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VOL XVI.
the SPEECH that
GOES IN HISTORY.
It Is That Won a Presidential
Nomination.
•‘Sir Chairman and Gentle
man of the Convention:—I
ff0U ld be presumptuous indeed
to present myself against the dis¬
tinguished gentlemen to whom
you have listened if this were
J ut a measuring of ability, but
this is not a contest among per
sons' The humblest citizen in
a ll the land, when clad in the
mor of a righteous cause, is
stronger than all the whole hosts
of error that they can bring. I
como to speak to you in defense
0 f a cause as holy as the cause of
liberty-—the cause of humanity.
applause.) When this
( ] e bate is concluded a motion
, ni lbemade to lay upon the
table the resolution in condem
nation of the a d m i nis
dividual is but anatom; lie is
he acts, he dies, but ptiii
ciples are eternal, and this has
been a contest of principle.
NEVER SUCH A CONTEST.
“Never before iu the history
of this country has there wit—
; nessed sucli a contest as that
through which we have passed.
Sever before iu the history of
American politics has a great
issue been fought out, as this
issue has been, by the voters
themselves.
“On the 4th of March, 1895,
a few Democrats, most of them
members of Congress, issued an
address to the Democrats of the
nation asserting that the money
question was the paramount is¬
sue of the hour; asserting also
, the right of a majority of the
[democratic party to control the
position of the party on this par¬
amount issue; concluding with
the repuest that all believers in
coinage of silver in the Demo¬
cratic party should organize aud
take charge of and control the
policy of the Democratic party.
Three months later, at Memphis
an organization was perfected
and the silver Democrats went
forth openly and boldly and
courageously proclaming their
belief, and declaring that if suc¬
cessful they would crystallize
in a platform the declaration
which they had made; and then
began the conflict with a zeal
approaching the zeal which in¬
spired the crusaders which fol¬
lowed Peter the Hermit. Our
silver Democrats went forth
kom victory unto victory until
they are assembled now, not to
discuss, not to debate, but to
enter up the judgement render¬
ed by the plain people of this
country. (Applause.)
"In this contest brother has
been arrayed against brother
and father against father. The
warmest ties of love and ac
'Daintauee and association have
been disregarded. Old leaders
have been cast aside when they
refused to give expression to the
sentiments of those whom they
would lead, and new leaders
have sprung up to give direction
t0 this cause of truth. (Cheers.)
Thus has the contest been wag¬
ed and we have assembled here
auder as binding and solemn
instructions as were ever fasten¬
ed upon the representatives of
a People.
fc| fe®§)M Wdif
CONYERS, GA„ SATURDAY, JULY 25, 1896.
SPEAK FOR THE PEOPLE.
Y\ e do not come as
uals. VVliy, as individuals
ue might have been glad to
compliment the gentleman from
New York (Senator Hill), but
we knew that the people for
whom we speak would never be
willing to put him in a position
where he could thwart the will
of the Democratic party .(Cheers
I say it was not a question
of persons: it was a question of
principle, and it is not with
gladness, my friends, that w r e
find ourselves brought into con¬
flict with those who are now
arrayed on the other side. The
gentleman who just preceded
me (Governor Russell) spoke of
the old State of Massachusetts.
Let me assure him that not one
person in all this convention
entertains the least hostility to
the people of the State of Mas¬
sachusetts. (Applause.)
“But we stand here represen¬
ting people who are the equals
before the law of the largest
citizens in the State of Massa¬
chusetts.(Applause.) When you
come before us aud tell us that
we shall disturb your business
interests, we reply that you
have disturbed our business in¬
terests by your.course(Great ap¬
plause and cheering.) We say
to you that you have made too
limited in its application the de¬
finition of business man. The
man who is employed for wages
is as much a business man as
his employer. (Continued cheer¬
ing.) The attorney in a c ountry
town is as much a business man
as the corporation counsel in a
great metropolis. Tne mer¬
chant at a cross-roads store is
as much a business man as the
merchant of New York. The
farmer who goes forth in the
morning and toils all day, be¬
gins in the spring and toils all
summer, and by the application
of brain and muscle to the natu¬
ral resources of this country cre¬
ates wealth, is as much a busi¬
ness man as the man who goes
upon the board of trade and
bets upon the price of grain.
