The Irish standard., 1896-04-11
TALK ON SILVER AND GOLD
Ex-speaker Crisp and Secretary Koke
Smith Lock Horns In
Debate.
BORA SIDES or THE QUESTION
And Eoih Sides Are Cheered to
the Echo by Their
Friends.

Atlanta, Ca. April S-Six thousand
people gathered last night in the big tab
prnaclc used during the recent sam Jones
meetings to hear the second Of the series
df joint debates on the currency between.
Secretary All the Interior TIaRe Smith and
ey-speaker Crisp. Both speakers were
greeted with cheers on their appearance.
~ accorded the secretary being the
heartiest, perhaps because Of the fact
.that Atlanta is his nome, and a pro-
1auncaa snusld money center The speak
ing began at o'clock Secretary Smith
HAVING the opening and speaking for an
ilour and ten minutes
Secretary Smith began by saving that
ae onposed thc free and unlimited coinage
.cf silver at rs to | for the same reason
that BENJAMIN H Hill had opposed, iii
-fand he read from that distinguished
Ga0rgian's speech on the subject delivered
fr the United States senate. He declared
t-Gt he also opposed free coinage because
he wantee' to see genuine blmetallism op-
tain in this country The advocates of
fE y coinage when they called themselves
hmet9iists. masqueraded under title
t3ay dld not deserve He RAPIDLY outlined
Commercial value of gold and silver had
regulates the establishment of the legal
ratio between the metals.
Mr. Crisp had stated In a late speech
ifl Eln mousse, InaL FRANCE ndQ kept Ille
legal and commercial ratios together
--Ia GAir. SMITH had In Augusta pro-
dUrad THE evidence Of historian after his
torian to show that the statement was
Incorrect and HI would, not refer TO the
matter ,sgain until Mr.. Crisp produced
some authority Go sustain the statement
THE SECRETARY denied that the act Of 1873
had caused the fall In the price Of silver
The law At supply and demand and the
-ehnanening 6f tha cost 0f mining had
neen potent factors in that depreciation
IF the free coinage of silver would cause
time 37lA grains of silver In a silver dol-
lar ~ Be worth as much as the 2S.22
4. grains sof gold in a ~gola dollar III it would
give real hirnstalic standard. +he would
he in favor Of ID. Bur he felt ashamed Of
himself f0T presenting such a case, even
hNpotheticailv. History and common
sense showed that it was impossible. He
cited Cen. Walker Prof. Andrews. A. q.
Palfnur ana other leading bimetallists as
declaring that the experiment of free
coinage without International agreement
would BE disastrous.
In remodeling our currency system we
should hrst fix a stable standard, then re-
tire the greenbacls as recommended by
Carlisle give silver the right Of WHY be-
low S1o and allow state banks the right to
issue notes,
Secretary Smith concluded by painting
the disaster that would result from the
election of a congress with g president
favorable IN free silver coinage
The secretary was cheered for a full
minute as he sat down
Nr. Crisp was given a rouslng5 reception
when he arose. In beginning he said he
wanted to say that his Brother Smith, "
IN as he referred tn the secretary, made as
.EooG II argument as he had ever heard in
behalf Of cause So intfinsically weak.
T'he trouble with Mr. Smith was that he
confaunde5 a bfmetalhc standard with
hmetallla circulation It was not nee
esssarE for the preservation of a bimetal-
iic standard for the two metals to cireulata
together He admitted that in fixing the
rati0E this country Jefferson had com
suited the comemrcial ratio, but at that
time silver was admitted To free coin
age the worla over. Tf YOU will give us
free coinage. he declared and restore sill
ver to liharty then we'll talk with you
about changing he ratio.
i This ioint debate business may be fun
to my Friend Smith" he said. .fbut it's not
fun for me- I'm candidate for the SEN
ate and I'm anxious 10 get through with
these Joint debaIes and get down to The
business of a candidate. My friend Smith
however ts- net a candidate for the senate
Te says he has no desire to- be, and
have no idea that the people of Georgia
will force him to run"
Here NIr. Crisp read a letter written by
Secretary Smith in 1890. favoring the free
coinage of silver. enunciatin Its declara+
lion with careful emphasis He alse
read what purported to be extracts from
two speeches delivered by Secretary
smith one IN 1884 in which he opposed
tAe 81 Sle SOlQ SIanQaru ana the Dthel
in Augusta two nights $50, in which he
advocated tho single standard. The de.
m0Hetization of silver caused the fall ir
si nrices, Ir, Crisp contended, and he re-
cited til reasons therfor. First, II re-
auced the money supply Of the world
There have been hard times ia this coun
thy of late As soon as the people found
ont that silver had been demonetized they
began ro agitate for its restoration. Thi.
agitation had become a crime In the eye.
nf the men who had a fixed income which
was increasing every day. He ridicuIec
the claim that the single gold STANDARD
was jim favor of the laboring man TIL
advocates Of free coinage he urged, dit
- not want q dishonest dollar. They dix
not want one dollar to have more valu
Than another All this talk about cheal
money MAS rot concocted by the. mel
whose interest III was to keep money dear
Mr. Grisp read from the utterances of Sec
retary Carlisle in favor Of free coinage o
silver, contrasting 1t with his position
now
He reiterated his statement that he wa
d candidate for the senate, and he by wa,
OF warning, read from an editorial in tn
New York Financial Chronicle. urgin
that money be furnished to sound none
eans}idatss for the senate in the south
s. When ynJl pass Il law providing for FIRE
coinage you make the gold and the silve
of the world OF equal value The rem
edy of the gold standard men was NOR
bonds. 1t was s'a1l for the bankers, non
for you"
The first administration of ATr. CIeve
land did pay off large amount of bond
bit that did not alter the fact that hi
present Administration. and he said
y with Shame, had imposed on the peopl
a debt that would amount te $500,000,O ,Ot
before III was paid.
Generous applause accompanied NJ
Crispss close. which grew into roar d
Secretary Smith arose for his 20 minute
rejoinder. He declared that Mr. Girls
had lodged the proposition that you coul
not have a bimetallic currency withou
having the legal ratio the same as th
commercial ratio. He was willing to res
the whole ease on that proposition II
stead of answering the point Mr.. Girls
had indulged In small talk and demagog
cal appeals to prejudice against the Rotl
schifds and Wall street. He was sorr
the gentleman had cast his candidacy Fl
the senate on SO low plane.
The secreary's rejoinder was iiite,
rupted by frequent outburst's Of applaus
which, f3n each case, aroused opposin
cheers for Crisp, interspersed with hiss,
ana cat calls. The secreary called after
tion to the fact that Mr.. Crisp had n,
announced the historical authorities {
bimefaliism in France which he had rea
in Augusta and closed with a defense
the bond issues by the present admin
tration
~ apd rcfs IL ovn,.a-sso.. :, W