Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1903-03-27
"I6 CRIMES TO L."

"I6 CRIMES TO l."
At the Iroquois Club in Chicago
few evenings since Hon. d. A. DE
Almond of Missouri, spoke. He talk
ed plainly as he always does. He mlnceo
nothing when he addressed the boilers
of 1896, and by so doing be has stirred
ND the renegades in all parts OF this
United Kingdom. The Washington
Post finds it's feelings hurt and it walls
as follows:
If the defeat of 1896 has been adlsas-
ter to the country, if it had been any
thing else than signal blessing, alike
to Democrats, Republicans, and all oGh-
ers. there might be some ground 1or
Mr.. De Almond s complaint OF the bolt
ers. Their conduct was irregular; IL
was plain violation OF what may De
termed party law; it was revolt OF the
minority against the majority. ana
there is no doubt that it was the con
trolling factor in the election. But LOT
those Democrats who voted Win Inc
enemy" Mr.. Bryan and free coinage at
the ratio of 16 to / would have come IN:
Blu An btuJOAApy ~
Democrats have for six years or more
been convinced that departure from
the gold standard and wild plunge IN
tothe vortex of debased currency would
have been q great national calamity.
That defeat of the cheap dollar, that
victory for sound money, has given the
same prosperity to Democrats as to
other citizens. 1t has placed Mr..
BRYAN in the unique position of the
only Presidential candidate to whom
the defeat of himself and his policy
has brought financial prosperity.
The boilers took their chances. lime,
they knew, would either vindicate OF
condemn them. Their vindicatlOn
would be condemnation of the candl-
date and platform from which they
bolted. All the world, including Mr..
Bryan and MI. De Almond, knows
that their Judgment has been complete.
ly. overwhelmingly vindicated and
that candidate and platform CORE
spondingly condemned. The appllca'
ton of those facts to Mr.. De Almond 8
harmonizing remarks may be safely lett
to the reader.
Thus wall all they who put money
before everything else. The defeat OF
Bryan prevented a so cent dollar, they
tell us; and fiat money they tell US, pa
per money. These are grievous things
and sadly would they have affected tht
country. Poor indeed would We hav'
been had we had so many dollars thai
they would have been worth but 81
cents. Our specie dollars under Bryal
would have been silver and gold dol
lars, the very same kind we have hat
since the country was wrested from
England. No very great crime as W
see it. Our paper dollars would hav
been money largely issued by the gov
eminent. They would have been Tn
Gle Sans promises to pay, no yer
great crime in that. Such notes hav
been good enough for anybody. no liv
ing being except some money shark
during the war, the very same who nov
30 much fear the credit of the govern
ment may be impaired. ever refused
to take them at par. Under Brya
there would have been fewer Nations
Bank shinplasters a1oat, and NOR
notes with the nation behind then
AS to which of these a m an Of sens
prefers we need waste no time in stat
ing. eff these were grievous crime
grievously have we repaid them"
To prevent this sad money cond
tion, this so cent dollar condition,
condition so terrible that we who erie
to bring it about, since we are told b
the Washington Post and by other
of like ilk, and by Cleveland and hi
few but most wise and patriotic apps
ties, how awful crime it would hav
been, are almost ready to walk up t
the gallows and allow ourselves to b
hanged, and no doubt would do so, W
did not have few words to say in GU
behalf, and were there no extenua1
ing circumstances.
True we did try to wrest the cour
try from the dominion of Wall Street
and to keep silver dollar as good as
gold dollar, when Wall Street was ben
on debasing it and Cleveland had de
based it. We did try to have debts 9
the government which were payable il
coin paid in coin, when Cleveland ha
refused to consider silver as coin 70
that purpose. We did try to subst
tute the promises of the nation TO
shinplaster promises of a countin
room coterie of half dozen me-
known in common parlance as Ma
tional Bank. These were crimes W
know, but we also tried to proven
some crimes, for instance-the sprea
of our so-called national folds, so as t
make nondescript citizens or serfs O
ten million negroes, Maylays and make
sayages, who by benevolent assimllS
ton" nor in any other way could be
come part of us. people who cos
us, as we now find, So per head in tn
first place, and who have since cost u
nearly billion dollars, and are sti
costing us millions and thousands o
llV0bs 1ulS lS Ou oil sluCS duulUUcu "
be crime, though We believe Bryal
is charged with ii. We did try to pre-
vent the entire ownership of the coun
try by the trusts, and to SO regulat
affairs as to avoid coal and othe
strikes, and wholesale murder by U
8. Deputy Marshals. We did try t.
bring about conditions of economy il
government, as well as honesty in it
administration. We did try to elect
president by fair means instead o
foul, by election by ballots instead O
by purchase. Wedid try to place me-
at the head of affairs in this natio
who would give some attention to thos
who toll and win their bread by th
sweat of their brow, and who woul'
regard the white man as at least tn