The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-03-01

| from the speech OF Mr.. Dollivcr, OF Iowa.
I'm tho Uouse Of Representatives. IN which
he drew. as we claimed. the lines upon
which the National Republican party VIII
form its plaaform respecting hnance'
! Those lines were that we should have the
| gold standard and coinage Of as much
silver for change as the country VIII take,
This Is tho true theory Of the case.
This Mr.. Deliver laid down as the
| true theory of tho ease. and this, he
claimed the Republican party would
adopt as tho true theory Of the case.
The very bitter debate which took place
Wednesday last in the Senate between
the Eastern and Western Republican SEN
ators adds strong proof that the RepuDii-
can party is rapidly drifting towards this
their platform.
Senator Teller. of Colorado, in a Bit
ter speech Of rcproach to the Eastern
Republicans, read from the speech de-
liverod by Senator Sherman when pre-
siding last year over the Republican con-
vention Of Ohio the following;
Il believe that the policy of tho United
States. adopted In 1853. Of coming frac-
tional silver coins in limited quantities,
from silver bullion purchased at market
price, and making them a legal tender
for small sums. IS the only way 10 pre-
serve the parity Of gold ana silver coins
at a fixed ratio. This is properly called
bimetallic money"
And f.ffnr eafI IL xroo. fp+opHqI irr fbic
to commit the Republican party TO the
idea Of the gold standard with silver
for fractional currency only. and he
added: "rhe Republican party is about
TO accept it,"
Mr.. Sherman rose. and admitted that
he had said what was imputed TO him,
and he added.
Ny idea Of bimetalism is that both
metals shall be adopted and used in this
country as far as possible. and TO the
extent that they can be maintained al
parity with each other. In order TO
bring aObut that condition, as a matter
of course the silver dollars and the silver
coins must be maintained at parity
with gold. Under the policy, which IS
now well established not only IN the
marks of senators but in every Christian
and civilized country in the European
world, silver is used 10 a greater amount
and more extensively than IL mas ever
before been used in our time, or, perhaps,
in any time in the world.
We maintain the parity OF the two
metals b. limiting The supply of the
cheaper one. We buy The bullion from the
people of the United States or i'm the
markets Of the world, and we coin II into
money upon the old basis OF l6 to L. But
i'm order that we may maintain the silver
coins at q parity with gold we limit the
amount, and only make il an act of the
Government which maintains those coins
of less market value at parity with
gold.
In England, now. they are circulating
more silver coin than ever before ana
their shilling. although 1t is worth only
sixpencc in the markets Of the world, Is
maintained at par with gold. So with
France. q country which uses more Sill
Yer. perhaps, than any other country IN
the world. The French maintain their
silver at parity with gold, although sil-
yer coins there are even less valuable
than our own, because they are upon
basis of IL il 10 /.
Now. we who believe i'm bimetallism, as
thus defined by me- insist that the Gov
eminent shall maintain the parity of all
these coins We do not adopt the cheap
or standard. Why? Because If that sys-
tenn should ever be adopted among the
people of the United States. the laborer
would be cheated of onc-half o. mis- hire.
In this country now the laboring man
gets more dollars, and dollars equal to
gold than i'm any other country in the
world IT, however, we should adopt
the free coinage of silver, then, as
matter Of course the cheaper metal would
exclude the gold from circulation; we
should have the silver standard and the
working man who got the same number
of dollars under a silver standard would
be cheated Of half the purchasing power
of the money which he received as lhe
result of his labor.
The people of this country are begin
ming to understand this question.
do not have any unkind feelings.
have never said an unkind word against
those who favor the free coinage OF
silver. but let me make prophecy: The
idea Of the free coinage of silver took
wildly all over the country. Even IN
Ohio both parties had more or less com
mitted themselves 10 that policy the
Republican party first, and the Demo
cratic party following suit. Yet now IN
Ohio. where we have "a population OF
4. 900. 0O0 neither party and no party, ana
no considerable body even OF our people
themselves would consent TO the free
coinage of silver. That sentiment which
has grown by the conviction of the peo-
nile. Is extending further and further. II
perhaps, in Ohio. and extend
ed west. until now every state east or
Missouri river is in favor Of bimetaiiism
as we have it; that IS, limiting the COIN
age Of the cheaper metal, maintained at
a parity with gold.
This is tho true idea Of this subject;
il is getting TO be better and better I'M
derstood each day; the Republican party
is going TO plant itself on it, and 1t only
remains for the Democratic party to ask
itself Il it is going to hold on to the
old-dnc. discarded, and destructive theo-
rles. and cut itself entirely out Of the
race?
There was one discordant note uttered
in this discussion, and il came from a
quarter that entirely surprises us. SEN
ator Hoar, of Massachusetts. declared
that he ropudiated any such idea OF BIZ
ana he said:
II the senator will allow me a word
there j wish 10 say that, so far as /
know, there Is not a Republican in
either house OF Congress from the East,
and there is not, 50 far as 1 know, in
the State OF Massachusetts, or in the
six New England States, per cent or
the entire Republican party VINO hold
the theories Of Grover Cleveland as |