Show TELLERS GREAT ECH fir bias aids the republican party a sad M Fa farreel Far rael rewel AT ar spending his whole lif life 6 in its service he rinds out oat that its pre ions are r slam sham and audits its object oppression A t the urgent request of our adimay ay iy republican readers we reproduce today the speech of U S sp ator henry ina M teller in the national republican convention at 41 ouis louia this is the farewell of a ai old republican to the party ii s t which he has trained all his of the convention 11 not attempt to inflict upon a discussion of the great acial question which is divid the people not only of this itry but throughout the world moments to me by the antion will permit me no more to state briefly our objections te ie financial plank Iro proposed proposed posed for consideration I 1 am a man and recognize the condi 3 of this country shadowed for ley are by the action of the cittee this plank was wag pred to the whole committee and t rejected loyalty to my op ri and consideration of the t interest which is felt by this gitry itry compel me mein in the tha face of 0 busl difficulties to present this your consideration not with bounding hope or with that rage that I 1 have presented this ther bodies with greater meas of success than I 1 can hope for r the local and supreme im lauce of this question is alone excuse now for the few words I 1 1 I 1 L say eay to w you w a connection with this subject i public capacity I 1 have dealt i it for twenty years I 1 cepro t a state that produces silver awant I 1 want to say to you here an and f that my advocacy of the tion idon is not in the slightest de e i influenced or controlled by fact applause and a voice od oda I 1 contend for it because lieve there can be no sound acial system in any country in the world that does not rec ize this principle I 1 contended y it tin in 1873 when it was ruthy v stricken for our statutes and ie ce when there has been contini depression in all products of aan labor and human energy entend for it because in this thia lr it 1896 the american people are greater distress than they ever T in their history I 1 contend it because this is in my j edg ut nt the greatest incubus that struck down enterprise and i troyed progress in this thia favored i id of ours I 1 contend for it bese beige I 1 believe the progress of my is dependent on it I 1 con ld id for it because I 1 believe the of the world w is to be 11 i ter mined by the rightful or the m solution of this thia financial r f stion I 1 urn am tolerant to those to 10 differ with roe me I 1 act from ii v judgment and from enlighten int as best I 1 have been able to rii gi in by ray my study baudy and my years of ought in my judgment the a neriman people in the whole time their history have never been upon to settle a question of importance than this the area greatest test contest in which my party participated two states 0 or r one toine to t the a Ls 9 riot not more important people than the question of the finances cea I 1 have said eaid enough to taink this is not ow that I 1 a question of policy but a question of principle not a mere nothing but one on which hangs the happiness prosperity morality and independence of american producers applause confronted for the first time in the history of this party of ours cure confronted I 1 say bay for the first time with the dinger of a financial system that in my judgment would destroy all the great interests of this land we are called upon to give this provision in our platform our adherence mr president I 1 do not desire to say eay unkind things and I 1 touch only a moment upon why I 1 object to this provision in this platform the republican party has never been the party of the single standard applause it was a bimetallic party in its origin in all its history in 1888 it declared for bime taliam in 1892 it declared for bi in 1896 it declares for single gold standard in 1888 1889 we carried the state that I 1 here represent for the republican nominee we carried it on a bimetallic platform we carried with a majority that was equal considering our vote to that of any state in the union faint applause it has bar been a republican state from the hour of its admission it ba has kept in the straight road in the hour of republican triumphs mr president I 1 promised you I 1 would not discuss the silver question and I 1 will not except to say say that this platform is such a distinct departure from everything heretofore held by the party parly that it challenges challenge our republicanism to accept it the platform contains some platitudes about international conferences it provides thai we will maintain the gold standard tan d ar d i in a this country until the principal nations of the world shall agree that we may do otherwise this is the first great areat gathering of republicans since it was organized gani zed that has declared the inability of the american people to control their own affairs afi fairs applause all over the hall the delegates arose in a body and yelled their approval of th the sentiment do you believe the americans are tifai weak to actually maintain a financial system commensurate with the greatness of the country of their own fruition gentleman of the convention you would have bimetallic agreement with all the great commercial nations