The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-03-20
/ and the international land grabbing


trust.
Instead of a system which would
chain our nation to the gold standard
and compel it to participate in all the
disturbances which come to European
nations. we demand an American fin
ancial system, made by the American
people for themselves, to be secured by
the immediate restoration of the free
and unlimited coinage of gold and sill
yer at the present legal ratio of 16 to l,
without waiting for the aid or consent
of any other nation.
The Republican administration has
admitted the gold standard to be I'M
satisfactory by appointing a commits
sion to solicit foreign aid in restoring
the double standard and a Republican
congress, even while trying to make the
gold standard permanent, has confess
ed judgment against the standard by
attempting to revive the deluSive hope
of International bimetallism.
Instead of the system favored by the
Republican party, under which nation
al banks are to be permitted to issue
and control the volume of paper money
for their own profit, we reiterate our
demand for that financial system which
recognizes the governments sovereign
right to issue all money, whether coin
or paper, and we demand the retention
of the greenbackS as they now exist
and the retirement of national bank
notes as rapidly as greenbackS can be
substituted for them.
We believe that private monopofies
are indefensible and intolerable and we
condemn the national administration
for its failure to enforce the present law
against the trusts or to recommend a
more effective law.
I'VE favor state constitution which
will prohibit the organization of a mon
opoly within the state and also prevent
a monopoly organized elsewhere from
doing business within the state; but we
further believe that congress should
legislation which will require every
corporation, before engaging in inter-
state commerce, to show that it has no
water in its stock and that it has neith-
er attempted in the past nor is attempt
ing to monopolize any branch of bust
ness or the production of any article OF
merchandise.
I'VE condemn the Porto Rico tariff
bill, recently passed by a Republican
house Of representatives as bold and
open violation of the nations organic
law and a fragrant breach of good faith.
I'VE assert that the constitution fol-
lows the flag and denounce the doctrine
that an executive or a. congress, created
and limited by the con ~titution, can ex-
ercise lawful authority beyond that
constitution or in violation of it. Be
leving that a nation can not long en-
dure half republic and half empire, we
oppose wars of conquest and colonial
possessions.
The F'ilipinos can not be citizens
without endangering our civilization;
they can not be subjects without en-
dangering our form of government, and
as we are not willing to surrender our
civilization or to convert a republic into
an empire, we favor an immediate dec
laration of the nations purpose to give
to the Filipinos, first, a stable form OF
government; second independence and
third, protection from outside interior
ence as it has for nearly a century
given protection to the republics of cen
trail and South America"
While the committee on resolutions
was out Richard l.. Metcalfe, of Omaha;
w. D. Oldham, of Kearney; w. B.
Thompson, of Grand Island, and A. G.
Tibbetts. of Lincoln, were chosen as
delegates at large to the national con-
vention at Kansas City.
While the convention was in the
midst of a hot row over the choice OF
alternates to the delegates at large, Mr.
Bryan appeared in the hall The sight
of him put a stop to all business and
the delegates went wild as he mounted
the platform.
MR.. BRYAN's ADDRESS.
Mr.. Bryans speech dealt almost en-
tirely with the three questions which he
has been discussing in various parts OF
the countrywide money question, the
trust question and Imperialism He de
nounced the currency feature of the
financial bill, and said that the Republi-
can party had never in a campaign adj
vocated the retirement of the greenbacks
and that it would not be able to defend
that bill before the country He said
that a national bank currency secured
by government bonds could net be a per
manent settlement of the currency ques-
ton unless we have a permanent and in
creaSing national bank
On the trust question he reiterated his
condemnation of the Republican party
saying:
1.-THE trust is so bad a thing that the
president felt it necessary to denounct
trusts in his message last year, but he
did not recommend a remedy
The trust portion of his message NIGH
be condensed as follows:
THE trusts are bad: for the life of me
I do not know what to do about them
l hope somebody knows more than do
and will suggest something.
"A Republican congress listened to the
reading of the message and then pro
ceeded to establish a paper money trust
which gives to the people a larger chanc,
of injury and to the banks a larger OBJ
portunity for. profit than any other trus
in existence
He said that the Republican party wa.
| powerlesS to interfere with the trusts. be
! cause the leading Republicans were con