The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-12-24
A POLITICAL REVOLUTION.
The Republican Financial Bill Will
be Repudiated.
EXTRACTS from speech of Hon. Theo. i
Kluttz.)

! EXTRACTS from speech of Hon. Theo. i
Kluttz.)
| The distinguished gentleman from
Ohio, (Mr. Grosvenor). derisive1y asks
| what predictions made by the Democrats
i'm 1896 have been fulfilled.
had the honor, sir, of being a Demo
cratic electoral candidate in 1896. and in
am active canvass daily charged that the
Republican party was hypocritical in ats
platform pretense of favoring bimetal-
lism; that amy effort Of Republican adj
nlinistration to secure international bl-
metallism would be perfunctory and for
political effect only, and that if successful
in electing William Mckinley President
that party would, in defiance of its
pledges. force the single gold standard
upon the people of this country.
My Republican opponents Indignantly
Denied these charges, as did my distin-
gllished colleague (Alr. Linney), who sit>
upon the other side of this Chamber. and
as did the distinguished Republican
Senator from North Carolina, neither OF
whom would be here today but for theil
professed friendliness to bimetallism.
Our people were assured that the Re
publican party was honestly in favor OF
bimetallism and that they differed from
lis only as to the best and safest man
ner of securing it. In the light of subse-
quent events, and particularly i'll the light
of this proposed legislation, l can un
hestatingly point to these fulfilled
charges and predictions in answer to the
gentleman from Ohio.
Mr.. Chairman. why is this Legislation
demanded at this time? Why in this
year. intermediate between Presidential
| elections, when neither party declared III
| favor of a permanent single gold stand
ard i'm the last Presidential campaign,
| both declaring, ON the contrary, i'll favor
of bimetallism and when an era of UNI
paralleled prosperity is claimed by our
friends ON the other side; when it is
boasted that we are already under the
gold standard, with all its alleged bless
ings: when the people of this great
country at the very latest opportunity
have declared in favor of bimetallism by
| the election of William Mckinley upon
professedly bimetallic platform-why l
| ask. should the serenity of the politico
| financial atmosphere be disturbed at this
time by the attempted passage of this
! revolutionary measure?
/ may be mistaken, Mr.. Chairman, but
in my opinion, sir, it is largely because,
in the results o. the recent electiC:r, III
the reduced Republican majority in this
| House. the force behind the Republican
party see the handwriting on the wall
| and realize that if this legislation is not
forced at this iuncture the opportunity
may never again present itself to that
| party to write the single gold standard
| into the laws of our land. applause on
| the Democratic side.)
But, gentlement, in your eager haste to
! falsify your past pretentions, in your
willingness to stultify yourselves to do the
bidding of past and prospective cam
paign contributors. let me warn you that
this BILL which carries III its belly whole
catalogue of woes, though it may be
forced upon us here by unusual and re-
evolutionary methods, is yet to pass UNI
der the consideration of an intelligent
and indignant people
When they learn, as learn they will,
! that YOU have been false to your profess
Sions and platforms: that you have GOV
Gritty but effectualy destroyed the
greenback; that you have added silver to
the endless chain for withdrawing gold
from the Treasury; that you have chang
ed every contract now in existence or
| hereafter to he made, public and private,
! i'm favor of the creditor and against the
debtor by writing the cruel world gold
into it; THAT you have abdicated the con-
stitutional right of controlling the cur
rency of this country to the sole control
of the national banks: that you have
renowned the right of Congress to con-
| troll the issue Of Understanding bonds
| and conferred that supreme and dang
.crous power upon the Secretary of the
Treasury; that you have stricken down
at one fell sweep $900,000,000 of legal
| tender money and made gold the sole
money of payment in the United States,
| leaving in circulation only gold and ma
tional bank notes, my word for it, Mr..
| Chairman, political revolution such as
| this country has never seen will sweep.
as with "a Bosom of destruction, from
place and power the party which could
] upon a deceived and outraged people.
| dare to force this infamous legislation
| applause ON the Democratic side)