The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1900-08-08


grcss is the most mOnstrOus measure
ever placed on the statute books. It
Is sometimes called The Ovcrstreet bill,
but it should be called the Atlantic
City BILL" because it was cOncOcted
there in vacation by cOterie of Re-
publican magnatcs in secret cOnclave.
In my mind Atlantic City is the poor
est place in America to ascertain the
settled sober sense or conviction Of tho
American people.
That bill not only established the
gold standard, which the Republican
party never promised, but it retired
the grecnbacks, and let me say that if
the Republican party had promised to
retire the greenbacks there never
would have been Republican con-
gress TO enact such law, and there
would not have been Il Republican
president to sign such q measure.
l will not argue the greenback ques-
ton. l have simply this to say: There
never has been q war waged by our
country in which the greenback did
not give us the victory, and if the
grcenbacks were good enough money
in the civil war to induce men to leave
their homes, their wives and little
children to risk their lives on q thou
sand battleficlds in defense of their
country. then it ought to be good
enough money to pay gentlemen who
make their living by reclining in the
shade of Wall street, clipping gold
coupons off coin bonds. If the green
backs arc not good money, then, as q
matter Of common honesty, we owe it
to the old soldiers to pass law even
ut this late day paying them the diff
ference between gold and greenbacks
from 1861 to 1865.
Republicans Have Changed.
BY that Atlantic City bill congress
abdicated the paramount function of
government. the money making func-
ton, and turned it over to an assOcia-
ton Of national bankers, Il function
too vast and too dangerous to be given
to any citizen or corporation. That
Dill brOadens the money question and
puts it Oh the high plane on which
Andrew Jackson fought Nicholas Bid
die and the old Bank Of the United
States, and, rs he conquered in the
thirtics, SO will We conquer under the
leadership of the great Ncbraskan.
l repeat that while we maintain our
position OF 1896 i'm favor of the free
and unlimited coinage of gold and sill
YER ut the historic ratio of 1G to 1 with
out waiting for the consent of any 9th
er nation OH earth. the Republicans
have changed theirs and changed it
radically.
! do not have to make assertions or
quote Democrats to show that we are
right on the money question. l will
quote You Republican of the highest
degree. Certainly Republicans ght
to believe each other. for nobody else
will believe them.
My Republican witness says: Il ar.
for the largest use Of silver in the cur
rency Of this country. would not
dishOnOr it. I would give it equal
credit and honor with gold. | would
make no discrimination. | would util-
ize both metals as money and discredit
neither | want thH double standard"
These be potent words. They were
fifty spoken and are like apples of gold
i'm pictures of silver. They are clear
and unmiStakabie In their meaning.
Now. my Republican friends. you who
are engaged in the condemned business
OF wOrShiping the golden calf, what
orator and statesman do you suppose
tNrniblc ~ Inr In, f.,
vor of silver which have just quoted?
1t wasn't Silver Dick Bland-God bless
him. 1t wasn't William j. Bryan, the
peerless leader of the Democratic
hosts. 1t was no Democrat, no PODu-
list. 1t was n man whom you delight
to honor. Don't all fall off your seats
In fit Of apOpleXy when | tell you
his name. 1t was the head man of the
Republican pie counter. William Nc
Kinley, president Of the United States,
and now running for reelection on Il
gold standard platform after signing a
gold standard bill. He is the man who
said 1t. He said it on the floor of the
American congress. 1t is so printed in
The Record. You can't deny it. He
can't deny it. Those words were spo-
ken by William Mckinley. your idol
with front of brass and feet of clay.
spoken by him while hc was yet free
and before he had fallen under the
malign influence of Mark Hanna and
his foul crew of political buccaneers.
What's more, Mckinley in addition to
speaking in favor of silver vOtcd for
1t and voted for it repeatedly. He
voted for the original Bland silver
bill. which was Il bill for the free and
unlimited coinage of gold and silver
ut 1G To |. He voted for the Bland
bill with the Allison amendments. and
when futhcrfraud Il. Hayes vetoed
the Bland Allison bill William McKin-
ley voted To pass it over the Hayes
veto. which was the noblcSt act OF his
public career.
In passing II may be- proper to state