Democratic Sentinel, Volume 20, Number 28, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 July 1896 — THE BATTLE OF LOGIC [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

THE BATTLE OF LOGIC

TILLftSAN, HILL, BRYAN AND VILAS SPEAK. }«• Favor the Adoption of the Bepart of the Committee on Hceolntiaao, and Two Xjo Battle for the GeW standard. Debate on the Platform. la the discussion of the platform before the national Democratic convention Senators Hiii anti Vilas opposed the silver, U.ad, and tneome tax planks, and Senator Tillman and Congressman Bryan ■appealed the committee’s report. Senator Tillman spoke ia part as follows: Senator Tillman. 1 came here from South Carolina. I came •1 an Opportune time. South Carolina In MOB led the fight in the Democratic party which resulted In Its disruption. That disruption «>f"that party brought about the war. The war emancipated the black slaves. We are here now leading a fight to emancipate the white slaves. I do not know whether I <u Irmly say whether I am a representative of the entire South or not. I have been In fourteen States since April, making the anaoanermeut of a new declaration of Independence that “10 to 1 or bust” is the slogan. Ia the last three or four or five years the ■l'eatern people have come to realize that

the condition of the South ami the condition Of the West was identical. Hence, we Unit to-day that the Democratic party of the West is here almost iu -mild phalanx appealto the South—the South have responded—to come to their help to remove this yoke. It ia not worth while for me to say that •which will breed any discord between the decttoiiK, for such a fuought does not harbor In my breast, i deny utterly having one 3U thought or augry passion lu my bosom ia contemplating the wrong which we have endured. Hut if you have listened to the truth, and it has entered your brain, you are bound to acknowledge that the most of these imjprovcnmiits and money In the Eastern litld atom hern States where all this wealth has fioue, has uot gone for the benefit of the jpeoplo. Imt the wealth is owned by a few amen. Look at this city here—uot a paper In It iu favor of the money of the Constitution aud of the people, every one of rtieui howling day by day and abusing the majority of their Telloiv citizens iu this section even, and .further West by calling them howling dervishes and silver lunatics. We have, instead of a slave oligarchy, a money oligarchy. The one is more insoieut than the other was. The only thing which can keep the ulovemeut this revolution—from succeeding in ■sweeping this country' from end to end is thm we may submerge our patriotism here, forget the duly which we owe our people, follow after the banner of some Individual walhcr than a principle, and fail to discharge '4hai dm y which we owe to the masses of selecting a man here whose record will fit this Idfilfortu. The Senator • from New York is *o follow mo. He despised the President of The I'll lied States in 181)2. He has had cause glace to more than despise him. Hut for some Inscrutable reason, although he has been betrayed by his own party and his own State, be appears here as the sponsor and apologist for Hie administration. As drover Cleveland olatids for gold monometallism, and we have repudiated it, then when we are asked to Indorse drover Cleveland’s administration, we are asked to write ourselves down as liars. We need money to spend or we cannot patronize the local merchants; If we have not money, the local merchant cannot order from the jobber; the jobber cannot order from the factory; and you see the sequence of consequences. .The farmers of the Northeastern Nfnlii? are Just us poor and just as hard up .*» we are. They are ready to join this army of emancipation. The Democracy are face to face with tills Issue.- and it must lie met. We ol the South have burned our bridges «<* far ns the Northeastern Democracy is ssmeerned, as now organized. We have turn«kl our faces to the West, asking our brethren of these States to unite-with us in restoring the Government to the liberty of our fathers, or which our fathers left us. The West has responded by Its representatives here. For myself, and for those of iny State •who entuo with me, we came here primarily to see that we had a platform which meant what it said and said what it meant. We got it. Now give us any man you please who is a true representative of that platform—we have no choice—and we pledge you •shat every vote South of the I’otomac-wlll .go iu him.

Penator Hill.

