The sun., 1900-07-05

applause men ne nmsnea was louu

"Hillt'' they shouted. But it was no
ticed that the New York delegation did
not respond to the enthusiasm. Hill
came in with Elliot Danforth of New
York and stopped at the New York row
Delegate John McMahon of Rome arose
and gave his seat to the ex-senator. Hill
smiled and thanked him. Meanwhile the
crowd continued to yell for "TIillv'
Lets hear Hilln. until the chairman
finally raped them to order. A few
minutes larer they renewed the call, but
the audience was impatient to get on
with the proceedings and showed their
dsapproval with Kisses.
When finally the chairman was able to
make his voice heard he introduced Gov
ernor Thomas of Colorado, the tempo-
rary chairman.
Chairman Thomas Speech.
A round of applause greeted Governor
Thomas as he ascended the platform. He
looked the ideal presiding officer; tall,
dignified, black garbed, his face showing
intellectually and force of character.
He held in his hand the typewriter
manuscript of his speech, and, in full
round voice. easily reaching to the re-
hottest corners of the building, he began
his address as temporary chairman. lie
said:
We are in very truth the party of the people.
Our declaration Of faith and purpose given to the
world four years ago has been strengthened by the
passage Of years and is cnsmined today in our
hearts and hopes. II marked an epoch in political
history and sYnhnlizcd the regeneration of the
party whose birth coeyal with the birth Of the
i 'niom, whose death that Union cannot long sur
| yiye u erystallizcd into an undying creed tlic
flfucpt' 81 pur f9undefs realtmGd tic objects of
I Democratic nr5anizatln and proclaimed Dcinoc-
taeY to ~ n1 l4neei name, hut "a great spEit
and lling heart"
ihe tlQsa u President uanis5n'4 administration
/ found tho coantu face 70 face with conditions ul
4 the greatest momeui deficiency in the pHb.ie
revenues throgh the reckless legislation sud
/ praiislte tNtriyagnnee of tile Fiiiyf,si congress
4 had =ler0me apparent Id The preceding october
4 bond issup, prepared IN February was postponed
1 " i legacy % tie incoming administration. Trade
and industry, lDng stimulated by unequal tariff
4 laWs, were staggering toward a crisis. Monetary
conditions disturbed and uncertain threatened
| early disaster The storm came in June, when the
elements long pent IN and long accumulating
\ burst in ttrH upon the continent. II shook the
| foundation Of ouf commercial fabric, overwhelmed
every branch Of trade and industry and spread
| bankruptcy and dGsolatiOn everywhere Its sub
sidence was The work Of years. The misery and
| ruin il inflicted was fresh in the minds and hearts
the receding food The stricken nation struggled
10 It's feet and painfully began the work OF eco
nomic reconstruction while statesmen discussed tho
| cause Of olr calamity. In the agony of our suffer
ing they clearly perceived and freely acknowl
edged its primal source vicious and indefens
Bile monetary system. Men differed as to the meth
od Of its reformation, not as to the necessity fol
change. They wranged over the merits d
standards, but united in eondemning an unsount
aud artificial financial system, the logical out
come Of whose operation inevitable disaster.
Division on Money Question.
The line OF division between political forces be
came therefore sharply defined in 1896 upon wha
was called the money question. That question in
vollpd, as we then asserted and as we now know
every otler economic problem II embraced with
in its wide limitations the issues OF labor an,
capital, of combination and competition, Of pro
ducti6n, transportation and distribution 1t wa
predicted that the defeat OF bimetalsm would b
followed by The retirement Of all forms Of govern
nent currency, hy the dedication OF the power o
note issue TO the holders of the national obliga
tion, the practical consolidation of all lines 0
transportation and tile consequent domination o
every commercial pursuit by Of colossa
m1uopurs These predictions have in genera
been verified.
Democratic defeat had scarcely been recorde,
when the march of consolidation was resumed
Every pursuit that engages the attention Of maj
The earth and the waters roundabout il hav
been explored for subjects of monopoly, and thos
who have tuindered against unsound money hay
used the printing press and the engravers art t
turn out thousands of millions of fictitious values
to whose profit tle toIers and consumers pay con
stant tribute Every avenue is closed to the com
petitive energies OF the citizen, has been listed OF
the stock exchange and rises and falls with til
turn Of the gamblers card. Consultations sue
coed consultations and they lessen in numbe
they enlarge in the volume OF their real and fcti
! tious atcumulaiOns and their more tespotic swa
over all material and political interests Thes
evils startling in their magnitude and ineyitabl
in their consequences, must either cnlminate i
one immense aggregation, all powerful and al
, absorbing, TO be arrested and dissolved by I'll
force OF an aroused public opinion finding expires
sion at the polls in support OF the nominee
this convention.
The marty in power carried the last election b
and through the support of influences which "
criticise. Having purchased the right To pursu
| their various objects the government has been q
, all times their powerful ally Hence the onwar
\ march Of organized wealth to absolute power
and the exatption OF the dollar above the right
and the welfare of the multitude The crisis in OIL
= commercial affairs, whose issue, presented in a
acute form to the voters of 1900 is that OF indus
trial despotisnl as against the liberty Of the cit
: zen.
Money Question Not Dead.
II Those who assert that the money question
!, dead have given but little heed to the lessons
| experience. II can never die until it shall II
ceive the righteous solution. II it be true tha
our monetary circulation is the ifeblood Of OF
: commercial system, il must follow that upon il
, | wholesome quantity depends our continued we
f fare. Nostrums administered in times OF stre'
may postpone but cannot defeat the demand tc
complete and thorough renovation OF yiciot
: and destructive policy. The Democratic part
I will accept nothing short OF this; no substitut
I for the bimetallc principle upon which substal
: ial and enduring prosperity must depent
S Through all vicssitudes of political fortune II
@ needle OF its compass points to that as the mas
. netic star of sound national policy.
The phenomenal increase in the annual outpt
OF gold has materially added to the general stoc
; of primary money and relieves some part OF II
e stress or contraction which succeeded the cosui
h of the Indian mints to silver in 1894. The cons
oil auent improvement in business and industri.
conditions may be traced directly 10 this fact, a
though the failure of crops in various portions
, | the world and the wagirg OF great offensive Wa
!, with its accompanying expenditure Of treasure hi
y contributed to the general result. The enlsrg
n ment of the sum of our metallic money has cheaI
ened its value, stimulated prices and set I'll
wheels of enterprise again in motion.
81 II the enormous gold yield Of the past Il,
u