People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1896-10-08
WELLINGTON SUMNER COUNTY, KANSAS THURSDAY OCTOBER 1896
The Last Debate.

Jerry Simpson and Chester l. Long
closed their series Of joint debates at
Wichita Saturday. A tremendous
crowd gathered to hearit Only 1000
could get in the immense auditorium;
a third more would have been listen.
ers If they could nave got in. The
subject matter Of the debate was
very similar to the outlines already
given 10 these columns. The crowd
was pretty evenly divided between
the friends of the two men, or rather
of the principles they represent. II
anything, the Simpson men were a
little in the majority, or at least a lit.
tie more demOnstrative, as they have
have been largely so at all the pre-.
viOus debates. Out at Great Bend
there were about four Simpson men To
one Long man. At the close they
picked Jerry up and carried him two
blocks on their shoulders, with a howl.
ing multitude of three thousand fol.
lowing.
The report Of the Wichita Eagle
which paints the debate is such glow
ing colors for Long and calls the de-
bate at Wichita Waterloo for Jerry,
is entirely without foundation. Long
did not make a single new point and
Jerry showed with unmistakable pre-
ciSiOn the benefits Of free coinage and
the dangers of the gold standard. The
crowd on either side seemed highly
elated. There is no doubt but that
these debates have had a splendid in
fluence for silver with that class of
quiet, thinking, MISUNDERSTANDING
liens. POpulists are well satisfied to
risk the result.
Since the debates have closed it is
well to recapitulate and see what
points have been cOyered-what in
formation has been gained.
Mr.. Longs chief effort has been to
lead Mr.. Simpson out into discussion
of irrelevant issues by asking ques.
tiOns. Mr.. Simpson has refused to be
drawn away from the all important,
all.absOrbing, finance question, which
is the paramount issue in this cam
paign. He has held Mr.. Long right
down to the issue, Notwithstanding
his bragsadocio about Jerry refusing
to answer his questions,
On this question Mr.. Long consum-
ed the greater part Of his time in try
ing to show that with unlimited coin
age of both metals parity could not
be maintained ard that one or the
other metal would be constantly out oI
circulation. He announced himself
for gold coinage with a limited govern.
ment coinage of silver. This he said
was the policy Of the Republican
party and by which it had been able
to keep far more silver in circulation
than had been done under free
coinage.
Mr.. Simpson showed conclusively
that the parity had been maintained
the ratio arbitrarily changed by little
Portugal, later by Spain, and then by
France, which latter country main.
tained it al the ratio OF l5f to | for Il
years. He showed that with both
metals TO draw upon the United State:
being large producers Of both. and the
option given the debtor, rather than
the creditor to pay in either metal, 1t
would insure an automatic regulation
Of the value of the two metals, raise
prices OF commodities, and make it a
half easier for the American people
to meet their obligations. He liked
limited coinage as far as it went, but
disproved Mr.. Longs statement that
limited coinage, or any other sort oil
silver coinage, was the policy Of the
Republican party. The Bland Alli-
son act was vetoed by a Republican
president and passed over his head by
a majority Of Democrats 10 each
house aided by minority Of Repub-
licans, which latter element has
largely left that party, and is now
working fo- silver through the elec.
tioD OF Bryan. He showed that every
addition to our silver coinage siLce
'73 has been made against the 0pposi.
tion OF the Republican party-in spite
Of them-aDd that now their present
platform offers nothing whatever in
that line. On the contrary the gold
standard people are clamoring for the
government to 90 out OF the banking
business, which means making the
silver dollar redeemable 10 gold, as
Secretary Carlisle has already pro-
posed, the retirement Of our green
backs and the issue in their stead of
national bank notes, to be loaned out
to the people, at a profit to the bank.
ers and a consequent loss to the
reOple. Gold will then be supreme,
The money holding class will have
complete control of our markets and
can force our people to serfdom.
Mr.. Long admitted that prices
would rise If silver was fully remone-
tized but said that the money
would be of a corresponding less value,
but Simpson showed that it would be
Of full value in paying debts, and Of
full value in purchasing power. Mr.
Long feared that gold would 90 to a
premium. and hence 90 out Of circula
tiOn. Mr.. Simpson said the same
thing was predicted when the Bland
Allison act was being discussed, but
the reverse was true-we gained gold
continually. But what if it did:
Gold -xuoc out of ciro,,lofior oil aady