“The miners who go a
thousand feet into the earth or
climb 2,000 feet upon the cliffs
and bring forth from their hid¬
ing places the precious metals
to be poured in the channels of
trade are as much business men
as the financial magnates who
in a back room corner the money
of the world.
“We come to speak for this
broader class of business men.
Ah, my friends we say not one
word against those who live
upon the Atlantic coast, but
those hardy pioneers who brav¬
ed all the dangers of the wilder¬
ness, who have made the desert
to blossom as the rose—those
pioneers away out there, rear¬
ing their children near to nat¬
ure’s heart, where they can min¬
gle their voices with the voices
of the birds—out there where
they have created schoolhouses
for the education of their young,
and churches where they praise
their Creator, and cemeteries
where sleep the ashes of their
dead, are as deserving of the
consideration of this party as
any people m this country.
(Great applause.)
xo MORE PLEADING.
i ( It is for these we speak,
We do not come as aggressors,
Our war is not a war of con
We are fightin r for the
defense of our homes, our fa
ilios an l posterity. (Loud ap
plause ) VVe have petitioned
and our petitions have been
scorned. We have entreated
and our entreaties have been
disregarded. We have begged,
and they have mocked, and our
calamity came.
4 i We beg no longer; we en¬
treat no more; we petition no
more. We defy them! (Great
applause and confusion in the
silvei delegations.)
“The gentleman from Wis¬
consin has said he fears a Rob¬
espierre. My friends, in this
land of the free you need fear
no tyrant who will spring up
from among the people. What
we need is an Andrew Jackson
to stand as Jacksonstood against
the encroachment of aggran¬
dized wealth. (Great ap
plause).
( ( They tell us that this plat¬
form was made to catch votes .
We reply to them that chang¬
ing conditions make new issups;
that the principles upon which
rest Democracy are as everlast¬
ing as the hills, but that they
must be applied to new con¬
ditions as they arise. Condi¬
tions have arisen and we are
attempting to meet those condi¬
tions. Thoy tell us that the in¬
come tax ought not to be bro¬
ught in here; that is a new idea.
They crjticisc us for our criti¬
cisms of the Supreme Court of
the United States. My friends,
we have not criticised. We
have simply called attention to
what you know. If you want
criticisms read the dissenting
opinions of the court. That
will give you criticism. (Ap
plause)
INCOME TAX.
They say we passed an un¬
constitutional law. I deny it.
The income tax was not uncon¬
stitutional when it was passed.
It was not unconstitutional
when it went before the Su¬
preme Court for the first time.
It did not become unconstitu¬
tional until one judge changed
his mind, and we cannot be ex¬
pected to know when a judge
will change his mind. ( Appla¬
use,aud a voice, “Hit’em again!’
The income tax is a just law.
It simply intends to put the
burdens of governments justly
upon the backs of the people.
I am in favor of an income tax
| Applause.
“When I find a man who is
not willing to pay his share of
the burdens of the government
which protects him I find a man
who is unworthy to enjoy the
blessings of a Government like
ours. [Applause.
“We say that we are oppos¬
ing the National bank currency.
It is true- If you will read
what Thomas Benton said you
will find that he said that in
searching history ho could find
but one parallel to Andrew
Jackson. That was Cicero who
destroyed the conspiracies of
Catiline and saved Rome. He
did for Rome what Jackson did
when he destroyed the bank
conspiracy and saved America.
[Applause.
“We say in our platform that
we believe that the right to coin
money and issue money G a
function of Government. '' e ‘
believe it. We believe it is a
part of sovereignty, and can no
more with safety be delegated
to private individuals than we j
could afford to delegate to pri¬
vate individuals the power to
make statutes or levy laws for
taxation. (Applause. |
•JEFFERSON ’« OPINION .
“Mr. Jefferson, who was once
regarded as good Democratic au¬
thority, seems to have a differ¬
ent opinion from the gentleman
who nas addressed us on the
part of the minority. Those
who are opposed to this prop¬
osition tell us that the issue of
paper money is a function of
the batik, and that the Govern¬
ment ought to go out of the
banking business. I stand with
Jefferson, rather than with
them and tell them, as he did.
that the issue of money is a
function of the Government and
that the banks ought to go out
of the Government business.
