justice and right. He was a strong influence here in the founding of this association.

The Presiding Clerk announced that he would now place before the meeting a subject which had already been before it twice-in 1894 and 1895. That it had been tabled each time and referred for further consideration the next year:

The testimony on the Money Question was then read and discussed:

JOHN P. ST. JOHN of Kansas first addressed the audience, in effect as follows: Mr. Chairman and Friends. Years ago I made up my mind that this country needs men and women who do their own thinking. I decided too that I would not condemn a church or a people until I did myself the justice to investigate it. We hear a great deal now about mugwumps. A mugwump is a man who does his own thinking instead of allowing his party to think for him. The money question above all others is attracting the attention of the people to-day. So pressing is it, that they must think for themselves upon it. I take the Free Silver side of this question to-day. If any one present thinks I misrepresent truth he will say so. If any have questions in mind let them freely ask them.

Gold and silver serve best among known metals for money purposes, they do not corrode. But for that, I see not why iron might not do as well. The stamp of the government on gold and silver creates money value in them. Our forefathers were quite our equals in wisdom, unselfishness, and devotion to truth and justice. After the Revolution—not hastily but with two years deliberation, they resolved to apply the decimal system to the currency of the country. As a unit of value they took the Spanish mill dollar. This continued to be the unit until the demonitization of silver in 1873. Yet only a few days ago a Philadelphia paper stated that gold had been the standard since the beginning of civilization; and Edward Atkinson defined 16 to 1 to mean the coinage of 16 silver dollars to I gold dollar. The ignorance on this question is dense.

In 1873, at a time when silver was at a premium over gold, without even a party hint of such a thing, there was in

jected into the Finance Bill a clause, changing the standard from the silver dollar to the gold dollar. That was the most infamous piece of legislation ever enacted. President Grant admitted he did not know that the bill demonitized silver,— did not see the trick, but silver was demonitized and became legal tender for only five dollars in any single transaction. This condition existed until 1878 when the Bland Act was passed. Mr. Allison so amended this act that it became possible for Shylock to demand gold instead of silver for his bonds, and so it remains to-day.

One objection offered to the remonetization of silver is "We don't want a fifty cent dollar." Neither do I. If we have a fifty cent dollar we will have a fifty cent government behind it. This fifty cent dollar, as they call it, will, however, buy as much sugar, coffee and tea as any dollar. And why? Because it can be exchanged for a greenback, and this greenback is redeemable in gold. In 1878 Congress passed a law requiring gold coin to be kept in the mint to pay for gold bullion at a fixed price, and silver was crowded out. Gold is not worth so much because of its intrinsic value, but because of this law fixing its value. Silver having no value fixed by law-being outlawed-is a commodity, like wheat, pork or corn. A discrimination has been made in favor of gold.

Suppose we had a law allowing only gray horses to be used in the livery business, or on the farm. It would be a discrimination in favor of gray horses, and soon it would take two blacks to buy a gray. In just this way there has been a discrimination in favor of gold. If iron were coined it would not raise the price of iron unless congress set the value. The value of money is in the stamp, not in the metal. Put gold

and silver on an equality in the sight of Congress and silver will again serve us as it did for eighty-one years. Gold is worth more in bullion only because Congress says so. It is said, if we have free coinage of silver it will make this country the dumping ground for the silver of the world. I hope it will. The more they dump, the better for us. Have any of you ever had more silver than you wanted?

Mexico is the silver yielding country of the world. Suppose she sent her silver here to be coined. They could not take it back again, as there it would not be legal tender, so they must trade it out, and this would set our wheels of industry to humming, and create higher prices.

In a time of peace, when we are suffering from no calamity, it has cost our government $262,000,000 to maintain this gold standard. We have had to go on to our knees and beg the Rothschilds and the Morgans for gold to prevent this country going into bankruptcy. It will steadily grow worse with us, too, unless Congress make a change in the money laws.

Throughout this address Mr. St. John allowed himself to be interrupted by questions from the audience, and they made free use of the privilege.

