Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1895-08-01
AN APPEAL FOR SILVER.
Hon. Richard p. BANDS Reply to
Secretary Carlisle.

Hon. Richard p. BANDS Reply to
Secretary Carlisle.
Synopsis Of Address Delivered Before the
Editors Of the Free Coinage Demo.
cratic Press Of Missouri ut
Their Sedalia Meeting.
SEDALIA, Mo-, July e3-Hon- Rich
ard p Bland addressed the assembled
democratic editors. and an audience
that nearly filed the auditorium at
Association park this afternoon. The
speaker was introduced by Mayor
Hastain and spoke in substance as fol-
lows:
congratulate the gentlemen OF the free
coinage press who have assembled here to-day
as democrats to organize for the coming battle
for the restoration OF the money Of the consti-
tuition and the democratic standard OF values
maintained for over eighty years in our his
tory When we see men who were with us but
short time ago now hesitating, some falling
by the wayside. and others who are regarded
IS our great leaders In this cause deserving
and taking stand with the enemy. it is time
that our forces be well organized and that we
renew our determination to continue the fight
until victory is won. The press is great
power in the land. and the masses Of the peo-
pie. who are suffering from the effects of the
single gold standard, will appreciate the ef-
forts Of you gentlemen who propose to devote
your time and labor to this great cause.
The single gold standard advocates in our
party insist that this question should not be
agitated- We are not responsible for it's agi-
sation; we did not begin the war upon silver;
We are not to be held accountable for tine revo-
luton effected in 1873. by which gold was made
the sole standard and given the sole right OF
free coinage at our minis We insist that it
was wrong and an injustice perpetrated upon
this people. and we insist that this wrong and
injustice should be righted. We are not re-
sponsible for the repeal of every law enacted
since 1873 looking to the restoration of silver
We are not responsible for infficting upon the
people of this country the disaster and ruin
that have oyertaken them and from which it
will be impossible for them to fully recover
under the single gold standard. We can not
accept the proposition that the restoration of
silver must be postponed to a later day or rele-
gated to the domain of an international agree
ment; hence it is We propose continuing the
fight in the interest of the people. believing
that any other course would be base sur
render of democratic principles anddemocratic
precedent
There can be no greater question affecting
the welfare of the people than the question of
currency. The foundation of the democratic
party was laid by Jefferson in his great con-
test with Hamilton during Washington's first
administration. Jefferson then being secretary
OF state and Hamilton ecretary of the treas
ury. This contest was the first under our gov
eminent and occurred at the very Threshold
Of our existence as a people under our con-
stitution. Up to this hour, there were no
political parties in this country. Hamil-
ton was the originator OF the currency
system provided by national banks. 1t was
against the organization OF national banks
that Jefferson protested. and in his controver-
sy over the subject insisted upon those Iimita-
tions OF the power OF the federal government
So essential to the independence and welfare
OF the states. which principles became the
cardinal doctrine of the democratic party.
Jackson. another great democratic leader.
following the footsteps of Jefferson, made his
great fight and contest on the currency ques-
ton in his opposition to national banks. In
deed, it may be said that the democratic party
had its birth as party in the controversy
growing out of the question of money and the
great battles fought under Jefferson and jack
son Tor true democracy have ever been re-
ferred to by democrats with pride, and as an
evidence of that party being the party of the
people, opposed to Capitalization OF wealth.
foes Of monopoly, the enemies Of greed and the
true friends of the masses Of the people.
In the face Of this history and record Of the
democratic party. are asked to abandon the
principles of Jefferson and Jackson and be-
come the advocates of a system of currency
supplied by national banks. instead of that sys
TEN contemplated Uy LuS CONSTITUTION anu 2G-
vocated by Jefferson and Jackson and which
for eighty years was upheld by the democratic
party; that is to say the right OF the people to
have the minis Of the government open TO the
free coinage of both gold and silver. If we are
to turn over to national banks and monopolies
the sole power to control the volume of our
currency, the single gold standard advocates
demand there is but little left in democracy
worth fighting for. The power to control the
volume of the money of the country will neces-
-
the breaking down OF the power OF the states.
UThe republican party. which is the party OF
Hamilton and the advocates of the doctrine OF
Hamilton, displaces the old democratic laws
upon the money question:; they demoentized
silver and made gold the sole unit of value;
and in the interest of national banks, put a
prohibitory tax state bank issues and pro-
yided by the resumption law for the destruction
Of the greenbackS; they converted all or pub
lie Obligations into coin obligations, destroyed
one-han of the coin in which they were made
payable, then left the people with no supply OF
money except that contemplated by national
bank issues ana the coinage OF gold. II we
are TO adopt these theories we ought to sup
port the party that put them into practice; we
ought to bow to John Sherman as great
teacher and benefactor.
shall refer to some of the arguments of Mr..
Carlisle in his speeches. In the first place, he
plants himself squarely on the proposition that
bimetallism is impracticab1e and impossible;
that for eighty years in our history We were an
impracticable people. and the democratic par
ty was an impracticable party; that we at
tempted the impossible; that we had laws up
on the statue books that were evidences of in
competency: that Jenerson's idea OF money
was fallacy: that we maintained in ourI laws
a heresy. which heresy was never discovered
until the astuteness of John Sherman found it
out: heresy that Mr.. Carlisle himself never
discovered until the exigency of the present
situation, for some reason best known to him
self, has induced him to become follower of
John Sherman instead of an advocate OF the
principles and practices Of democracy.
The British royal commission of 1888 APP
pointed to inquire into the recent changes and
the relative values of the precious metals was
composed Of twelve members, appointed for
their supposed ability as experts on the Ques-
ton; one-half of them were gold-standard adj
yocates, the other half bimetallists. The whole
oSlt1on that where a country or countries had
sufficient commercial power and wealth to
establish ratio between gold and silver, as
money, the effect would be to maintain the rela-
tive values of the two metals at practical
parity not only in the country countries SO
adopting the system but throughout the world.
This was admitted in relation to the Latin
union. or. I might say, the single nation Of
France. because. we all know, France had
maintained this system long prior to entering
into this union. In support OF the bimetallic
theory, quote from this commission report.
paragraphs 19s-193, part /: Undoubtedly
the date which forms the dividing line be-
tween an epoch of approximate fxity in the
relative value of gold and silver and one OF
marked stability is the year when the bimetal-
lie system which had previously been in force
in the Latin union ceased to be in full opera
ton; and we are irresistib1y led to the conclu-
sion thnf the operation of that system estat,.