The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-07-05
R1oHARDsoN's SPEECH
On Assuming the Permanent Chair
manship of the Convention.

=
manship of the Convention.
In assuming the permanent chairman
ship of the convention, ]. D. Richard
son of Tennessee said
am deeply sensible of the great hon
or you have bestowed upon me in calling
me to preside over this great Democrat
ic convention. We have been clothed
with the authority to formally name the
candidates who at the next election, are
to be chosen president and vice presi-
dent OF the United States; and to lay
down a platform of principles upon
which the battle is to be fought and the
victory won. With your permission 1
Will address myself to some of the is
sues of the impending campaign
The last great national contest for SUI
premacy was fought mainly upon one
issue-that is to say one issue was para
mount in the struggle. That issue was
involved the question of the free coin
age of gold and silver at a ratio of six
teen parts OF silver to one part OF gole,
with which all OF US are familiar
The momentous issue this year is
again sixteen to one, but the sixteen
parts to the one part of this campaign,
which I will briefly discuss, are wholly
different from those of 1896. 1 will first
refer to the sixteen parts and then to
the one part. These sixteen parts are:
First-We have the issue fraught with
indescribable Importance to our people
native born. and those who have for
with US namely, that of the republic
against the empire. On this part alone
of the sixteen, If there were no other we
confidently expect to win a sweeping
party stands for empire. The Demo-
cratic party stands for the republic. for
the declaration of independence, and
the constitution of our country.
Second-The paternal and fostering
care given by those with whom we con-
tend, tic, the combinations of corpora
tons and companies into powerful or
ganiZatiOnS Familiarity known as trusts
Under three years of Republican rule
while they controlled the presidency, the
senate and the house of representatives
that is all of the lawmaking power of the
government, trusts have been propaga-
they not only dominate all markets, both
the buying and selling, but defy the
very power of the government itself.
The farcical efforts put forth by the
Republican party in an alleged attempt
to restrain them in the dying hours of
the late session of congress only excited
ridicule and contempt. and served to
emphasize their inability and disincIi-
nation to grapple the monsters and reg
ulate their conduct and actions. No
matter what their excuses may be- the
fact is their policies have created them,
and, though clothed with all power they
refuse to enact legislation to control
them.
Third-Called to power March 4, 1887,
under pledge to reform the CURRENCY,
they seized the first opportunity to fas-
ten upon the land the highest protective
tariff law ever put upon the statute
books of any country
This law was enacted not to raise rev
enue, but TO give protection to favored
manufacturers It failed to raise suffi-
cient revenue for the government but
answered the purpose of enrichfng the
favored few while it robbed the many,
and a the same time, brought forth
trusts to DlaUIIe a ra
lice and loeusts of Egypt Their high
protective tariff is the mother of trusts
Fourth-This administration came into
power with a solemn declaration in IA
vor of bimetaIIisrn and a pledge to pro-
mote 1t. It has failed to keep that
pledge It has erected in it's stead the
single standard Of gold. and has en-
deavOred to destroy all hope of bfrnet-
a powerful national bank trust and
has given US a currency based upon the
debts and liabilities of the government.
We stand for b1metal1ism and not for
a mono-metallic standard of either one
or the other metal
Eifth-The dominant party has recent
~ made the fraudulent declaration that
1t favored the Monroe doctrine; and yet
their president and secretary of state
have done all in their power to nullify
and abrC=ate that famous and much
revered democratic doctrine.
In the name of its democratic author
advocacy of this truly American doc
triae as false and hypocritical- We
stand for this doctrine in its essence
and form. and demand its rigid en-
forcement
Sixth-In order to obtain place and
power they pledged themselves IN the
interest OF an expanding commerce. to
construct waterway to connect the
two great oceans They have repudi-
ated this promise
They have negotiated the Hay-Paunce-
fote treaty, which. while it virtually
abrogates the Monroe doctrine, renders
it impossible to build an American ca
nal Under the terms and provisions
OF this treaty, which is English and not
American, the canal can never be con-
structed-
We stand for an American canal.
owned. constructed, operated and forth
fed by America
Seventh-They declared in their plat
form that their party was responsible
for the merit system, that it was their
creature and that the civil service
should be protected and its operations
| extended.
| Their protection OF this law has been
1 such as the wolf gives the lamb. They
| did not dare openly repeal the law or
i to modify it by an act Of congress, but
/ they have fnSfdiously by an order from
/ the president extorted from him to aid