The morning session now adjourned.

SEVENTH-DAY.-Afternoon Session.

This session opened with a full house; many standing for want of seat-room. Great interest was manifested in the proceedings.

JOHN P. ST. JOHN continued his address on the money question.

I am asked how would it affect our trade with England if we should adopt free coinage? I reply we got along nicely with England for eighty-one years, and can do so again.

More than a hundred years age England undertook to tax us without representation and we rebelled; and, by the way, their course then was no worse than our attitude is now towards women, and has been ever since. We put on our armor then and won the battle, and two years later adopted the financial system which we maintained for so long a time. Are we so degenerate now that we cannot establish and maintain the system of a hundred years ago? Ours is the best country in the world and we should hang our heads with shame to think of asking England's advice in this,

Everything produced by labor has, under this gold standard, gone down in price, while the products of monopolies and trusts have gone up.

Railroad fares have not gone down, hotel bills have not gone down, whiskey has not gone down,-unless it be down the throats of the politicians.

At present nine per cent. of the families own seventy-one per cent. of the wealth of the country, and sixty-four per cent. of the families own nine per cent. of the wealth.

The continuance of this system will lead to anarchy and revolution. We have increased one hundred and forty-six per cent. in individual mortgaged indebtedness since 1873. Only seventeen per cent. of the property owned in Philadelphia is clear of debt, while the private indebtedness of Pennsylvania is six hundred and thirteen millions of dollars,-about sixty-five per cent. of the wealth of the State.

You men who vote are responsible for this condition of affairs. You are the government, and the government makes

the money.

How strange it is that we, the people, issue the money and in a short time are paying tribute to a few men for the privilege of using it; and these few build houses on the hill tops, while we, the many, struggle on in the valleys.

No party can have my support any longer than it supports my honest views. No man can tell me of a single momentous issue between the Democrats and the Republicans. Some one says, "The Tariff." But that is only a question of per cent.,-the difference between stealing a thoroughbred and a Texas pony; for each is stealing. Mr. St. John here quoted statistics showing the country to be deeper in debt now than it was thirty years ago. During this period our population has increased twenty-five per cent., our wealth fifty per cent., and our indebtedness, one hundred and forty-six per cent. How long can the country survive at this rate, and the people maintain their liberty? Yet, friends, in the face of all this, men will go to the polls in November and vote to perpetuate this system, not because they want it but because they are party slaves.

There are twin robbers in this country depriving us of

our substance. One is the gold system, the other is the liquor traffic.

We have decreased the circulating medium eighty millions in three years, while the public debt has increased two hundred and sixty millions. Out west a band of robbers hold up a train and steal whatever the passengers happen to have, while here at Washington a set of money sharks hold up the government and help themselves to millions, under sanction of law. "Holding up" trains we call robbery, but "holding up" the government we call "restoring confidence."

We have 250,000 saloons-hotbeds for the generation of murders and all other crimes-from which emanate the worst influences, yet there are only 270,000 votes registered against the liquor traffic. When the church shall follow the teachings of Christ these wrongs will be righted. The country needs to be converted to christianity. I deem an extravagant church a positive sin against Christ. A woman with a calico dress, and shabbily dressed children have no home there. God has raised up a Salvation Army, God bless it!-to go out into the highways and byways, to bring in the people. We need to get near to the heart of the people. God hasten the day when we may have men who dare to do right because it is right without fear of consequences. So long as these twins

exist the nation will mourn.

We are drifting into a nation ruled by money kings. Sixty-one per cent. of the people of Pennsylvania live in rented houses, and the same is true of seventy-eight per cent. of the people of Philadelphia; Our present gold standard is driving the people into tenements to be ruled by a few.

I stand for a party which makes no distinction between the rich and the poor, and one which stands for the women of our country.

No party can have me or my ballot that won't take my wife with me. We need a new movement all along the line. Not a retreat but a charge, that will awaken the patriotism of the nation, a love of wife, home and humanity. God helping me I'll fight for the suffering people as long as I have the strength left.