I an) a Democrat, put I am not a revolutionist. Mo matter what the provocation, you *c»nof drive me out of the Democratic party. Tliat party has survived the attempt ol' every ■section of the country to divide It, to distract it; It lives to-day, and I hope it will Sotix survive. My mission here is to unite, mol. to divide. The question which this convention is to decide is which is the best position to take at this time upon the financial •question, it Is not a question of patriotism. It is not a question of courage. It Is a question of business. It is a question of finance. I think that the safest, the best course for this convention to have pursued, was to take the first step forward in the great cause of siionetary reform by declaring in favor of international bimetallism. I do not think that we can safely ignore the monetary systems ■of other great nations. I know that it appeals to tlie pride of the average American To say that It matters not what other countries may do, we can arrange this matter foe ourselves. But I beg to remind you, if almt suggestion is carried out to its legitimate ■conclusion, you might as well do away with International treaties, you might as well do away with 'commercial treaties with other ■couutries, you might us well do away with -all flic provisions in your tariff bills that fete* relation to the laws of other countries. "What does this silver platform provide? Tour committee has recommended for adoption a platform which makes the test of •Democratic loyalty to hang upon a single ratio, anil that If! to 1. I doubt the wisdom ■*% .having entered into detail. I doubt the gpropriety of saying that 15% or 17 is heresy mbit 10 is the only true Democratic doctrine.

AVitk all due respect, I think it an unwise step; I think it an unnecessary step, and I tklub It will return to plague us In the future- Another suggestion: What was the necessity for putting Into the platform other ■questions which have never been made the teste of Democratic loyalty before? IVhy we find the disputed question of the policy ■nod. constitutionality of an income tax. Will some one toll me what that clause means in this platform? Whenever before‘in file historjf of this country has devotion to an Insfime tax been made the test of Democratic loyalty? Never. Another question I think ■should have been avoided Is this: What was the necessity, whar, the propriety of taking up the vexed question of the issue of bonds Tor tin; preservation of the credit of the nation? Why not have left tills financial question of the free coinage of silver alone? You kxve announced the bold policy that under «o circumstances shall there ever be a single Imxt issued in times of peace. It means the Tirtusd repeal of your resumption act; It •nexus repudiation per se and simple. The

statement is too broad. the statement Is too sweeping; It has not been carefully considered. No, no, my friends; this platform has not been wisely considered. In your zeal for monetary reform yon have gone out of the true path; yon have turned from the true course, and In your anxiety to build np the silver currency you have unuecesssrily put lu this platform provisions which cannot stand a fair discussion. I dislike the ttepuilcan party. 1 dislike ali their tenets. I have no sympathy with their general principles. I>o not attempt to drive old Democrats out of the party that have grown gray iu its service to make room for a lot of Itepubilcans and old Whigs and other Populists that will uot vote you/ ticket after all. No matter who your candidate may he In this convention. with possibly one exception, your I*upnlist friends upou whom yon are relying for suport In the West anil South, will nominate their own ticket and your silver forces will be divided. Mark the prediction which I make. My friends, 1 thus speak more lu sorrow than in anger. You know what this plutforrn means to the East. You must realize the result. But, calamitous as it may he-to-ns, It will be more calamitous to you if. after all, taking these risks, you do not win the fight. My friends, we want the Democratic party to succeed. We want to bulls Ik up. We do not want to tear it down. \Vir wiuit our principles—the good, old principles of Jefferson, of Jackson, of Tllden, of hard money, of safe money, we want ns greenback eumyuy on our plates. We want no paper currency whatever. We want to stand by the principles under which we have won daring the history of this country anil ma.le It what it is. If we keep in the good old paths of the party we can win. If we depart from them we shall lose.

