The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1898-10-20

the honor and good faith Of this grea
nation.
have seen, on account of the excitin
times through which we have recentl
passed, many exciting and inspiring
scenes, but have seen none more In
spring than that which occurred In tn
house of representatives on the 3lSt da
of January 1898, when the so-called Tel
Ter resolution was considered and defeat
ed by the full strength of the Republican
majority. That resolution was not join
resolution, which when enacted and ap
proved would have the force OF law; 1
was simply concurrent resolution
which does not require the approval Q
the president, and which, II adopted, i
only the expression of the opinlo
of the two house OF SohsIes
and inferentially of the people the
therefore, was in the fact that If thu
house should adopt it and thereby concu
with the senate it would nave peen III
evitably regarded here and throughou
the world as an expression Of the deliber
ate Judgment of the majority OF the Am
erican people as to their standard or non
or and good faith in the dlscharge o.
public and private obligations. IL wa
artfully drawn, with It's numerous asr ~ ~
ambles and whereases, so as to seem U
be a mere expression by congress OF u,
power and technical legal right or tne
government as to the
Payment of Its ObliGatiOns
and as TO what may be declared
legal tender. Upon these questions
there could be no difference of opinion
No one would deny that this or any
other sovereign nation could pay lts %.
LEGATIONS in full, or in part only, or not
at all; that it could pay them In goid OF
silver or paper or copper or anything
else that it might make legal tenoer'
according to its own pleasure. ANY SOY
ereign nation can do that. EVerypooy
knew that payment could not De enlorceo
against it and that it's obligations were
measured by it's own sense OF hohoI anu
good faith. But covered up under Cnese
preambles and whereaSes there was
declaration which was not an ASSERTION
of power or even of technical lesa5,
right. but a declaration of the standard
Of honor and good faith which the Amer
lean people were prepared, under eAlstinS
conditions, to proclaim to the W0Llu.
This declaration was as follows: i.at
to restore to it's coinage such silver COLTS
as a legal tender in the payment OF such
bonds" (meaning all the bonds OF the
United States now outstandang) IS not II
violation of the public faith nor IN dero
cation of the rights of the public creolt,
or in other words, that we were TO go my
the unlimited coinage of silver dollars at
the ratio of 16 to /; that these coins were
to be made legal tender, and Whether
they remained at a parity with golu or
sank actually or approximately 10 Inc
commercial value of the SILVER IN tnem M
our bonds and other obligations, whether
the creditor was willing to receive tneHi
or not, and that such payment Woulu mo-
he in violation of the public falth, or IN
derogation of the rights or puolc creuis
tors. And all this in the face of repeated
declarations by the country and pledges
embodied in positive law, that we Would
maintain the parity in value of the COINS
of the two metals and the equal power
of every dollar at all times In the mar
Eets and in the payment of debts; In
the face of the fact declared by zen.
Grant that at the time of the issuance
of the first of these bonds 1t was under-
stood by everybody that they We're 10 De
paid in gold or it's equivalent; IN the Lace iace
tion the people had declared for eXactly
the reverse in the presence OF condltlons
of calamity and depression sucn as the
country had seldom before witnessed;
and in the face of the further fact tnat
the country had shaken off those comb,
lions of blight and gloom, had struggled
again to its feet and again had its race
turned to the rising glories of the coming
day.
That resolution came to the house on
the 31st day of January, 1893. 1t was re
ceived with cheers by the Popocrats-I
call them so because there were Demo-
Gratis even in that house who refused TO
receive it with honor. In five hours-ln
one session of that body-it was stripped
by the Republicans of all the subterfuges
which had been resorted to to conceal
its real character, and literally
Kicked With Scorn
back to those from whom it came.
The responsible majority of that
came. The responsible majority of that
house did not hesitate. In one short ses-
Sin country
and to the world that they would not
temporize or trifie with such PROPOSE
ton, that the opening flower of national
prosperity should not be bHghted in the
was safe in their hands, and that they
would preserve and maintain unchanged
their standard of values and would keep
without equivocation their pledges of
honor.
Many statements have been attributed
to me of late that I have never made,
many positions that I have never as
sumed, and this has been well known to
those who have so stated. 1 have never
said, I do not say, that the financial ques-
voters in this campaign. 1t is a question
as important as ever, one which the vot-
ers should have constantly In their minds,
especially in this district, but one which
1 firmly believe is already decided before
hand in the minds of the people, one
which they are determined shall remain
settled as it was settled in the last cleo
ton. I believe they are determined now
to countenance no more of this agitation
and to turn to other and greater ques-
tons. It is only necessary that they
shall know for what man stands That
is sufficient. Argument Is unnecessary.
Two years ago all over this country,
all over this state, in every village and
school house in this district, that Ques-
tion was discussed in all its phases, sub
jected to every light, exposed to every
view, in the presence of conditions more
favorable to the cause of silver as then
and now presented than ever before
known in the history of our country, and
let us hope more favorable than such
conditions will ever be again, and the
people by an overwhelming major1ty-1n
those states which were not controlled by
polluted ballot boxes or by some special
local interest or fancied grievance-the
most overwhelming ever shown by the
returns of any Northumberland In IA
yor of the maintenance of the present
gold standard the standard of all the
great and enlightened nations of the
earth. Those who cast that vote then
can have no reason to change it now.
While thousands who honestly and sin
cerely voted the other way have since
been convinced of their error by the un-
answerable logic of accomplished facts,
and ever moving events, and will as
frankly and sincerely and honestly
Turn the Other Way.
These accomplished racts known to