of the world and it cannot be obtained so this is a declaration that the gold standard is to be put upon this country and kept there for all time do you believe b 3 great britain that great commercial nation of the world our powerful competitor in commerce and trade will ever agree to open her mints to the free coinage of silver or consent that we shall open ours as long as she has the advantage of lower prices or declining values that have brought this country by the adoption of the gold standard in 1873 to partial we are the great debtor nation of the world great britain is our creditor we pay her every year millions and hundreds of millions of dollars as an income on her investments in this thin country on loans rhenold the gold standard in my judgment lowers prices and depresses values and she buys of us millions and millions more than she sells she buys upon the gold standard at a lower and depreciating precia ting standard of prices how long do you think it would be before she will agree to assist in raising values in this country it is a solemn declaration that the republican party intends to maintain lower prices and stagnate business for all time to come cheers from the silver states there is iga a beneficial provision in th this ii 81 platform about the tariff I 1 subscribe to that applause and I 1 cheers from all over the louse honsel I 1 I 1 believe in a protective tariff more applause I 1 have advocated it for forty years applause but it is my solemn opinion that a protective tariff cannot be maintained upon a g gold 0 id standard applause and cheers from the silver people the tariff protection principle is for raising the price of human toil it is for giving g IV ing to the producer ample compensation for his labor the gold standard on the contrary everywhere that it is enforced is for the purpose of reducing I 1 buciu values now gentlemen of the convention I 1 am led to make this simple objection as to the protective system that it A is in danger arld I 1 will call your attention to one other fact and then leave it to your judgment whether this platform shall be adopted or rejected under existing conditions we undoubtedly have the gold standard I 1 do not deny that what I 1 have sought for is to change it for the bimetallic system I 1 have believed and now believe that when the almighty created these two metals lie he intended the world should use them for the for which they were created L rap ap 1 bind and when he blessed this land of ours with more gold and more silver than any other country in the world he meant that we should use them for the purposes for which ere intended 11 to wit use by the people as standard money and today yo you u would reverse the ns of our country and declare w ill use only one if the americ america people are in favor of that I 1 hav bay nothing to say I 1 must suba to the majority voice in this F 0 ours I 1 do not believe belaev party ifie could fc favor of the gold standard eta n d ar d 1 bt lieve 90 per cent of the th ep people ea P Is aie in favor of bimetallism bi in of the old fashioned kind that e existed X aste iste d in this country up to 1873 mr president and gentlemen of the convention I 1 promised you that I 1 would take but a few moments but I 1 want to say a few things that may seem to you to he be P personal personal ers onal and ought not to be in produced trod in an audience like this I 1 must beg your indulgence if I 1 seem to transcend the proprieties of this occasion if I 1 shall say something personal to myself I 1 have founded my convictions on this great question after twenty years of study over twenty years of careful thought and careful reading 1 havu have been trained in a shoo that it seems to me fits me well for reaching a just conclusion and the facts I 1 have formed my conclusions clu to suc such h an extent that they become binding on my conscience I 1 believe the adoption of the gold standard in the united states will work a great hardship that it will increase distress and that no legislation touching upon the tariff can remo remove the difficulties that now all admit prevail in this land I 1 believe the whole welfare of my race is wrapped up in a rightful conclusion of f this question that the morality civilization nay the very religion of my country is ia at stake in this contest I 1 know and you you know that men in distress are neither patriotic or brave you and I 1 know that hunger bun gerand and distress will destroy patriotism and love of country to have lovo love of country patriotic fervor independence you must have your citizens comfortably fed and comfortably clothed that is what said in that is what hat has made me a republican all these years because I 1 believed the republican party was made for the great masses of men that its legislation was intended to lift up and elevate and hold up and sustain the fortunes of our people and give all equality before law applause I 1 do not believe it can be had with the gold standard you may doubt my cay judgment but shall I 1 doubt it I 1 must act upon my judgment and you upon yours I 1 must answer to my conscience an and d not to my neighbors I 1 must do my duty as it is presented to me and not as it is presented to you I 1 say to you now that with the conviction upon me that this thia gold plank means