The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-09-08
AN ELOQUENT ADDRESS
Hon. w. w. Erwin Discusses the
Money Question.
ON A DIFFERENT PLANE
Instead Of Advancing a Glass, 1t Must
Be The Policy OF This Country to
Advance All Lift Up
the Majority.

cred an address on the money question
last night at the Auditorium before a
large and very appreciative audience.
Mr.. Erwin was the orator Of the day
at Anaconda on Labor day, and is wei
known as an orator and a champion of
the white metal. Mr.. Erwin was intro
duced by NJ. w. Sills. After the ap-
plause had subsidized, he said:
Ladies and Gentlemen: The money
question is not generally discussed by
politicians on the plane which the ques-
ton demands. 1t should be discussed IN
the character II represents to the coun-
try discussing IL. In other words, where
a country is entirely dissimilar to an
other, the money question cannot be
harmonlzed
we are a republic so far as political
liberty is concerned. Some are content
to produce i'm our republic a series or
privileges which will compare favor
ably with other countries. Some of us
look further and see in this republic the
evolution of higher liberties than ever
dreamed of by statesmen gone. our
fathers builded wider than they knew
The first shipload of them to this coun-
try came to establish liberty and II
never occurred to them that God was
TO be worshiped other than in the Puri-
tan way. Before the declaration OF IN
dependence all grants of liberty were
considered social favors to those upon
whom they were endowed and In no
case was Il ever claimed that liberty
was endowed by God to There
floats no mist between the American
and his God. In almost every other
country religion is a part OF the state
or government. 1t was the boldest
thing of our forefathers to cut loose
from all religion. There is within us
III 4, ,~sra pa1IaI ron GFipnCp and that
power should be left free 10 act. All
men were created free and equal, en-
dowed with life. liberty and the pursuit
Of happiness.
our government was started on the
plane that men were free and equal
and their voice was to be the controller
of the government. This condition or
equality must be preserved and our
/, policies must therefore be radically dlt-
> ferent from the countries governed by
despot kings. our education must De
different: instead of advancing a class
, our policy must be 10 advance all upon
, an equal plane, because, having equal
: power. he should have equal education
/ 10 enable him to enter into the discus
o sions Of the day and to Judge for him
4 self. Man is by nature, or VIII become,
+ the head of a little community called
r the family. he represents by his vote
the mothers as well as the youth Of our
country. No form of laws can make
| men equal: they can only provide that
e men by labor, sobriety and integrity
@ may become equal. We VIII have nc
pure legislatures, courts or schools
e above the majority of our intelligence
We have bound ourselves by our gov
m not to lift up ourselves unless
e We lift up the majority of mankind VIII
- us. and the safety Of our institutions
IS lies there. Not only must our policies
.e Of education be different from the poll
!, cIes Of despotism, but all our pollcle'
= must be different. A country like ours
III which stands to lift up the masses, need
- different policies. Russia has a popu
: lation greater than ours, and not
- freeman I'm the empire. The czar is no
:, even a freeman; he must walk between
- armed guards always; his empire
81, church and state bound together b,
oi fastenings no power of his can unloosen
~ the schools are under the hand @
,e tyranny: no man safe in the empire
As women called out and without trld
81 condemned to die in Siberia. Tina
GA country needs the gold standard. CAT
be plause)
Look at France, lighted by tn
nm cross. home of the arts, building re
publlcs only to be torn down by tn
10 masses. Look at England: there sh
= stands with her crown; there Is he
parliament with absolute power; ther
Is is her love and devotion to the arts
rs tocratiC classes: there she stand
ed locked up with the church. She ha
as handed over her sovereignty to II
Bank of England, who manage M
,er public debts, who has been granite
ne the power to raise or lower the II
terest. Two hundred years old ar
~ so worn into the English that the
on worship banks more than the crown
nd the constitution. Is II her policy
make her children equal? No, II
an her policy TO maintain the aristo
" racy.
,st I'VE should have a different mon
- tary policy from England. If II Is h
~ poIicV to maintain the classes, II shou
be our policy TO maintain the masst
20 England thinks the high classes shou
make rules to govern the conduct
- the common men. We dare TO tru
- ourselves in God while England war
her Moses. Until we declared poitiC
liberty, II was impossible for men
49, taIk Of economies, but when liber
he came the laboring men ut once beg
~ 10 discuss questions that had been Il
q. 10 statesmen. Does anyone supp'
,oyy gold and silver became money by !
will OF any king? II became money
and cause II cost all II Is worth IN mum
~ toll and because II is im~perishable.
t. was labor coined into impertshable n
terial. II IS to-day the only impcri'
a.. able material I'm the world. The Ia
,an est and strongest buildings ran IN
yeIstiveIv short time; the ratlrC
; 90 hanks would sink to the level II
~ constantly kept up; all machinery
a life Of less than 30 years-all Is =
the iShable' nut I'm go
The will not perish. To stimulate men
81, oct money Il was necessary to give
- an increasing value, and 50 inter
80 was created. Gold and silver '
sros never coined ut its cost. Taking
lpnn consideration tne VS. tha mi
any. the labor' anu 'he Hhat
~ been put into them. but on account
III ~ the interest men could we'll AFFORD
III produce Il at one-ffth its cost. !
en- labor IN TINS So"ht.s - ~, a
-otes OF men OF nore 49, ~ansy ,hro
not foCrat VINO pouu''H --s