kentucky
There Is no charge that any act o
e mine as Senator is subject to ami
I madversion or complaint; no init
I nation that have ever given q
1 vote which did not reflect the view.
of "A majority of my constituents
I or that | have at any time failed
T to look after their interests, or
have been wanting in any duty ia
them or to the country, or that
, am now opposing Legislation which
"A majority of the people of Ken
tucky regard as essential to the
public welfare, or that my personal
conduct, at any time or in any re-
spect, has been, to the slightest de-
gree, Incompatible with the high
position of an American Senator.
BY the silence of the arraign-
ment in these regards, the resolu-
ton atfirmatively implies that my
conduct as Senator is free from all
blame and open to no criticism,
even by those who are evidently
moved by the spirit of bitter polit-
ical prescription and intolerance.
The substance of the complaint
is that l am opposed to the free
and unlimited coinage of silver at
the ratio of l6 to |, and that l op-
posed the election of the nominees
of the late Chicago convention, and
by so doing betrayed the trust re-
posed in me by my constituency.
l shall not discuss the Presiden-
tial campaign of 1896. 1t is not
necessary to meet the charge that
| betrayed my constituents by op-
posing the election of the Chicago
nominees. My constituency is
made up of the people of Kentucky,
and that people voted against those
nominees, and twelve out of thir-
teen of the electoral votes of Ken
tucky were registered against
them.
If to be opposed to the free coin
age of silver, and in favor of main
tanning the parity of our gold and
silver dollars, is to be deemed IA
betrayal of trust, then l may be
pardoned for calling attention to
the history of current politics in
Kentucky from 1879, when 1 was
first elected to the Senate, up to
the time of my second election.
was elected TO ill an unexpired
term in February, 1898. In August
Of that year Congress met in extra
ordinary session 10 consider the
proposed repeal of the purchasing
clause of the act of July If, 1890.
called the Sherman law.
In October, 1898, voted against
IA proposed amendment tC the bill
for the free coinage of
silver at the ratio of l6 to |.
voted against an amendment pro-
viding for the re enactment of the
Bland Allison act. l voted against {
the amendment providing for the
free coinage of silver upon condi-
ton that the Government should s
receive in the way of seigniorage ]
the difference between the market [
and coinage value of silver bullion. |
In the discussion Of the bill ] '
declared that l would vote for no L
which merely expert t
nented with change of ratio or !
hat did not provide reasonable S
to insure the main /
of the parity of gold and
silver dollars. s
Those votes and that declaration n
we're known to all the intelligent I
people of the State of Kentucky. In t.
he month following the adjourn v
nent of this extraordinary session, il
he General Assembly, charged e
With the duty of selecting my sue p
'cssor, was chosen. 1t convened in b
January, 1894. My name was the b
'nly one presented to the Demo-
ratio caucus, and when the cleo d
ion came to be held l received the il
'ote of every Democratic member n
PRESENT. "
My views on the silver question b
we're as well known then as they are b
.nown today. They were then the 81
Jews of an overwhelming majority a
# the Democrats of Kentucky, and b
f an overwhelming majority of h
he Republican party in that State. h
stand today precisely where l y
TODD when received that unani- W
nous Endorsement by the Democrats W
t Kentucky. If those who were y,
n accord with me four years ago h,
re not so today, it is because they W
ave changed their opinions, whilst d.
have remained steadfast. l crit
Else no one for changing his opin- NJ
pms, but protest against being ii
enounced as betrayer of my b,
rust, because my views remain un- k
hanged. la
/ deny the right of self-seeking al
changelings, who were hi
nth me in opposition to free silver of
1hen free coinage was unpopular. bi
nd are against me now when free RI
oinage seems to meet Democratic ia
pproval i'll Kentucky, to sit in
Judgment on my Democracy, or to al
all in question my fealty to the oil
l represent. ic
l will remind those who voted for h,
he resolution that | am not the s,
,ere agent of the Kentucky Legis- al
ature. do not exercise my SEN it
torial duties subject to legislative b,
upervision, nor hold my place at