ultimate distress and disaster to my followers I 1 cannot subscribe to it and if adopted I 1 must as an honest man sever my connection with the political organization which make that one of the main articles of it its faith prolonged applause 1 I repeat here what I 1 said yesterday I 1 was not acting upon my my own judgment alone but carefully care carefully full Y as I 1 have attempted to prepare it I 1 dare not take this thia step alone my A friends I 1 am sustained in my view of the danger that is coming to the world by the adoption of the gold old standard by the intelligence of the world they may say the silver question is a craze let me tell you the best part of europe the best beat of the world is with the advocates of bi all the great political party speakers of kurume with the exception of five or six are pronounced advocates of bimetal is m unrestricted o tricked and unrestrained bi all the great teachers of political economy in european colleges without w exception cep tion are in favor of bi my own judgment based as I 1 have said eaid to you on careful preparation and careful study for twenty years bears me out and puts me in accord with them and I 1 would be recreant to my my i trust given to me by the people e of my state if I 1 failed to protest here and failed when the republican party makes this one of the tenets of its faith to sever my connection with that party CAp and d cries 1 mn Mr president I 1 ask your kind permission to say a few things and when I 1 have said eaid them having told you what my conscience demands that I 1 shall do I 1 will leave this question for your consideration do you suppose myself and my associates that act with me and take the same view of this question that I 1 do do you suppose that we can take this step without distress do you suppose we could take it for any personal advantage or any honor hat could be conferred upon us we say aay it is a question of duty you may nominate in this convention any man you you choose if you put him on th the right kind of platform I 1 will vote for him you may take any methods to nominate him that your think proper I 1 will abide by your judgment and support him if the plat fai boim in is w right light but when a aked aked to surrender to goumy you my principles es as a an honest man I 1 cannot do that 1 I realize what it will cost us I 1 realize the gibes gibee and sneers and contumely that will be heaped upon us but my fellow citizens I 1 have been through this before before the political party to which you belong had its being I 1 have advocated a cause more unpopular than this I 1 have stood for the doctrine of free men free homes and free speech I 1 am used to detraction I 1 am used to abuse abue abu e and to have it heaped on me without stint when the republican party was organized I 1 was there it has bar never had a national candidate since it was wag organized that my voice has not been raised in his support I 1 has never had until now a great principle enunciated in its platform that has not had my approval with its distinguished leaders its distinguished men of forty years I 1 have been in close communication and close friendship I 1 have shared in its honors and its few defeats and disasters do you think we can sever our connection with a party like this unless it be as a matter of duty duty not to our states state but duty to all the people of this great rest land applause continued onzia on mh jaaj haaf TELLERS ui urn continued from page mr president there are few men in a political party th that at have been more honored than I 1 have been by the people of the state in which I 1 live there are few men in in this convention or anywhere alq else c that have been longer connected with this organization than I 1 there are few men in it who have been bean more active and not one who has been more attached to the great principles of this party than I 1 have been and I 1 cannot go out of it without heartburning heart burning burnings s and a feeling no A american can asprec appreciate i ate who has not not dot endured it and yet I 1 cannot before my country and my god agree to that proposition that shall put upon this country the gold standard and I 1 will not great applause and I 1 do not cat caie e what may be the result if it takes me out of political life I 1 will go out with the feeling that at least I 1 maintain my consistency and my manhood and that my conscience is clear and that my country will have no right to find fault with me cheers I 1 beg your pardon for saying this so personal but yet I 1 think it but iu just st to myself and nay my associates socia tes that I 1 should proclaim to you that we take this step not in anger not in pique not because we dislike the nominee or otherwise but because our consciences require that as honest men we should make this sacrifice le for sacrifice we feel that it is thanking you gentlemen for your kind attken retiring from you as I 1 do perhaps never dever again 1 to have the honor of addressing a republican convention con bention ven tion I 1 cannot do it without saying t that at after all I 1 have in say my heart the hope ho nay I 1 have an expectation that abat if you should be foolish enough to adopt this platform and force us to leave the party better counsels will prevail and ultimately on a |