The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-12-12
ANYTHING bUr AGoLD BUG,

Congressman Kirkpatrick Says That He
Favors Coinage of American Silver.
From the State Journals Special Correspondent
WASHINGTON. Dec. II. - Some of
the papers in representative Kirk
patrlck's district, most of them
Populist, have been charging him with
being gold bug, and referred to his
gold bug speeches. This comment, when
Mr.. kirkpatrick was asked about it,
proved to have little foundation
Mr.. Kirkpatrick said TO a STATE JOUR
NAL correspondent about this: 81 am op-
posed to the gold standard of the eastern
bankers. My position is now just as it
was when l made my speeches during
the campaign. do not believe in the
issue of gold interest bearing bonds for
any purpose whatever, and l am opposed
to the payment of the obligations of the
government in just a certain kind of
money at the discretion of the secretary
of the treasury. | believe the debts of
the government should be paid in the
lawful money of the country whatever
that lawful money is.
81 am against the retirement of the
greenbacks. For fifteen or twenty years
they have served the purposes of money
to the greatest satisfaction of all, and
only by Democratic mismanagement has
there been any cause for complaint.
am also opposed to the retirement of the
treasury silver notes unless silver dollars
or coin be substituted in like amount
for them.
"The west and east are at the extremes
of the money question. / would favor a
middle course. l am hardly in favor of
the free unlimited and unrestricted coin
age of silver, but firmly believe in the
coinage of the American product.
"This country can coin it's own silver
without waiting for the cooperation or
consent of any government on earth. l
have no hope for an International agree
ment.
my position is such that in order to
coin the American product of silver
would favor the retirement of the bills
under and including five dollars or even
ten and the substitution in their stead of
silver"
Mr.. kirkpatrick is of the opinion that
it is the deficiency in revenues and not
the greenbacks which is causing the
trouble in the treasury.
alt is a plain matter of figures said
he. "Let BIr. Cleveland take the treasury
statements and find the amount of money
which was in the treasury when the
Democratic administration began and the
amount which is in there now, and he
will see just what is the matter, And the
reason the money is not in the treasury is
because the revenues have failed to meet
the expenses of the government
we'll raise some more revenue for
Mr. Cleveland and he will see that it will
not be necessary to retire the green
backs
Mr.. Kirkpatrick said he would support
no measure looking to the retirement of
the greenbacks.
BLUE THE "ONLY ONE"
Spoken of by Eastern Press Only Gold
Standard Man rom Kansas.
From the State Journals Special Correspondent
WASHINGTON, Dec. 2.-Congressman
Dick Blue appears to be attracting the
most attention locally of any of the new
men from Kansas The first dav of the
session he arose after the roll call in the
house and asked in his most sonorous
tones if she had been recorded as pres
ent" This was the first notice be at
tracted, abut his long, curly, gray locks
and large head are the first things to at
tract the notice of paragraphers and