The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1899-03-22

the surplus population OF overcrowded
Europe, that IL gave new foo ls, such a.
Indian corn and the potato, to the world
and created a vast commerce which
benefited the whole world alike. They
cay that next to this was the discovery
of gold in California in 1840-because Il
vastly increased the worlds supply oil
moley, and thereby made necessities oil
what had been formerly Injuries, that il
nabled the great middle classes to sit in
chairs, to eat at tables with knives and
forks, to have carpets upon their hotrs,
pictures upon their walls, to build
school houses in which to educate their
children and to build churches in which
they could worship God.
II this is true then the next greatest
discovery was the finding of silver in
almost imitless quantities in our west
ern mountains.
There it lies unmined and untouched
in shining heaps as when placed there
by tho Creator for the enrichment OF
mankind. But this vast wealth which
would bring such unmeasured happiness
to the American people aud the world is
locked up, not by the will OF the people
themselves as those who love them but
by the savage greed of the money trust,
the parent of all the trusts,
Why cannot we treat silver as we treat
cotton in the south, coal in Kentucky,
or iron in PenusYlvania-as great
wealth producer?
Why cannot We treat it fairly
LIT every man in thie audience i'm
agine that he is the member of colony
g iii g out to occupy a rich island of
which we have heard Every man has
an equal interest in the island and is 10
labor for the common good. When we
reach it we will fell the forests, build
houses, churches and school houses,
roacs and bridges. We take gold and
silver with US with which we trade with
the natives of the surrounding islands,
but by-and-bye we feel our Importance
as nation and we desire mint and
money of our own.
A party of hunters come in and report
that in the mountains of this island
which belongs TO all OF us great deposits
OF both g Did and silver have been found.
leave it to any person present, be he
republican, gold man, or populIst, if, as
business proposition il would not be to
the interest of all to mine and coin both
gold and silver alike.
Even If more powerful island adjoin-
irg had single standard, whether gold
OF silver, wound it be wisdom upon our
part to strike down one.half of our
metallic wealth?
Every one will say mol but that was
exactly what we did.
We may grant that in some respects
MIR. Cleveland was a great statesman,
but as all graf doctors sometimes do, he
made mistake in his diagnosis. In his
message demanding the re-
peal of the Sherman Silver Purchasing
Act which brought on the panic of 1893.
He said that foreign money lenders
who were furnishing the money for the
gold syndicates which were developing
this country doubt ID our ability to
maintain the parity OF the silver we were
coming. As the silver dollar had in it
only about 80 cents worth of silver as
measured by the gold standard, but the
money l-nders fooled Mr.. Cleyeland.
They knew, as everyone knows that
every hoof of stock, every town lot with
its buildings and every acre of land in
this country was pledged to the integrity
Of our money.
And to show that they knew this and
that the cry of intrinsic value was a
sham and a deeoy, tor Mr.. Cleveland and
'uch as he within a few short months
hereafter they walked up to the desk of
he secretary of the treasury and paid
arge premium for our bonds which were
mere written promises to pay, having no
intrinsic value and but for the credit of
he government would have been worth |
10 more than Jimson seeds.
The bonds were not PAYABLE in gold |
Tor were they payable in coin but in the |
awful money of the country. Thirty |
ears hence at a time when there may
,e no government existing.
What is that magic, what sleight-of-
land performance which makes a print
ID paper bond of the government in
better than the so cents
worth of silver in the silver dollar
There are none 80 blind as those who
will not see" But the bindest gold
democrat or republican cannot fail to see
hat Mr.. Oh. veand was imposed upon
o say the least.
We split upon slavery, for a long time
IpOn the tariff and again on silver, but
appeal to you that whatever may be
our views upon the question you will
lot verify the predictions OF our enemies
nd split upon the question OF expan-
ion.
Let's discuss the matter dispassionste-
y among ourselves, and after haying
one that let's agree that the sjJIity
nay rule. In the sense of conquest or
be subjugatlon of people.
l am not an expansIOnist. But | be-
eve that owing to our common school
ystem We are the most intelligent peO-
lie on the face OF the globe; owing to our
atent laws, which have 80 greatly slim
lated our inventors, we have become a
nation of mechanics, and we know
lore about machinery, electricity and
3 appliances than all OF the balance of
he world put together Old countries,
Ike France and Germany, are buying
ar machinery, from bicycles to locomo-
Yes, as we'll rs Russia and South Africa
On account of our constitutional pro-
isiOn guaranteeing to the citizen the
ght 10 bear arms, from the grandfather
18th his riffs in his rack to the boy with
Ia toy pistol, we know more about max
y, cleaning, repairing and using fire
rlns and explosives than any other
eOple.
We have about 100000 of popula-
on, and they are like lot OF fish in a
Dnd, the larger swallowing the smaller,