The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1895-03-07
THE B|-METALL|C LEAGUE.
A STATEMENT OF ISSUES AND AN
ADDRESS TO THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE.
HE RECONCILIATION OF SILVER
DEMANDED.
Voters Favorable to Silver Are Urged
to Abandon Any Party to Which They
May Belong And Join the New
Movement


was today issued by the American Bi
metallic league:
"a statement of the issues on which the
new party will organize:
"The money question is now indis
putably the dominant issue in the United
States and will remain so until settled
and settled rightly. Other questions
however important must wait for this
which to greater or less extent involves
all others.
"The issue is between the gold standard
bonds and bank currency on one side and
the bimetallic standard no bonds and gov
ernment currency on the other.
"First-On this issue we declare our
selves to be unalterably opposed to the
single standard and demand the i'm
mediate return to the constitutional stand
ard of gold and silver by the restoration
by this government, independently of any
foreign power, of the unrestricted coinage
of both silver and gold into standard
money at the ratio of 16 to l, and upon
terms of exact equality; the silver coin to
be Il full legal tender equal with gold fo'
all debts and dues, public and private.
''Second--We hold that the power to
control and regulate paper currency Is
lUSpDuTuDlt lTOul lHt DOWCl w WIN
money: and hence that all currency intent
ed TO circulate as money should be issued
and its volume controlled by the gen
eral government only and should be legal
tender. :.
"Thrd-We are unaiteraDly opposed
to the issue by the United States of in
terest bearing bonds in times of peace,
and demand the payment of all coin
obligations of the United States, as pro-
-vided 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 money power to the intelligence
and patriotism of the American people.
ADDRESS TO THE PEOPLE OF
THE UNITED STATES.
"The signers of the Declaration OF
Independence held that a decent respecl
for the opinion of mankind REQUIRED that
resolutions should be given for dissolv'
ing the bonds that had bound the colo
MES to Great Britain; so we, who hnd II
necessary to sever our connections Wltl
the political parties with which we have
heretofore acted and form new alliances
in n common cause, deem it proper tha
some of the resolutions which inlpel III
70 this action should be submitted to
candid public.
"The monetary reform for which We
contend. MS above set forth, is, in oul
Judgment. so vital to the common welfare
and so necessary to return to conditions
of prosperity in this country as to pre-
clude longer delay in the inauguration OF
n movement, the purpose OF when Is to
bring together all who believe in the ne
cessity of the proposed reform Tor this
object and this alone. Those in favor OF
the gold standard are and have peer
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 in 'wel
beseeming ranks, march all one way"
"On the other hand, those who are in
favor of a return to the constitutional
standard of gold and silver are split into
as many divisions as there are parties
Silver Republicans from the west anC
South. to the great delight of the Leaders
the Republican party, insist IN contend
ing for their cause only within fthe lines
of the party; and Southern and Western
Democrats, earnest silver men, equally
ia the delight of the leaders OF the Demo
cratic party, continue the contest on theil
mart only within the lines of the Demo
cratic party. In other words, the advo
Gates of the bi-metallic standard, through
the unrestricted coinage of silver as wei
MS gold. now contend for their cause IN
organizations which are controlled by
the gold party.
"Hence, however Jealous in the cause
one may be, no results are possible, pc
cause his party refuses to carry out ms
views or to permit them to be carried
out. 1t is believed there are now and
r. Ia mn1nrItN
of the voters in the United States in favor
of restoring the free coinage of both gold
and silver. but the opportunity to vote
their convictions has never been given
them and they have been continually
thwarted by party chicanery. There mas
not been q congress for 20 years which
except for the influence of executive pat
ronage or the fear of an executive veto
would not have voted to open the mints
again to silver on the same terms as oil
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 manip-
ulation. 1t is as necessary, therefore
to have president in sympathy with the
cause as to have q congress in favor OF 1t
"But enough has been said to show the
impossibility of gaining our cause as lonl
as we remain divided or fight only in the
ranks of the gold party, or in organiza
tions controlled by the advocates of the
gold standard. AS well might our fa
theirs have expected to win the independ
ence of the colonies if, while contendinl
for the cause of liberty, they had refused
to separate from the British Independ
ence could never have been won by fight
ing for liberty in British regiments.
"And fellow citizens, this great caus,
will never be won without united action
1t will never be won unless those who be
lieve in it come together and elect con
gress and a president on this issue.
'There is no hope whatever that tn