County of statue: Laclede County
Location of statue: Adams Ave., between 2nd St & 3rd St., courthouse lawn, Lebanon
Artist:
Founder: White Bronze Monument Company
Dedicated: June 1902
Inscriptions on the monument:
(Proper Front):
I Do Speak For The Great Masses Of The Mississippi
Valley, When I Say That We Will Not Submit To The
Domination Of Any Political Part, However Much
We May Love It, That Lays The Sacrificing Hand
Upon Silver And Will Demonetize It
(Left side of base):
Richard Parks Bland
Erected By Friends Of The Dead Statesman
At Lebanon, Missouri
His Old Home, The Monticello Of The West
Proper Description: "Portrait of Richard Parks Bland, depicted standing with his proper right arm upraised and his proper left hand on his hip, his proper left leg extended. He has a beard and moustache and wears an open jacket over a vest. The upper base is ornate and multitiered, with a silver dollar-like coin on the front inscribed "E. Plurbus (sic) Unum 1895," and a constitution scroll without words on the proper left side. The entire memorial is mounted upon a short, square base." ~ Smithsonian American Art Museum
The monument was erected by the friends of Richard Park Bland (1835-1899 and dedicated on the third anniversary of his burial. He served as a Congressman from 1873 to 1899 except for 1895 to 1897. He had two nicknames "The Great Commoner" and "Silver Dick". He was influential in national politics especially in his promotion of silver as the national currency.. He ran in the Democratic nomination for President in 1896 but lost to William Jennings Bryan and after losing he put his support behind Bryan who lost to William McKinley.
Remarks: "Monument commemorates Richard "Silver Dick" Park Bland (1835-1899), a Lebanon native and Congressman from 1873 to 1895, influential in national politics, especially in his promotion of free silver as the national currency. He also competed for President as a Democrat. The monument was erected by his friends, and dedicated on the third anniversary of his burial. IAS files contain articles from Laclede County Sentinel, June 20, 1902; Sarah Guitar's text "Missouri Historical Review, 1924-25," pg. 572, 578-579; and The Ozarks Mountaineer (July/Aug. 1993): pg. 41" ~ Smithsonian American Art Museum
RICHARD PARKS BLAND
Erected by the Friends of the dead statesman, at Lebanon, Missouri, his old home, the Monticello of the West.
"I do speak for the great masses of the Mississippi Valley, when I say that we will not submit to the domination of any political party, however much we may love it, that lays the sacrificing hand upon silver and will demonetize it."
Born in Kentucky in 1835, Bland was orphaned at age 14. he became a teacher, and eventually migrated to Lebanon, MO. in 1869. He became a popular attorney and friend urged him to run for congress as a Democrat in 1872.
During the Civil War the Federal Government had issued $450 million worth of currency backed only by credit. When it withdrew the greenbacks after the war, the poor ad working class suffered. The Demonetization Act of 1873, which discontinued the minting of silver, caused further currency contraction that benefited only the wealthy.
In 1876, Bland sponsored a bill to permit the free and unlimited minting of silver coins. The congressman believed that reintroducing of silver into the economy would inflate the money supply and expand the currency, thus placing more money into the hands of the ordinary citizens. Senator W.B. Allison amended the bill limiting the amount of silver to be purchased in a month, thus it became the Bland-Allison Act, and became law in 1878.
In 1890 several European nation moved to the Gold standard, causing the Sherman Silver Purchase Act to be passed in the United States. This act authorized the purchase of 4,5000,000 ounces of silver each month for coins. Under Grover Cleveland's influence this Act was repealed in 1893, and this nation returned to the gold standard. This caused high unemployment, labor unrest, agricultural distress, and the economy worsened. Because of Cleveland's policies many Democrats suffered defeat in the elections of 1894, including Bland.
The "Silver Issue" took center stage in the 1896 elections, and Bland became a prospective presidential candidate. William Jennings Bryan, however, became the delegates choice on the fifth ballot. Bland was then reelected to the house in 1896 & 1989. He died in Lebanon in 1899.