“They complain about the
plank which declares against
life tenure in office. They have
tried to strain it to mean that
which it does not mean. What
we ippose in that plank is the
life tenure that is being built
up in Washington, which ex¬
cludes from participation in the
benefits the humbler members
of our society. I cannot dwell
longer in my limited time.—
(Cries of “Goon: go on ! j
( c Let me call attention to two
or three great things. The gen¬
tleman from New York says
that he will propose an amend¬
ment providing that this change
in our law shall not affect con¬
tracts already made. Let me
remind you that there is no in¬
tention of affecting these con¬
tracts, which, according to our
present laws, are made payable
in gold. But if he means to
say that we cannot change
our monetary system without
protecting those who have loan¬
ed money before the change
was made, I want to ask him
where, in law or in morals, he
can find authority for not pro¬
tecting the debtors wheii the
act of 1873 was passed But
lie now insists that we must
protect the creditor. He says
he also wants to amend this law
and provide that if we fail to
maintain a parity within a year
we will then suspend the coin¬
age of silver. Wc reply that
when we are successful we are
not compelled to raise a doubt
as to our own sincerity by try¬
ing to show what we will do if
we can. I ask him, if he will
apply his logic to us, why he
does not apply it to himself
He says that he wants this
country to try to secure an in¬
ternational agreement. Why
doesn’t he tell us what lie is go¬
ing to do if they fail to secure
an international agreement.”
“There is more reason for
him to do that than for us to
fail to maintain the parity.
They have tried for thirty years
—to secure an international
agreement, and those are wait¬
ing for it most patiently who
don’t want it at all. (Cheering,
laughter, long continued.)
ANOTHER OUTBURST.
“Now, my triends, let me
come to the great paramount is
sue. sue If it thev they asK ass us us here litre whv a\ ny it it
is that we say more on the
rnoney question, I reply that
protection has slain its thou
sam l s (] ie g 0 id standard has
„ ]ain its ten3 o{ thousands, if
they ask us why we did not em
body all these things in our
platform which we believe,
we reply to them that when we
have restored t he monoy of the
Consti f ution all other necos&arv
reforms will he possible, and
that until that, is done there is
no reform that can bo accom¬
plished. | Cheers j
“Why is it that within three
months such a change has come
over the sentiments of this coun¬
try? Three months ago, when
it was confidently asserted that
those whe believed in the gold
standard would frame our plat¬
form and nominate our candi¬
dates, even the advocates of the
gold standard did not think that
we could elect a president: but
they had good reason for the
suspicion,because there is scarce
ly a State here to-day asking for
the gold standard that is not
within the absolute control of
the republican party. | Loud
Cheering. J But note the
change. Mr. McKinley was
nominated at St. Louis upon a
platform that declared for the
maintenance of the gold stand¬
ard until it should he changed
into bimetalism by an interna
tioual agreement. Mr. McKin-.
ley was the most popular man
among the republicans, and ev¬
erybody three months ago in the
Republican party prophesied
his election . How is it to-day?
Why, that man who used to
boast that he looked like Napo¬
leon— | Laughter and cheers. |—
that man shudders to-day when
he thinks that he was nomina¬
ted on the anniversary of the
battle of Waterloo.
4 4 Not only that, but as lie lis¬
tens he can hear with ever-in
creasing distinctness the sound
of the waves as they beat upon
the lonely shores of St. Helena.
[Cheers, J
MORE CHEERS.
“Why this change? Ah, my
friends, is not the change evident to
auy one who will look at ibe mutter?
It is no private character, however
pure; no porsonal popularity, how¬
ever grea', that can protect from the
avenging wrath of an indignant peo
pie the man who will either declare
that he ia iu favor of fastening the
gold standard upon this people, or
who is willing to surrender the
right of self-government and p'ace
legislative o mtrol in the hands of
foreign potentates aud power.
(Cheers )
“We go forth confident that we
shall win. Wlij? Because upon
the paramount issue iu this campaign
there is not a spot of ground upon
which the enemy will dare to chal¬
lenge battle. Why, if they tell us
that the gold standard is a good
thing, we point to their platform
auo toil them that their platform
pledged the party to get n 1 of a
gold standard and substitute bimet¬
allism- (Applause.) If the gold
standard is a good thing, why try
10 get ird of ii? (Liughter and con¬
tinued applause ) If the gold stan¬
dard—and I might call your atten¬
tion to the fact that some of the
very people who are in this con
vent,on today and who tell you that
we ought to declare in favor of inter
na'ional bimtallism and thereby
declare that the gold standard is
metalhsrn is .bat better-these ,he Vjtadph very or peo- bi
pie four months ago were open and
avowed advocates of the gold stan
dard and telling us that we could
not legislate two metals tng-tber
with all the world. ,, (Renewed /T > ,
a pp[ aU9e atK ] cheers )
makes a sbugestiom.
