Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-09-25
SPEAKS AT CLINTON.
Senator Allison Opens Campaign
in That City Thursday.
he SPEAKS ON IMPORTANT ISSUES.
Recalls the Fact That When Presi-
dent Mckinley Was Elected the
Country Was Undergoing Genuine
Hard Times-Text of Address.

Clinton Sept. Ex-senator VIM. B.
Allison opened the campaign in this
city today dealing with the money and
Philippine questions and especially
with the propositions concerning the
future disposition of the Philippines
contained in the Kansas City platform
and in Mr. Bryan's speech of accep-
lance at indianapolis. He debated the
question of paramountcy concerning
the issues of the campaign concluding
that free silver is paramount because
Mr.. Bryan in the event of his cleo
ton would find more support in con-
gress for repeal of the; currency iegis-
lation enacted last session than for
his Philippine program. He spoke in
part as follows:
The country's Prosperity.
President Mckinley was elected
four years ago after sharp and
somewhat bitter contest and in the
midst of what we may properly call
'.hard times" which had continued
from the panic of 1893, and the de-
pressions of that year and the year
following.
The contention of President Nc
Kinley and his followers was that if
we would re-establish the Industrial
system known as tariff for protec-
ton, which had been partially broken
down by the tariff of 1894, and make
1t clear that our standard of money
would be preserved at all hazards, and
that all our currency should be kept
at parity with gold, and that all our
transactions would be settled on that
basis, prosperity would soon come to
the people, and they advocated this
policy thruout the campaign. Mr..
Bryan and his followers contended
that these hard times resulted from
: a scarcity Of money and that there
was only one possible way to restore
prosperity, namely, by the free and
unlimited coinage of silver on the
basis of equivalents of sixteen ounces
of silver to one ounce of gold and
that our minis should be opened to
the free and unlimited coinage of
both metals at this ratio and that I'M
less this was done there could pc no
prosperity in our country and that the
republican policy would only increase
our difficulties and endorsements.
On the other hand the republicans
commended that the coinage of silver
in the way proposed would result in
the establishment of the single silver
standard and would Danish gold or
place it at premium and would have
, the effect to debase the value of our
money SO that the proposed dollar
: would have only half the purchasing
power of the dollars then in circula
ton and that had been in circulation
since 1879, and that the effect of this
change would be to destroy all credit
reduce the wages of labor, and I'M
settle our whole financial system by
establishing an uncertain, fuctuating
and debased standard of money as
compared with what we then had
Republicans prophesied that if legis
tive and administrative authority
were confded to them on the basis Of
this contention as to our industries
and our money, tire would come al
most Immediately prosperity turnout
every part of our country.
Prophesies Realized.
In that contest the republicans were
successful and these prophesies O
the republicans have been fully real
lied. We know that business has
been revived, that production hal
vastly increased, and that the earn
ings of labor, whether in the shop, il
the factory or in the field, have beer
largely increased, and we know tina
every prophesy made by our uppo
nents in that campaign has failed.
will not burden you with statistic
showing this prosperity. 1t is seel
everywhere and all about us. 1t il
seen in the constant employment o
labor at reasonable wages, and at con
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