The Norfolk weekly news., 1900-06-21

Photo by Bell.
SENATOR EDWARD o. woLCoTT.
ished, our credit unassailed, and the
equal devotion Of every section Of our
common country to the welfare of the
republic cemented forever. Never in
the memory of this generation has there
stood at the head Of the government a
truer patriot, wiser or more courag-
eous leader or better example of the
highest type of American manhood.
The victories of peace and the victories
of war are alike inscribed upon his ban
ner. Those of us whose pleasure and
whose duty have called US from time to
time into his presence know how freely
he has spent and been spent in his
countrys service; but the same vigorous
manhood and clear and patriotic vision
animate him as Of old and give US con-
fidence and trust for the future of our
republic, because his hand will guide us
and his genius direct.
-Four years ago the Republican party
at ST. Louis named ticket which COM
manded the confidence and support of
the American people. Had Garret
Augustus Hobart been spared to US un-
til today the work of this convention
would have been limited to n cordial
unanimous Endorsement of the leaders
of 1896 Dis alter visum-and when,
a few months ago, our dear vice presi-
dent left this sphere of usefulness for
another, he was accompanied with the
tears and sorrow of every lover of his
country.
"The campaign four years ago was
fought on the currency question. The
Populistic Democracy insisted that the
United States alone should embark on
the free coinage of silver at the ratio of
l6 to /, without waiting the concurrence
of any other nation. The Republican
party insisted that the question of bi.
metallism was international, and that
until it should be settled under agree
ment with the leading commercial ma
tions of the world gold should continue
to be the standard of value in these
United States. Upon that issue we
trlumphed. The logic of recent events,
together with the attempt of the De.
mocracy to drag down the question from
its international character, to associate
it with every vagary Of Populism and
Socialism and to drive this country to
an alliance with Mexico and China, as
an exclusively silver.using country, has
impelled our people to this settlement
of this problem and the recent action of
congress has eliminated the danger
which its further agitation menaced
Our debt is funded at 2 per cent per an.
mum, and millions Of our interest charge
saved annually. The world has never
witnessed so triumphant financial sue
cess as has followed the passage of the
currency law. and our per cent bonds,
held the world over already command
substantial premium. Through the
policy of the Republican party and the
wisdom of Republican administration,
we have not only made stable and per-
manent our financial credit, at home and
abroad ARE utilizing more silver as money
than ever before in our history, but we
have left the Populistic Democracy
dead issue they can never again gal
vanize into life, and compelled them to
seek to create new issues growing out of
war which they were most eager to
precipitate.
MAY l, western man, add another
word? The passage Of this bill, which
received the vote Of every western Re-
publican in congress, marked the term
ination, forever final. of any sort of diff.
ference between Republicans of the
east and Of the west, growing out of
currency problems. Even If the stern
logic Of events had not convinced us,
our deep and abiding loyalty to the
principles of the party, our belief that
the Judgment of its majority should
govern, would lead US to abandon fur
ther contention. And the thousands of
Republicans in the west who left us
four years ago are returning home. The
men Of the far west are bone of your
bone and flesh Of your flesh. The sun
that shines on you blesses them also
and the shadow before your door dark
ems their homes as well. They are
naturally expansionists in the western
plains and mountains, and when they
see great political party attacking the
integrity Of the nation and lending en-
couragement TO insurrectionists who
are shooting down our soldiers and re-
sisting the authority Of the government
OF the United States, all other questions
fade and arc forgotten. and they find