Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1896-08-21
W'ashlngton Staudari
BRIAN'S ADDRESS.

world The destruction OF silver as
money and the establishing Of gold as
the sole unit OF value must have n
rnnous effect On all forms OF property,
except thu-e investments which Weld
fixed returns in money. Those would
lie enormously enhanced in value,
and would gain a di>proportionate and
Unfair advantage over every other sort
OF property
1t is not strange that the holders
OF investments which Weld fixed re-
turn in money can regard the de-
struction OF silver with complacencv.
But may We not expect the holders Of
other forms OF property to protest
against giving to money a diepropOr-
tomato and unfair advantage over
other species Of property" The rela-
lively few whose wealth consists
largely in fixed investments have the
right to Use the ballot to enhance the
value OF their investments. Have not
the rest of the people the right to use
the ballot to protect themselves from
the disastrous consequences of ris.
ing standard? People who must pul
chase money with products OF toll
stand in position entirely different
from the position OF those who own
money or receive fixed income. The
well-being OF the nation, aye, OF civ
ilization itself, depends on the pros
perity OF the masses.
What shall it profit us to have dol
lar which grows more valuable every
day, if such dollar lowers the stand
ard of civilization and brings distress
to the people? What shall it profit
us if in trying to raise our credit by
increasing the purchasing power OF
our dollars we destroy our ability to
pay the debts already contracted by
lowering the purchasing power eff the
products with which these debts must
be paid? II it be asserted, as it con-
stantly is asserted, that the gold
standard will enable us to borrow that
money from abroad, I reply that the
restoration OF bimetallism will restore
the parity between money and prop
erty and thus permit an era OF pros
perity, which will euable the Ameri-
can people to become lenders Of
money, instead of perpetual borrow.
ers. Then, if we desire to borrow, how
long can We continue borrowing un-
der a system which, by lowering the
value OF property, weakens the iounda.
dation upon which our credit rests?
1t seems to mo that holders OF fixed
Investments, though they gain an ad-
vantage from the appreciation of the
dollar, must certainly see the injus-
tees OF legislation which gives them
this advantage over those whose in
comes depend upon the value of prop
erty and products. If holders OF fixed
investments will not listen to argu.
ments based upon justice and equity,
I appeal to them to consider the in
terests OF posterity. We do not live
for ourselves alone. Our labor, our
self-denial and our anxious care, all
these are for those who are to come
after us, as much as for ourselves, but
we connot protect our children beyond
the period of our lives. Let those who
are now reaping the advantage from
the various financial systems remem-
Der that in years to come their own
children and their children's children
may, through the operations of this
same system, be made to pay tribute
to the descendants of those who are
wronged to-day.
GETS DOWN TO FREE COINAGE.
AS against the main tainance OF the
gold standard, either permanently
or until other nations can be
united for its overthrow, the Chicago
platform psesents a clear and en-
phatic demand for the immediate res
toration of the free and unlimited
coinage of silver and gold at the pres
ent legal ratio of l6 to l without wait
ing for the aid or consent of any other
nation. We are not asking that q
new experiment be tried; we are in
sisting upon return to the financial
policy approved by the experience of
history and supported by all the
prominent Statesmen of our nation
from the days of the first President
down to 1873. When we ask that our
minis be opened to the free and un.
limited coinage of silver into a full
legal tender money we are simply
asking that the same mint privileges
be accorded te silver that are now
accorded to gold. When we ask that
this coinage be at the ratio of 16 to l
we simply ask that our gold coins and
standard silver dollars which, be it re.
membered, contain the same amount
of pure silver as the first ones coined
at our minis, retain their present
weights and fineness. The theoreti-
cal advantage of the metallic system
is best stated by a writer on political
economy, who suggests the following
illustration:
"a river fed from two sources is
more uniform in volume than river
fed from only one sourse-the reason
being that when ore of the feeders is
swollen the other may be low; whereas
river which has but one feeder must
risa 0r fall with tho 0thpr SO in tho