The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-03-06
Monetary Reform Necessary for
Return of Prosperity
to the Nation.
FREE COINAGE IS THE CRY.
Members of All Parties Asked to
Unite in EIecting Honest
National Legislators.

statement of the issues on which the new
party will organize-The money question is
now indisputably the dominant issue in the
United States and will remain SO until settled
and settled rightly. Other questions, how
ever important must wait for this, which to
greater or less extent, involves all others. The
issue is between the gold standard, gold bonds
and bank currency on the one side and the BIZ
metallic standard, no Londs and Government
currency on the other.
First-On this issue we declare ourselves to
be unalterably opposed 10 the single gold
standard and demand the immediate return to
the constitutional standard OF gold and silver,
CT the restoration by this Government, indie
pendently of any foreign power, of the unre-
stricted coinage of both silver and gold into
standard money at the ratio of 16 to / and
upon terms OF exact equality, the silver coin to
be full legal tender equal with gold in pay
ment of all debts and dues, public or private.
Second-We hold the power to control and
regulate paper currency inseparable from
the power to coin money, and hence that all
currency intended to circulate as money
should be issued and its volume controlled by
the General Government only and should be
legal tender.
Third-We are unalterably opposed TO the
issue by the United States of bearing
bonds in time of peace, and demand the pay
1LICht VI III Will Ou1lsdllOuS Vi Il1o OIlIeu
States as provided by existing laws in either
gold or silver coin at the option of the Govern
ment and not at the option of the creditor. On
this issue we appeal from the dicta ton of the
power TO the intelligence and patriotism of the
American public.
ADDRESS TO THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES.
The signers of the Declaration of Independ-
ence held that decent respect for the opinions
OF mankind required that reasons should be
given for dissolving the bonds that had bound
the colonies to Great Britain, SO we, who find
it necessary to sever our relations with the
political parties with which we have hereto
fore acted and form new alliances in common
cause, deem it proper that some OF the reasons
which impel us to this action should be sub
mitted to candid public.
The monetary reform for which we contend,
as above set forth, is, in our judgment, so vital
to the common welfare and so necessary to re-
turn of conditions of prosperity in this country
as to preclude longer delay in the Inauguration
OF movement the purpose of which is to bring
together all who believe in the necessity of the
proposed reform for this object and this alone.
Those in favor OF the gold standard are and
have been united in purpose and action. Party
lines do not divide them when this issue is
raised. Differences on other questions are then
laid aside and together they, sin well beseem-
ing ranks, march all one way
On the other hand, those who are in favor of
return to the constitutional standard of gold
and silver are split into many divisions as
there are parties. Silver Republicans from the
West and South, to the great delight of the
leader OF the Repu blican party, insist on con-
tending for their cause only within the lines OF
that party, and Southern and Western Demo-
Gratis, earnest silver men, equally to the delight
OF the leaders OF the Democratic party continue
the contest on their part only within the lines
OF the Democratic party. In other words the
advocates OF the bimetallic standard, through
the unrestricted coinage of silver as well as
gold, now contend for their cause in organiza-
lions which are controlled by the gold party
Hence, however Jealous in the cause one may
be, no results are possible, because his party
refuses TO carry out his views or to permit
them to be carried out.
1t is believed there is now and has been for
twenty years, large majority OF the voters III
the United States in favor of restoring the free
coinage OF both gold and silver, but the oppor-
tunity to vote their convictions has never been
given them, and their viii has been continu-
ally thwarted by party chicanery. There has
not been Congress Tor twenty years which,
except for the influence OF executive patron
age or the fear OF an executive veto, would not
have voted to open the minis again to silver on
the same terms as to gold Indeed, each house
of Congress has at different times separately
passed free coinage bills, but this action has as
often been frustrated by party manipuations
1t is as necessary therefore to have President
in sympathy with the cause as to have a Con-
gress in favor of it.
But enough has been said to show the i'm
possibility OF gaining our cause as long as we
remain divided or fight only in the ranks of
the gold party or in organizations controlled
by the advocates of the gold standard AS well
might our fathers have expected to win the in
dependence of the colonies if, while contend
ing for the cause OF liberty, they had refused to
separate from the Tories. Independence could
never have been won by fighting for liberty in
British regiments.
And, fellow-citizens, this great cause will
never be won without unanimous action 1t
will never be won unless those who believe in
it come together and elect a Congress and a
President ON this issue. There is no hone
whatever that the Republican party as g party
will change its policy, give up the gold stand
ard and restore the bimetallic standard. There
are no grounds for such hope, and we believe
they are deluded who look for such change
OF policy by this party.
The Republican party is committed to its
leaders, by its record and by the press behind
it, to the gold standard, supported by gold
bonds, and to the retirement OF the greenbaeks
and the surrender of the issue and control of
paper currency to the banks.
No less persistent and effective is the control
OF the money power over the organization of
the Democratic party. While undoubtedly a
large majority of the members of that party are
opposed to the gold standard, they have been
powerless to control that party organization
against it and much less to secure through it
the restoration of the bimetellic standard
While this is the case 1t cannot be expected
that the Republicans will abandon convictions
of a lifetime on other questions and go into the
Democratic party in a body or into wing of
that party. Nor will Democrats give up con-
victions they believe to be essential in govern
ment and go over to the Republican party or
division of that party.
Nor is it possible to induce Republicans and
Democrats together to go into the Populist
party for the reason If no other, that the plat
form Of that party contains declarations and
the party advocates theories to which they can
not give their assent. But we must in some
way come together on this issue or the cause is
lost and with it the independence of the peo-
pie No old party ever carried through a
great reform
New bottles tor new wine Therefore no
course seems more plausible than that to subor-
dinate for the time being other questions and
n no front 81 yOrpa ami 4.,l,,