“1 want to tell die truth, that if
the gold standard is a good thing
we ought to declare in favor of its
relation and not i i> favor-ofabond,
^bad'thing why Should we wait
unt iUomo other nations are will
to help ub to let got (Applause )
NO. 29
‘‘Here is the fine of Lat(l«. Wo
care not upon which issue lh»v force
light. \V« are prepared to meet
theul " n eiM * w iS8Uri or ,m 1,0,11 ‘
If they tell us that, the god stiuul
iud is the standard of civiliza - ton
wc r ply to them that this lie most
enlightened of all the nations of the
earth, has never declared for a gold
rt.ind md. aud noth die parties this
year are declaring against it. ( \p
plause,) If the gold standard is tho
standard of civil zation, why, my
friends, should «o not have lid bo if
they come to meet us on that wo can
present the history of our uation.
More than that; wo can tell them
this, that they will search the pages
of history in vain to find a single in¬
stance in which the common people
of any laud have ever declured
themselves in favor of a gold stan¬
dard. (Applause) They can find,
where the holders of fixed invest¬
ments have.
‘•Mr Carlis'e said in 1878 that
iki • was a struggle bitweeu the idle
lio doi'H of idle capital and the Ming,
ling musses prod'me (lie weath and
pay tile taxes of the country, aud,
my bi n,! f, it is simply a question
that we shall decide, upon which
side shall the Dduiocratic party
light?
LABOR OR C.triT.vh?
“Upon ths side of i fin h Mors
of idle capita', or upon the side of
the etrugglidg masse- ? That is the
questi-m that the party must answer
first, and then it must he answered
by each individual hereafter. Tho
sympathies of the Democratic pa.ity,
as described by the platform, are on
the side of the struggling masses,
who have ever been the foundation
of the Democratic party. (Applause.
“ There are two ideas of govern¬
ment.. There aro those who believe
liat if you just legislate to make the
wed-todo prosperous their prosper¬
ity nil! lea's through on those below.
The Democratic idea has been that
if \ 0 u legislate to mike the masses
prosperous their prosperity will tied
us vay up unit througn every class
aud rest upon it. [ Applause. ]
‘ You come to us and tell us the
great cities are i i favor of the gold
standard. I tall you that the grans
cities re-t upon these band au.l fer¬
tile [varies. Bum down your cities
and leave our farms and your cities
wilt spring up again as if by m igio.
Uut destroy our farms und tho grass
will grow in the streets of every ci'y
in tho couutry. [Applause. |
to CARE FOR Il’SELF.
“My fneuds. we shall declare
that this nation is abU to legislate
for its ovvii prople on every question,
without wacing for the a.d or con.
sent of any other nation on earth
[applause], and upon that is<ue wo
expect to carry every singi : .State
iu the Union. [Applause J
“I shall uob b.under the fair State
of Massae.hu set to nor the State of
New York by saying th it when its
citizens uro confronted with tho
proposi ion, is this nation able to at
und to its own business ?—l will
not slander either one by saying
ihat die people of thine Slates will
declare our helpless impotency as a
ur ion to attend to our own busi¬
ness Jtis the issue of 1770 over
aimm Our ancestors, when but 3,
000,000 had the courage to declare
'heir pod deal independence of every
other nation upon the earth. Shall
we, their descendants, when we have
grown to 70, J )0,000, declare that we
are less independent than our fore¬
fathers? No. my friends, it will
never be the judgement of this peo¬
ple. Then fore, wo care not upon
, . .. ,, . ... . . ,,
they bay bimetallism it is good? but we
cannot have till some nation helps
us, we reply that instead of having
a g°Ll standard because England
“■“ 1 S l r b rS'JS:
08 La v
lism because the United States has.
Applause.
'' If they dare to come out in the
°P en **nd defend the gold standard
,ia 'o the j*. ” oul uttermost, *^ Biing, we having shall behind fight them us
the producing masses of this nation
and the world. Having behind us
the commercial interests and the la
boring interests and all the toiling
masses, we shall answer their de
mands for a gold standard by saying
to them, you shall not press down
upon the brow of labor this crown of
thorns; you shall not crucify mankind
upon a cross of gold.'’