The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-21
His Audience Held in Pleasant
DURANGO for an Hour
and a Half.
A STRONG STAND FAVORED
Said to Be Ready for Finan-
clal Freedom.

DraSka, unueT Jne auspices OF Ine AlneIl-
can Bimetallic League of California, adj
dressed one of the largest and most enthu-
siastic audiences ever gathered in Metro
politan Hail, among the hearers being
large sprinkling of ladies. He treated of BIZ
metallism or free and unlimited coinage of
silver, and for an hour and a half he kept
his audience alternating from a state of
deepest interest in the merits of the ques-
ton he was discussing to one of clamorous
hilarity over his amusing anecdotes rela-
tive to his theme.
He began his remarks with a humorous
story of his early experience on the ros-
trum and thereby Immediately won his
audience, and he kept his hearers in
pleasant and receptive disposition by ju-
dicious Interpolation of humorous anec-
dotes, though he did not in the least
degree slight the logic of the problem he
was endeavoring to solve for his auditors.
The ex-Congressman has voice that
peculiarly qualities him for public speak
ing 1t is clear, full, deep and sonorous and
lends a charm to his exceilently turned peri
DDS that has much to do with his popularity
on the rostrum. Early in the evening the
speaker had been G uest of the Iroquois
Club.
The hall was elegantly decorated with
flowers and National flags.
About $50 o'clock the impatiently
awaited gentleman entered the hallway
under the escort of about two-score men,
bers of the Iroquois, all of whom took
seats on the stage with the following
named vice presidents of the occasion:
T. J. Phelps. Pat Reddy. Charles Sumner,
Samuel Shortridge, General A. E. Cochran, C.
J. Swift, William Webster OF Reno, T. G.
Spelling, James J. Flynn. Max Pepper, DR.. W.
J. Bryan, Hon. James Denman, L. V. Merle,
Alexander Majors, Edward Reddy, W. c. Price,
William Pardy, N. W. Spaulding, Judge
William Thornton, Thomas Y. Gator.
Mr.. Bryan's entrance was the signal for
hearty applause, which continued until
Chairman George W. Baker rose to intro
duce him.
Chairman Baker referred to the speaker
of the evening in the most eulogistic
terms, saying:
I take pleasure in presenting q gentleman
who has addressed the voters of many of the
principal States and who IS the exponent OF
an issue which will enter largely into the next
National campaign. The people are in earnest
on this great question of bimetallism, and it is
vitality connected with the future prosperity of
our country, politically, commercially and in
dustrially. l take pleasure in Introducing to
you tonight the foremost bimetallist advocate
OF the country, ex-Congressman W. ]. Bryan
OF Nebraska.
Ex-Congressman Bryan acknowledged
the eulogistic introduction in graceful
manner. He said:
1t often embarrassing to g speaker to be
presented to an audience in such q compli-
mentary manner for the reason that it is apt
to raise the expectations OF his audience to an
unrequitable degree, but there are times when
a speaker likes it. l recall an instance. was
young lawyer-a young lawyer struggling to
rise. l liked an opportunity to speak ana hon
estly tried TO make the most of such occasions.
I recall one OF those occasions. 1t was in the
Buckhorn schoolhouse in Illinois.
"Give it to us, WHIP was heard from
the audience, and the ex-Congressman,
continuing, said:
I see l have some old friend here, and he
must have known something about the old
Buckhorn schoolhouse Laughter.l Well, on
this occasion / was young lawyer, and
anxious TO get all the advertising possible. I
was to address an audience IN the old Buck
horn, and the chairman expected to give me
a great send off in his introduction. He did.
His name was Timothy Flynn. AS 1 stepped
forward he said:
"Mr. O'Bryan will now spake." [Laughter.l
Now, you see, he did not raise any expecta-
tions at all. But tonight L have made up my
mind TO address you but an hour and half
/ esteem it an honor 70 come into that part of
the country that is within the immediate in
fiuenee OF Senator Jones. do not expect to
instruct you, but you may be interested in
learning how your Eastern friends are feeling
on this matter.
InlS silver craze, as II is termed DIV our OppO-
nents, is wider than 1t is high, and, if it ever
blows over, you will find that it is higher than
it is broad. Every day finds that the convic-
ton is deeper and deeper in the m inds of the
people that silver should be maintained at a
parity with gold at the present standard.
great many people don't know what BIZ
metaliism means One man said TO me that he
thought 1t meant that the Government should
buy all the metal (bi-metaD they. wanted. An
editor OF Chicago paper said he believed in
bimetallism on gold standard.
a q nf
the politicians thought that 16 to 1.-The ratio
meant that the Government would issue $40
to every dollar now in circulation. And you
Will find the same Ignorance prevailing among
many of the better educated OF the middle
classes. They simply don't understand, and
many don't want to.
By the free coinage of silver we mean that
the privilege man has TO take pound of
gold bullion to the mint and have it coined
into dollars should also be accorded the man
with pound of silver. The only way we can
have free coinage is TO accord the man with
silver bullion the same advantages that are
accorded TO the man who is allowed to take
his gold TO the mint for coinage.
Why is it that the gold is worth as much I'M
coined as it is with the stamp of the Govern
ment on it? Because the law says that the gold
in weight is worth the same when the stamp
OF the dollar-five, ten or twenty-is placed on
1t. If the law was the same with regard to
silver the latter metal, instead of being worth
only half the gold dollar. would be worth as
much the whole of il, and then the silver
product of the country would be protected and
the money standard would be equaliZed.
We demand that the gold and silver of the
country be treated the same. That is all the BIZ
metallists demand. Let the metals stand on
an equal basis.
We are not for the free coinage of silver be-
cause the miners of silver will be benefited,
but because we all of US Will be benefited We
want an honest dollar. We cannot have an
honest dollar until we have dollar that does
not change in its purchasing power. The BIZ
metallic dollar is the nearest approach to an
honest dollar that has ever been used
Sometimes the gold production increases and
sometimes the silver increases, but under the
bimetallic theory the parity value can be
maintained. The Government will not be I'M
der the necessity of entering into contracts
with the Rothschilds and other foreign
bankers TO keep up its reserve; the people will
not be called on to pay interest on hundred
million dollars worth of bonds in order to
maintain the purchasing power of its silver
currency We want to give the debtor n even
show with the creditor. If the silver dollar is
good enough for one, it ought to be acce ptable
TO the other. Let the money standard be fair
That's what the bimetallists are striving for
An equity to all.
We have the right to redeem greenbacks and
treasury notes in gold or silver, but the pres
ent Secretary of the Treasury has said that the
note-holder shall decide whether he shall be
paid in gold or silver, and the result is that up
TO this day it has cost the Government $780,
000,000to redeem the greenbacks and silver
notes of the country.
But it seems that q vast majority of our