Ex-Congressman Bryan. 0* On the 4th of March, 18'.Y», a few* 1 Democrats, most of them members of Congress, issued an address to the Democrats of the nation, asserting that the money question was the paramount Issue of the hour: asserting also the right of a majority of the Democratic party to control the position of the party on this paramount Issue; concluding with the request that all believers In free coinage of silver In the Democratic party should organize and take charge of and control the policy of the Democratic party. Three months later, at Memphis, an organization was perfected, aud the sliver Democrats went forth openly and lioldiy aud courageously proclaiming their belief, and declaring that If successful they would crystallize lu a platform the declaration which they had made; aud then began the conflict, with a zeal approaching the zeal which inspired the Crusaders who followed Peter the Ileriult. Our silver Democrats went forth from victory unto victory until they are assembled now, not to discuss, not to debate. But to enter up the Judgment rendered by the plain people of this country. In this contest brother has been nrrayed against brother and father against son. The warmest ties of fore and acquaintance and asroclatlon 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 dlreetion to this cause of truth. Thus has the contest been waged, and W" have assembled here under as binding and solemn instructions as were ever fastened upon the representaitves of a people. We do not come as Individuals. Why, as Individuals we might have been glad to compliment the gentleman from New York, Senator IHll, hut we knew that the people for whom we sp-'ak would never be willing to put him in a position where he could thwart the will of the Democratic party. I say It was not a question of persons; it was a question of principle; ami it is not with gluilness, my friends, that we find ourselves brought Into conflict with those who are now arrayed on the other side. If they ask here why it is that we say more on the money question than we say upon the tnrltf question. 1 reply that If protection has slain its thousands the gold standard has slain its tens of thousands. If they ask ns why wo did not embody all these things in our platform which we believe, we reply to them that when we have restored the money of the Constitution, all other necessary reforms will be possible, and that until that is done there is uo reform that can be accomplished. Mr. McKinley was nominated at St. Louis ou a platform that declared for the maintenance of the gold standard until It should be changed into bimetallism by an International agreement.' Mr. McKinley was the most popular man among the Itepuhlleaus, and everybody three months ago In the Republican party prophesied Ills election. How is it to-day’; Why, that man who used to boast that he looked like Napoleon—that unrn shudders to-day when he thinks that he was nominated ou the anniversary of the battle of Waterloo. Not only that, but as he listens lie can hear with ever-increasing distinctness the sound of the waves ns they beat upon the lonely shores of St. Helena. Why tilts changeV Ah! uiy friends. Is not the change evident to any oue who will look at the matter? It is no private character, however pure, uo personal popularity, however great, that can protect

from the avenging wrath of an Indignant people the man who will either declare that he is In favor of fastening the gold standard upon this people, or who Is willing to surrender the right of self-government and' place legislative control in the hands of foe, elgn potentates and powers. We go forth confident that we shall win. Why? Because upon the paramount issue In tills campaign there is not a spot of ground upon which the enemy wilt dare to challenge battle. We care not upon which issue they force the light. Mr. Carlisle said In IS7B that tills was a struggle between the idle holders of idle capital and the struggling mnsses who produce the wealth and pav the taxes of the country, and my friends, ’it Is simply a question that we shall decide, upon which side shall the Democratic party fight? Upon the side of the idle holders of idle capital, or upon the side of the struggling masses? They tell t;s that the great cities arc In favor of the gold standard. I tell you’that the groat cities rest upon these broad and fertile prairies. Burn down your cities and leave our farms and your cities will spring up t< ugain as if by magic. But destroy our farms and the grass will grow In the streets of every city In tills country. My friends, we shall declare that this nation is able to legislate for Us own people on every question without waiting for the aid or consent of any other nntlon on earth and upon that issue we expect to carry every single State Ip!this Union. It is the issue of 1773 over again. Our ancestors were the 3,000,000 who had the courage to declare their political Independence of every other nation upon earth. Shall we, their descendants, when we have grown to 70,000,000, declare that we are less Independent than our forefather*? No, my friends, it will never be. Die judgment of this people. Therefore we carp not upon what lines the battle is fought. If they say bimetallism Is good but we cannot have It till some nation helps us, we reply that, instead of having a gold standard because ICngland 4ns. we shall restore bimetallism and then let England have bimetallism because the United States has. If they dare to come out In the open and defend the gold standard ns a good thing, we shall fight them to the uttermost, having behind us the producing masses of this nation and the world. Having behind us the commercial interests and the laboring interests and all the toiling masses, we shall answer their demands 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.

Senator Vila*.

