Mr. Chairman and gentlemen of this convention, I would be presumptuous indeed to present' myself against the distinguished gentleman to whom you have listened if this were but measuring of ability; but this is not a contest of persons. The humblest citizen in all the land, when clad in the armour of a righteous cause, is stronger than all the hosts of error that' they can bring. I come to speak to you in defence of a cause as holy as the cause of liberty—the cause of humanity. [Loud applause.} When this debate is concluded a motion' will be made to lay upon the table the resolution offered in commendation of the Administration, and also the resolution in condemnation of the Administration. I shall object to bringing this question down to the level of orsons. The individual is but an atom, eis born, hearts, he dies. But principles are eternal, and this has been a contest of principles.
Never before in the history of this country has there been witnessed such a contest as the one through which we have passed. Never before in the history of American poli has, a great issue been themselves, fought out as has this issue by the voters 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 biogene was the paramount issue of hour; asserting, also, the right of a majority of the Democratic party to control the position of the party on this paramount issue, and concluding with the request that all believers in the free coinage of silver in the Democratic party should organise, take charge of, and. control the policy of the Democratic party. Three months later, at Memphis, an organisation was perfected and the silver Democrats went forth openly and courageously, proclaiming their belief and declaring that, if successful, they would crystallize in. platform the declaration which they had wade. And then began a conflict with the zeal approaching the zeal which inspired the Crusaders who followed Peter the Hermit.
Our silver Democrats went forth from victory to victory until they are assembling now not to discuss, not to debate, but to enter upon the judgment rendered by the plain people of the country. [Applause.]
In this contest brother has been arrayed against brother and father against son. The warmest ties of love and acquaintance and association have been. disregarded. Old leaders have been cast aside when they refused to give expression to the sentiments. of those when they would lead, and new leaders have sprung up to give direction to this cause of truth. [Cheers.] Thus has the contest been waged, and we have assembled here under as binding and solemn instructions as ever were fastened upon the representatives of the people. We do not come as individuals. Why, -as individuals we might have been glad to compliment the gentleman from New York [Senator Hill], jut we know 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.]
Tsay that it was not a question of persons. Tt was a question of principle, and it is not with gladness, my friends, that we find ourselves brought into conflict 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 we assure him that not one person in all this convention entertains the least hostility to the people of the State of Massachusetts; but we stand here representing the people who are the equals before the law of the largest citizens of the
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.