The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1895-05-20
Mr.. CLAWS TALK.
THE CHAIRM4N OF THE STATE COM
MITTEE ron FREE COINAGE.
SILVER SHALL BE RESTORED AS IT
crat should, in Chairman CiaS's Opinion
BIO Found ON the side Of Silver.

Marietta. Ca, May n.-topecldl-)-1Hei S
is no equvocation in the position OIL the
chairman of the democratic state central
committee of Georgia. Hon. y. $ Clay IS
fer the free and unlimited coinage OF silver
ana believes mat it is tle uuty oil the
democratic party to SO declare il terms that
will admit Of no misconstruction. WIN
characteristic clearness Colonel Clay states
his own position.
He favors the free and unlimited coinage
of silver.
lie believes that it is the duty of the gov
eminent of the United States to restore sill
yer to it's rightful place as primary money.
And that this should be done at once,
without waiting for the nations OF Europe.
The only possibility of securing an InteTna-
tional agreement in his opinion is for this
country 10 first take independent action.
making the restoration; the rest VIII come
in good time.
Chairman Clay talks at some length on
questions of party policy He is emphatic
in his references to the dishonesty and tn
fairness of the honest" money talk of the
gold monometalists and shows clearly that
the contest now on is between the gold
monometallists on the one side and the
supporters of the double standard-the coin
age of both gold and silver as primary mon
ey, with no discrimination in favor of eth
er-on the other.
lie COnleWlS lndJ tle real lTieiitlS VI III
mctalism within the ranks of democra-
cy He does not anticipate any split in the
party on account of the discussion over the
question, taking the position that the minor
ity viii acquicsce to the viii of the MAORI
". He believes that this national question
should not enter into the state campaign.
He does not favor calling the state commit
tee together 10 consider the money question,
but, of course. if the majority of the COM
CHI hs W a
At Colonel CIay's Marietta Home.
came to Marietta today and found Chair
man Clay at his handsome home in the
edge OF this beautiful little city. He was
OUT among his Jerseys. When l broke IN
upon the picture of genuine bucoIc SIM
plcity with a question about politics he de-
cIared that he had found agriculture 70 be
his true vocation; that he was out OF poll
tics. and had been drawing the line at in
terviews.
FaYora Free and Unlimited Coinage.
Il can give my views to your in q few
words / am ia favor of the Tree coinage
of both gold and silver. L believe that tie
free and unlimited coiTaSe of silver can
only De maintained when the commercial
ana LEGAL ratio of the TWO metals CORE
spond. in other words, the bullion value
of both the gold and silver ;hat 60 TO make
Up the gold ana silver dollars after coinage
should be worth a dollar or approximately
so before coinage; otherwise free and TN
limited coinage cannot be maintained
This was the case prior to 1873. Both met
ais were then allowed the same privilege,
both were allowed free aad unlimited COM
age, the ratio fixed al IT, 10 /. There was
an unlimited demand for all bullion, both
gold and silver 1t was known to every
holder of both gold and silver bullion That
a ratio had been tiXed ~ law between tte
two metals. l.ach was money Itself. EdsA
mol
Each was Il legal tender IN the pay nlelt
OF all debts ZACH was worth as much
before as after coinage. Each stood equal
in every respect before the law
but the silver bullion now IS said to
cost only little more than one-EaH what
it is worth after coinage:
That Is true. That IS the reason why
some oppose free coinage. They insist
that 50 cents worth Of bullion ought not 10
be made a dollar by the government Ileir
premises are incorrect, hence the cJuclu-
sions that follow are necessarily incorrect
The silver bullion now that goes into =
dollar under unfaVorable conditions Whea
more than half a dollar l do not insist
silver is outlaWed is only worth little
that there should he free and unImitt1
Coinage if TIE value Of the bullion were
TO remain at THAT price, Luz 4 uC insist
that when silver bullion is properly treated
BY LEGISLATION ana is EiCep the Ss,I:= rights
ana privileges Win gold, ana IS P'tte I,.'-
mary redemption money, UtcH SILVER hEtiipA
will advance III price, SO tlaL the SllF,f
bullion that COCs into Il dollar VIII be worth
in the market as much as the helliun mat
goes into Il gotd uolia~. In other WoTas.
if silver had al the rights and privileges
under the law that AZ had previous To 1879
this demand for the bullion would be such
as to make the lc2ll and commercial ratio
as il was previous To 1873. In other words
giV. bOtn free access 10 the miutS. create
an unlimited demand nj hNcu ratio, treat
both OF them as primary mo&ey-01e Ia
act as 2 companion To the OtGer-hOtn -
aid IN liking and regulating prices, b3,n
to he legal tender il the payment Of debts
except where otherwise provided by pre-
Vious contradiction in my JudgTcut silver
bullion win advance ia price 50 rs 10 make
the bullion of one metal correspond win
the other before coinage. Re- tore to silver
the status il held previous TO the act OF
1873 al the question of parity settles 'isCi-
| want YOU TO understand now do NOT in
coinage unless this state of affairs could be
brought about; hut. IL ny j"dsmaat, il IS
the inevitable result Of free ana unlimited
coinage Of both metals, and every true
ard loyal democrat who loves his Couy try,
WLO feels an interest i'm the prosperity and
happiness Of cur people, IN the advance
meut Of our commerce. in giving MS not emily
q sound currency but ore ample i'm voiuCe
to transact all cur business. owes IL 10
way to leave not a stone unturned 10 .,-ius
about this state OF affairs. In my -uua-
meut. 70 quietly submit and ask FOR no
tulhcr legislation on silver means that
so far rs the future IS ccucerned. The single
scli standard is fixed upon the country and
the white metal. is forever doomed
~ tu Af-tSEishttOftiaA 2'Ct't-Lf nv
what about this idea of waiting for
other nations to act and bring about an
international agreement on this subicct?"
1--WE all know that England France
and Germany and in other European and
eastern countries that the great mass of
the people are favorable TO Oim,ja!lifm.
Some Of the leading statesmen OF England
are outspoken on this line. Now. FOR the
United States simply To sit stiH and 10
say that there shall be no more legislation
on this subject; that we give up the
fight, what encourag cement do we give
our friends in other countries? We know
that gold is becoming more aggressive and
eXacting every day. X holds every sep
il gains by legislation and dem 3ndS more,
and, in my judgment, silver VIII Ever he
restored 10 the place 1t deserves - pfiirj1-
ny money, either by international agree
mcnt or otherwise, except by an earnest,
combined united and determined EFFORT
on the part Of its friends. This Is a
great ana powerful nation. - We quietly
submit and say that as for the future
we give uD the fight in regard 10 silver,
what will our friends in other countries
say?
II have thought all along that many
democrats who now express themselves
for gold were in favor of the partial
coinage of silver at least, but every mai
cation to my mind points TO the fact
that the fight is to be a straight one De
tween the gold standard on one side and
those who favor double standard lCoNlhS