Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1896-08-21
THouGHrs'oF THE TH1NRERs.

THOUGHTS OF THE TH1NKERs.
BRYANETs, FROM MADISON SQUARE GARDEN.
"If they (republicans) are in fact de-
sirous of securing bimetallism, we NAV
expect them to point out the evils of
the gold standard and defend bimet.
allism as a system; on the other hand
they are bending their energies toward
the permanent establishment of the
gold standard, under cover of a de-
claration in favor of international bi-
metallism, l am justified in suggest
ing that honest money cannot be eX-
pected at the hands of those who deal
dishonesty with the American people" !"
Let us freely acknowledge that this
is the one strong point'in Mr.. Bryan's
two-hours speech in New York. It
isn't new but it is, probably, original
and.is wholly pertinent. 1t should do
us the helpful service of crowding us
into our true position in favor of the
single gold standard, which is not only
a good thing" but the best possible
thing of it's kind for the civilization of
1896.
1--WE will be obliged to coin only that
(silver) which is not needed elsewhere.
But if we stand ready to take and util-
ize all of it, other nations will be CON-
PEELED to buy it at the prices which we
fix"
To those pop-demicans who are con-
tinually in shivering fear that the
worlds gold will be cornered by the
Jews, this proposed corner on silver
by the silver.mine owners assisted by
the U. S. government, must be especi-
ally comforting. Compared to this sill
YER corner, the discovery of King Solo.
mons mines were as the finding of a
brass ring for doll. A discovery like
this should easily make the petrified
remains of Col. Sellers shed envious
tears.
1--WE contend that free and unlimited
coinage, by the United States alone,
will raise the bullion value of silver to
its coinage value, throughout the
world"
Any man who, in view of our exper-
ience with silver since 1878, can believe
that, is, manifestly, unfit to be presi-
dent of the United States; and any
man who would say it without believ-
ing it, is only the more unfit.
"What is the test ofhonesty in money!
1t must certainly be found in the pur.
chasing power of the dollar. An abso-
lutely honest dollar would not vary in
itsgeneral purchasing power. Itwould
be absolutely stable. when measured
by the average of prices.''
Is this, then, what makes the silver
dollars of the United States, Mexico
and other countries, so absolutely hon
est?
Any other comment on Mr.. Bryap's
question and answer, than that which
they themselves inevitably suggest
would be supertluous.
The whole speech is undeniably boy
ish and wholly fit to have been made
by the boy orator. 1t is plainly unfit
to have been made by any rationa
man, much more by any man who as
pires to be the president of the great
republic. Most truly, X
| WHY A DEMOCRAT JOINED THE M'KINLE,
| In the language of a somewhat oldel
declaration of independence by al
older democrat CThos. Jefferson) ''a de
cent respect for the opinions of man
kind" prompts me to state the reason.
for the political action referred to il
the title.
These reasons are not likely to bt
entertaining to republicans, for whom
they are not given.
seek. rather, to justify myse elf tt
my comrades of the democratic part,
old or new for acting with the republi
can party this year.
have been since a time previous tt
1878, in favor of single gold standard
and since 1884, in favor of "a tariff fol
revenue only"
While the republican party is no
pledged to the single gold standard
but rather to the double standard, it i,
still, and in partial contradiction t,
that, pledged to Sustain the present
gold standard until" an event occur
which think will never occur.
Furthermore, it is perfectly plain t.
me that this whole silver movement i
the legitimate offspring of what we ar
won't to call McKinleyism, that is
special coddling of Il special American
industry Silver mining) at the expens
of the whole people.
This republican idea of special gov
ernmental favor to a special class is a
the bottom of and justly responsible
for the free coinage of silver at tn
old ratio, notwithstanding the fact tina
silver is nearly half cheaper thai
when that ratio was established.