Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1894-06-07
Bland on the Platform
pecial to the Globe-Democrat May q


WASHINGTON, D. c., May 22.-Th
correspondent of the Globe -Democra
| to-day called Mr. Bland's attention to a,
editorial in the Globe Democrat of MAY
10, headed ..Bland Not Downed. Mr.
Bland said he had read the editorial ant
noticed that the Globe Democrat stat
ed that the Democratic State Platform
at Kansas City, as adopted, was in har
mony with his record ever since he hat
been in Congress.
This is true' he continued. II have
always claimed that silver should be re
stored where it was before it was de
monetized; that is, restoration is all tha
is necessary to maintain its parity with
gold. l have held that it is unfair te
silver to demonetize it, and thus Gre
ate difference in the value of silver
and the value of gold, and before giving
silver the opportunity of free coinage,
so as to raise it's value, to seize upon
it's deprecated value by demonetization
and coming it at that depreciation,
would be outrageous. My position is
that the effect of law upon silver, after
free coinage, should be first ascertained
before any readjustment of the ratio.
If the present ratio did not work 1 was
willing to readjust it, but in making
the change the question as to whether
the gold dollar should be changed
should be considered as we'll as the sill
yer dollar"
Mr.. Bland then proceeded to analyze
the platform adopted at Kansas City,
and to state in the most explicit manner
what he had in mind when he drafted
it and the proper Interpretation to be
given. 1t will be observed that this
Interpretation differs from that which
some others have attempted to make.
"The platform, said Mr.. Bland, 'sde-
mands the restoration of a thing, not a
principle, but thing that existed for
eighty year under our laws. The bim-
etallic standard that existed under our
laws for eighty years was based on The
silver dollar Of 371l grains pure silver
as the unit of account or value. 1t was
demoninated '.the standard dollar. :"
The pure silver in the dollar was never
changed. The pure gold in the dollar
has been twice changed, so as to con-
form to the value of the silver unit. 1t
was the pure silver (371D that was the
standard o four coinage for eighty years.
In 1873 silver was demonetized. The
act demonetizing it provided that the
gold dollar should be the unit of value.
The platform demands the restoration
of the conditions of the bimetallic stand
ard as it existed for eighty years. 1t
existed for eighty years in our history
with the silver dollar as the unit or
the measure of value. So that the plat
form not only demands the coinage at
the ratio of 16 to 1, which would be the
ratio if the silver dollar was restored,
but it goes beyond that; it demands the
restoration of thing-the restoration
of the dollar that was demonetized as
the unit of value. We may coin both
metals at the ratio of 6 to under exis-
ting law, and yet the gold dollar would
remain the unit of value. So that the
platform goes beyond the mere coinage
of gold and silver at the present ratio.
1.-The change of the ratio necessarily
becomes restoration unless we change
the gold dollar and let the silver dollar
remain. We can not readjust so as to
change the silver dollar, because that
would not be restoration, but substitu-
tion. 1t would be to substitute diff
ferent standard and system than that
which prevailed for eighty years.
The platform demands restoration, not
the going back to the
identical thing that existed prior to
the demonstration of the standard sill
yer dollar. If it does not work, or it
should become necessary to do so in
order to maintain the two metals in Cir
culation, the ratio is to be changed.
The platform distinctly rejects the idea
of a change of ratio before restoration
in any particular.
The language OF the platform is,
and should it become necessary in or
der to maintain the two metals in circu-
lation to readjust the ratio etc. the
language is not that it is necessary at
this time, but on the contrary REJECTS
that idea, but distinctly states, 'and
should it beceme necessary to do a cer-
tain thing. That is to naiutain the
two metals in circulation, clearly show
ing that the coinage is to be Erst had,
so as to ascertain whether or not it
should become necessary to readjust
the ratio. The platform also demands
the free bimetallic coinage of both gold
and silver. This coinage must proceed
on the present ratio until it becomes
to change the ratio in order
to maintain it. So that is distinct
declaration for the free bimetallic COIN
oe of silver at the present ratio. that