The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1904-07-30
THn ACCEPTANCE SPEECH.

torical efforts that have come under
our observation. While IL Is full to
overlooking of boastfulness. it is not
of that strenuous character for which
our President is famous. He claims for
his Party all that is good and at
tributes to his opponents all that is bad
in legislation and administration since
the days of Lincoln. He says with
apparent compiacency that those who
| have been entrusted with power as
public servants during the past seven
years now come before the people con-
tent to be Judged by their record of
| achievement.
In order to measure with accuracy
the nature and character of Republi
can achievement during the past seven
years, It is necessary to take into con-
1t was accomplished. The Presidents
boast Is that in the years that have
gone by, his Party has made the
deed square with the word" that they
know their own minds" and have
kept of the same mind for a sufficient
length Of time to give their policy CO.
herence and sanity" The President
points with pride" to his Partys es-
Enlistment and maintenance Of the
gold standard and a protective tariff.
under the operation of which. he claims.
our country has enjoyed and is now
enjoying a degree of prosperity hith-
erto unknown. He sums up the Re-
publican policy in this pithy and sig
nificant paragraph:
We have already shown In actual
fact that our policy Is to do fair and
equal justice to all men. paying no
heed to whether a man is rich or poor,
paying no heed to his race, his creed,
or his birthplace.
1t will be remembered that the
Democratic Party has not controlled
both the Legislative and Executive de-
partments of the Government at the
same time. but two years since the days
of Lincoln, that was from March 4.
1893, to March 8, 1895. or during the
F'ifty-third Congress. President Har-
rison had succeeded President Cleve-
land for four years. When Mr. Cleve-
land went out of office in 1899, the Gov
| eminent had ample revenue for all
| purposes, with the free gold in the
| treasury amounting to $196,6S9.6la.
| During the four years of Mr.. Cleve-
| lands administration the sum of $34l,-
44s.44s had been paid ON the public
debt and at its close there was left in
the treasury balance of $33o,34S.91G,
including the gold reserve. When
Mr. Harrison's administration closed,
| on March 4. 1898. the cash balance had
dwindled down to s162.54O.5T7, includ-
ing the gold reserve .
During the first two years OF Mr.. Har-
rison's administration the Republican
Party had absolute control in both
branches of the legislative department
as we'll as the executive. and was
wholly responsible for the government
of the country Hon. John G. Carlisle
in a speech delivered at Covingtou
gress, said:
That Congress will be distinguished
in history for three things only: First,
the enactment of the law of July ii.
1890, providing for the purchase of
4,500,0 ounces of silver bullion each
month and the issue of legal tender
Treasury notes to pay for it; secondly
the passage of the so-called Mckinley
tariff act. which largely increased tax
alton upon the people and at the same
time diminished the revenue of the
Government; and, thirdly, the inauSu-
travagant system of public expendf-
lures that ever existed in the country
in tibe of peace. the evil effects of
which must continue TO the felt for
m al Nf ht Loo
islation and OF the general policy of
the Republican administration was
that when the Democratic Party Sc
cured possession of the executive pow
financial affairs of the Government in
most unsatisfactory and precarious
condition, and rapidly growing worse.
The Republican Party passed the
Allison Act of February %. 1878,
they had majority over the veto of a
Republican President. That act au-
thorized the issue of standard silver
dollars, provided that any holder of
such dollars might deposit them with
the Treasury and receive certificates
therefor, the certificates to be receiv-
able for customs, taxes. and all public
dues. The Republican Party is. there
fore, responsible for all the silver leg
islation which brought the United
States so perilously near a silver basis.
Its National platform of 1888 con-
demned the policy of Mr. Cleveland's
administration for what is termed
Its efforts to demonetize silver" 1t
demanded in its National platform of
1892 the use of both gold and silver
as standard money" the maintenance
of the parity of the two metals" to be
secured by appropriate legislation. yet
when Mr.. Cleveland sought legisla-
ton to enable him better to maintain,
not only the parity of the value of the
gold and silver dollars, but also OF
greenbacks, Treasury notes and silver
certificates, and thus preserve the
honor of our country, the Republican
Party disparaged his efforts and turn
ed their backs to their country's in
tegrity and welfare. But with the
purchasing clause of the vicious Sher-
man silver law repealed, which had
been accomplished by the logged per-
sistency and indomitable will OF Gro
yer Cleveland, aided. it is true. by Re
publican legislators, who thought they
saw in 1t the disruption of the Demo .
cratic Party" Mr. Cleveland maintain
ed the gold standard, nevertheless.
1t shows how hard is the strain on