The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1895-03-08
free silver coinage
A Manifesto by the Ameri-
can Bimetalists.
Bond Issue Denounccd-AnA Address
to the People on the Lines of Or
ganiZatiOn-Dcclar That Mon.
etary Reform Is Necessary to u Re-
turn of Prosperity

Washington, March 6.-The Ameri-
can bimetallic party. through its exec
utive committee, has prepared state
ment of the issue on which the new
party will organize, and with it for
wards an address to the people of the
United States The document in part
Is as follows:
The money question is now indis-
putably the dominant issue in the
United States, and will remain SO until
settled rightly. Other questions, how
ever important must wait for this.
which, to a greater or less extent, in
wolves all others. The issue is between
the gold standard, gold bonds and
bank currency on the one side, and
the bi-metallic standard, no bonds and
government currency on the other.
Free Silver Coinage
"First-On this issue we declare our
selves to be unalterably opposed to the
single gold standard, and demand the
immediate return to the constitutional
standard of gold and silver, by the
restoration by this government, inde-
pendently of any foreign power, of the
unrestricted coinage of both silver and
gold into standard money, at a ratio
of 16 to /, and upon terms of exact
equality; the silver coin to be a full
legal tender, equally with gold, for all
debts and dues, public and private.
"Second-We hold that the power to
control and regulate a paper currency
Is inseparable from the power to coin
money; and hence that all currency in
tended to circulate as money should
be issued and it's volume controlled by
the general government only. and
should he legal tender.
"Third-We are unalterably opposed
to the issue by the United States OF
interest-bearing bonds in time of peace
and demand the payment of all coin
obligations of the United States, as
provided by existing laws, in either
gold or silver coin. at the option of the
government, and not at the option OF
the creditor
"On this issue we appeal from the
dictation of the money power to the
intelligence and patriotism of the
American people.
Address.
ITO the people of the United States,
The signers of the declaration OF inde.
pendence held that decent respec,
for the opinions of mankind required
that reasons should be given for dis.
solving the bonds that had bound the
colonies to Great Britain. So we, who
find 1t necessary to sever our relation.
with the political parties with which
we have heretofore acted, and form
new alliances in a common cause, deem
1t proper that some of the reasons
which impel US to this action should
be submitted to candid public.
THE monetary reform, for which VT
contend. as above set forth. is, in our
Judgment, so vital to the common well
fare and so necessary to a return to
conditions Of prosperity in this coun-
try, as to preclude longer delay in the
Inauguration Of a movement the pur-
pose Of which Is to bring together
| all who believe in the necessity of th-
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
in well-beseeming ranks, march all
one way"