Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1900-05-25

cities had been disposed of at such
prices as to leave little doubt Of crimi-
nal collision in etfecting such sales.
The credit of the State was on the
wanc; warrants were per cent below
par; the Indebtedness of the State had
reached the sum of $2.3lO,O00; ignor-
ancc, distrust, incOmpetency, dishon.
csty and general decentralization char
acteriled the conduct of public affairs.
After three Years of reform admins
tration we find the credit and reputa-
tation of the State above reproach.
Interest on State warrants has been re-
duced from eight to five per cent.
and still they sell at or above par
More than $SOO,UO of Republican in
debtedness has been paid; taxes for
State purposes have been reduced; the
public lands and the tide lands, so far
as possible, have been restored and pre-.
served for Use and benefit Of the COM
munity at large; and in every depart
ment of State affairs, economy. eff
cheney and honesty have been charac-
teristic of the officers whom the good
people of this State elected in 1896.
The Democracy OF Washington is to
be congratulated for the work it has
done in upholding and maintaining
the honor and integrity Of this young
State, and in redeeming it from the
hands of the party which had de-
bauched its public service and de.
spoiled its name and reputation.
Fellow Democrats, the work of this
convention should be harmonious and
decisive.
To make the electoral vote of this
State certain for the Democratic ticket,
in order to make the vote of the Paci-
fic coast States and the mountain
States certain for the Democratic ticket
the delegation from this State must be
instructed to use all honorable means
to secure the nomination for Vice.
President of our own able lawyer. peer
less orator and dauntless champion of
the peoples cause, Colonel James
Hamilton Lewis. [Applause.]
The eight delegates selected by this
convention to represent us at Kansas
City must understand that among the
$4,000 Democrats of this State there
is no division of sentiment as to who
should be our candidate for President.
The same man, who four years ago,
with the wisdom OF a Jefferson, the
courage of Jackson and the ex-
allied simplicity Of Lincoln, led us
against unparalleled odds almost to
success, must again be commissioned
by the Democracy of the nation to
lead us to glorious victory. That
man-six and half million men
learned to love him four years ago, a
million more have since joined our
forces-that man is the ideal citizen,
statesman and patriot, William J.
Bryan. Applause and cheering.l
That we will be compelled to meet
the subtle influence of the combined
greed and avarice and selfishness of
the whole country there can be no
doubt. Never before have the forces of
plutocracy been as arrogant as now.
Never before has the money-power
been as brazen as now. There are no
principles of morality they will not
trample under foot; no laws they will
not violate; no rights they are bound
to respect. Above the rights of man,
above constitutional government, above
human liberty itself, are the trusts, the
money-power and the combines en-.
trenched in power by virtue of laws
enacted by the Republican party. To
meet these forces, to resist them, to
crush and defy them, is the task which
the Democracy of this nation has as
sumed for itself and its intrepid and
courageous leader. Before the cohe-
sive power of plumber, before the ener-
waited cohorts of Republicanism, we
will not hesitate, we will not equivo-
cate, we will not compromise, and we
will succeed. [Applause.]
A few days ago, Mark Hanna per-
mitted the Republican party to go
through the formality OF holding a
convention in Ohio. The boss had his
servants call him before them and he
then delivered himself OF speech
that for audacity, Misrepresentation
and falsehoOd, has never been equaled.
After making the monstrous assertion
that from the beginning of our govern
ment to the Inauguration of our pre-
sent administration the balance of
trade in our favor amounted to only
1910, OOO,O 600, as against 81 400, OO0, 900
under Mckinley, he proceeded to
affirm that the Republican party had
fulfilled every pledge made in the
platform of 1886. could not obtain
the total figures showing the balance
Of trade since the beginning of onr
government, but since 1873, to June
80, 1897, it amounted to 50, 455, 666. 149.
This shows a slight discrepancy be-
tween the facts and Mark Hanna's
statement, amounting toss, las, 666, l49.
l apprehend that this is about as near
the truth as he ever gets. But
has the Republican party kept it's
promises; has it fulfilled its pledges?
The party declared in favor of inter-
national bimetallism and pledged their
honor to promote it. Instead of doing
this they sent a commission composed,
with one exception, of gold.bugs to
Europe, and before they reached
their destination the administration,
through the Secretary of the Treasury,
had cabled to the capitals of Europe
that the administration, backed by an
overwhelming majority of our people,
were in favor of the single gold stand
ard. Such duplicity was apparent
even to Republicans.
| Infamous as was their conduct in
this particular, there were still baser
deeds for them to do. In the financial
bill recently enacted into law, they
have followed the commands of their
masters in New York., London and
Berlin, and placed us absolutely on o
gold standard basis. The bill also
provides for refunding more than
$500, OOO, 600 of our national debt, now
payable in gold or silver and due
within the next 10 years, into 3O-year
bonds, making them payable in gold,
and gold alone. Not content with
this treachery, they 60 still further
and surrender to the national banks
the governmental prerogatives of issu-
ing currency, giving the banks the
| of !.