As a Democrat who has always maintained a reasonable obedience to be the first duty to accomplish the party’s mission, I ask-.a hearing for the party’s sake, which from youth I have devotedly believed necessary for our good and onr liberty. I speak for 4 State which has maintained the Democratic faith under circumstances of trial ahd with constant fidelity. The question Which you are about to decide is momentous, painfully so. its right decishm deraauds intelligence and reasoning. Order will reverse no law of nature and flat rage in vain against principles of finance. Tills convention has power over neither, but will be powerful for good as it shall respect that higher law which it csimiot alter, though disobey' and counter. The minority believe the proposal of the majority tobe disobedient to that cause, recklessly and flagrantly so, and will cause a fearful penalty. 1 will not protract the argument. The Senator frum New York has already stated the argument. His speech in direct proposal ind-tftPS what serious Injury to the country utLf 33VV) In the change of the standard of vn'oec -i that proposition is carried out. It will not produce bimetallism—far from it. It

!• la diametric opposition to the platform ot 181*2. which proposed an honest bimetallism, if the thing be possible at all, when conditions shall make it possible. And the superlative victory of this scheme will be the honest bimetallism contended for to-day la tho Isdief that you will tiereby secure bimetallism. Those who are In favor of this scheme jjelleve that It Will produce an abundance of money. TUI* it will not do. It will shrink, and not swell oer currency. The silver dollar Is uo new thing to the United States. This scheme of sHVer-sho’nnaietalllsm Is no new thing n» tbliM-uunny, however novel to the ignorance, perhaps, of gome of this generation. The silver standard Is no new thtug In the Putted States beginning without early poverty aud weakness and abiding until 1534; then money was scant lu this country; It possessed no gold; It was to get gold and with it abundance, so far as the want of eurreufiy is concerned, that the act of 1.834 was passed. That was a Democratic measure. That wag a measure preßped under Democratic leadership tiy Beutoti with the favor of Andrew Jackson. That was distinctly accused then as a gold measure, and It raised the standard of gold iu this country, but it raised this country from the grade of Chlua uud Japan aud Mexico to a place amoDg the foremost nations that maintain and rule the world’s commerce and carry the colors of civilization to the farthest regions of the globe. The gold standard la now accused of responsibility for fulling prices, hut It Is never credited when prices rise. In truth, it Is entitled neither to the credit nor to the fault. The argument is u false deduction. Would you stop the fall of prices, suppress Invention, extinguish enterprise, discard Improvements in transI*ortatiou—lu short, smite with paralysis the forces of civilization? Take from the farmer the harvester and thrashing machine, am} wjient will rise; snatch away from the planter'the cotton-gin, the press, and cotton will rise. Let loose on society the things of de-

struotiuu and they will soon deliver you from this supposed curse of civilization to a cheap abundance. But the gold-standard has nothing to Uo with It. When any standard be fixed with continuing stability It lias no more to do with price than a yard-stick or pair of scales. oh, fellow Democrats, why must you launch our old party on this wild career? What inspiration warrants our pursuit of that which the wisdom of mankind condemns? Who teaches us. with authority, a lesson In finance which the world of the highesl civilization stands aghast at? Is It possible that tills ohl party ol’ Jefferson, tills old Demo-cratic-party of constitutional law and liberty, shall thus fall before the machinations of n propaganda maintained by silver mineowners which had Its origin many years ago? It was not for such uses, It was not for such an end that the Democratic party was created. I protest with solemn earnestness, with sincerity and personal kindness, that the Democrats of the North ought not to have accepted this result. For thirty years they have stood at great personal cost lighting devotedly for the principles of Democracy, until in a restored Union, lyth equal rights shared by every part anil every portion of the people, they hare seen the triumph apparently of Democracy. And now, la the hour when we thought everything before us was well, we are to have this newly given strength exerted to pul! down tile pillars hf the temple aud crush us all beneath the ruins. So 1 hope for a better future for tlie Democratic party. The evil times, the evil days, though filled with darkness and with dangers, and compassed around with clouds, may pass. I hope to live to see a Democratic convention asembled here when all shall be united and the whole party restored to the vigor and power which Is necessary for Us service to the Constitution.

SENATOR TILLMAN HURLS DEFIANCE.

HILL ADDRESSING THE CONVENTION.

BRYAN DELIVERING HIS GREAT SPEECH.

VILAS DEFENDS THE ADMINISTRATION.