The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-08-05


cured international bimetallism if it
had not been hamstrung by the admin
istration. They were progressing with
amazing rapidity in that direction and
had gained the consent of the Bank OF
England when Lyman j. Gage, the
secretary of the treasury, destroyed
their good works by an interview de-
claring that neither the president nor
the people of the United States wanted
bimetallism.
The financial bill passed by this con-
gress is the most monstrous measure
ever placed on the statute books. lt
is sometimes called the OVerStreet blll,
but it should be called the Atlantic
City bill" because it was concocted
there in vacation by coterie or he
publican magnates in secret conclaVe'
In nv mind Atlantic City is the poor
est place in America to ascertain the
settled sober sense or conviction OF the
American people.
That bill not only established the
gold standard, which the Repl'Dllcall
party never promised, but it retired
the greenbacks. and let me say that IL
the Republican party had promised 10
retire the greenbacks there never
would have been a Republican con-
gress to enact such law, and there
would not have been a Republican
president to sign such measure.
l will not argue the greenback ques-
ton. l have simply this to say: Ihere
never has been a war Waged by our
country in which the greenDack dlu
not give us the victory, and II the
greenbacks 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 thou-
sand battlefields in defense or thelf
country, then it ought to be good
enough money to pay gentlemen VINO
make their living by reclining in the
shade of Wall street, clipping gold
coupons off coin bonds. II the green
backs are not good money, then, as
matter of common honesty, we owe IL
to the old soldiers to pass q law even
at 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 or
government. the money making func-
ton, and turned it over to an assOcia-
ton of national bankers, function
too vast and too dangerous to be given
to any citizen or corporation. That
bill broadens the money question and
puts it on the high plane on which
Andrew Jackson fought Nicholas Bid
die and the old Bank of the United
States, and, as he conquered in the
thirties, so will we conquer under the
leadership of the great NebraSkan.
l repeat that while we maintain our
position of 1896 in favor of the free
and unlimited coinage of gold and sill
yer at the historic ratio of 16 to 1 with
out waiting for the consent of any 9th
er nation on earth, the Republicans
have changed theirs and changed it
radically,
l 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 ought
to believe each other, for nobody else
will believe them.
My Republican witness says: II am
for the largest use of silver in the cur
rency of this country. l would not
dishonor it. | would give it equal
credit and honor with gold. l would
make no discrimination. l would util-
iZe both metals as money and discredit
neither l want the double standard"
These be potent words. They were
fifty spoken and are like apples of gold
in pictures of silver. They are clear
and unmistakable 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
made that forcible declaration in ia
vor of silver which have just quoted?
1t wasn't Silver Dick Bland-God bless
him! 1t wasn't William ]. Bryan, the
peerless leader Of the Democratic
hosts. It was no Democrat, no Popu-
list 1t was q man whom you delight
to honor. Don't all fall off your seats
in a fit Of apoplexy when l 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 a
gold standard platform after signing
gold standard bill He is the man who
said it. He said it on the floor of the
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 he 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 voted for
it and voted for it repeatedly. He
voted for the original Bland silver
bill. which was q bill for the free and |