Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-11-01
GEORGE L. CHRISTIAN,
Had Been Breathing Gold Atmos-
nhcre.

To the Editor Of the Dispatch:
I WAS a gold man originally because
had been breathing a gold atmosphere
and had not studied the question De-
| came an advocate Of bimetalnSm-
| Because after the most careful eX-
animation Of the subject 1t seemed cleai
| To me that the welfare of the country ne
| manded a radical change in our currency NY +.
No relief could be expected from ioi wac
! any suggested by the Republicans -,
. Because as time wore on the areu,
ment OF the gold press that dreadiul
| manic would ensue If the people shoWeq
| tendency for free silver was eApio -,
Q Because the sudden interest SHOWN
I bv Hanna and others at the posslDlllly o.
! v;orl,ingmen receiving Scent dollars Ior
! their labor aroused my suspicious;
l. Because believed the Ranie, o through Tooya
which we have been passing LOT NOR
than three years would end WITHIN sixty
| days after Bryan's election, and mat II
would continue indefinitely II Mchlhiey
were elected with a possible breathing
spell OF a few months.
| 3 Because the present system ms " III ~,
forced an additional debt OF %'Z,WVVVp
| upon the country within the past Ie"
| wears. during a time of peace, ana tnat
the debt will OF necessity e Si.4, gro" Il inc
| s. Because | was not alarmed by inc
! evil prophecies of the gold people, De
| cause they made the same ident!cal arBu-
! rnent prior 10 the enactment OF the Blanu-
| Anlson bin, and be cause these same peo-
Tie in moment of forgetfulness. now
| sneak of the era Of prosperity which the
| country had while said act was in force
ENHANCED OUR SECURITIES.
7 Because the stronger Bryan appeared
\ to be the higher government securltle@
went. From no per cent r ponds r naes
! 10 my mind that shrewd. sasaclous busi-
! ness-men, who have accumulated NH
/ lions. perhaps do not believe In o5,ceht
! dollars, but believe that there VIII De
| general prosperity under blmetallism,
| which will Increase the public income
] and thereby better enable the country 10
| care for its securities.
| < Because it was an alarming spectacle
| 70 see that a great country Ike TINS was
| reduced 10 the necessity of calling upon
| Mr. I p. Morgan TO stand at the door or
| It's Treasury 10 protect IL IRON rum. Ihls
| will not be needed under bimetaiiism.
| Q Because when silver was dem0ne-
tied in ENGLAND statistics show that 90
per cent. of the farmers OF Great Britain
! owned their lands, and that thirty years
thereafter only a per cent. Of them owned
| them. and now IL Is believed that less
| than 10 per cent. own them.
| 1O because there is every reason why
| the producing sections of this country
should want bimetalllsm; as hlgn pI ,lc,S
| arc not compatiple WIN siHsie eO'"
il. Because It has appeared that the sup
porters Of gold have thought II necessary
1
| dent Harrison. In his speeches, tells the
people that only 100000 OF silver dollars
| were coined from the foundation OF this
| country up to 1873. when he fails 10 IN
/ form them that during that time lO5.WOOJQ
| OF fractional silver money was made, and
| that there were 100000 OF Mexican dol
lars in circulation here, which Congress
! md made a legal tender.
| ~. Because this country. which Is be-
vond comparison the richest and most pow
| erf,l nation on earth, Is, In my judgment,
| abundantly able to maintain at a fixed
nrice IFS silver, as was England singly
| and alone, to maintain the price OF its
cold. The Financial News, OF London,
well said. In writing on this subject,
..'rne marvel IL that the United States
has not long ago seized the opportunity,
| ana Int for the belief that the way OF
England is necessarily the way TO, com
| morcial success and prosperity. undoubt-
| edlv N would have been done long
ago" And It would have been done. long
| aeo but for the short-eighted seifishness
| az a very small section OF this Union.
A TROUBLE TO BE REcTlFlED.
l3. Because idle workingmen. anxious
| merchants, unoccupied stores, molionless
| machinery, aud vacant dwellings all ad-